While Shawn Levy considered directing it for a while, it appears that Levy moving off the project and directing "The Internship" instead, and Fox hiring "Lucky Number Slevin" helmer Paul McGuigan to direct, has put a new surge of electricity back into the studio's brewing "Frankenstein." And that juice could bring with it a major franchise star to take the lead role.
The Wrap reports that Daniel Radcliffe is "interested" in taking on the role of the Hunchback in the movie, but nothing is certain just yet. And while this story might seem a bit lightweight at the moment, it does bring with it some details about the plot, which are intriguing, considering how tightly it has been kept under wraps. Pennedy by "Chronicle" scribe Max Landis, this movie will apparently bring a sci-fi spin to Mary Shelley's classic tale, and that the Hunchback in particular will be "pathologically dirty and dressed in old clowns clothing." Okay, then. Now toss in themes of "friendship and redemption" and you definitely have us interested.
A final pass will be given to the script before any formal talks begin with any potential cast, but it's easy to see why Radcliffe would want this role. Post-'Harry Potter' he has actively been pursuing numerous projects that allow him to flex his acting chops, and he already led the horror flick "The Woman In Black" to surprising box office success at the beginning of the year. And he's got even more diverse parts coming up with the romantic comedy "The F Word," the Beat generation drama "Kill Your Darlings," and the fantasy/horror "Horns." Playing the Hunchback? Yeah, we'd kinda love to see that.