Filmmakers taking time outs from the movie world to try their hand at directing for the stage is a pretty common practice, but there is absolutely nothing ordinary about Danny Boyle‘s “Frankenstein,” an adventurous take on the familiar story in nearly every facet of its production.
Starring Johnny Lee Miller (Boyle’s “Trainspotting”) and Benedict Cumberbatch (”Atonement,” the BBC’s “Sherlock”), the stageplay features an interesting twist: Miller and Cumberbatch will switch roles from night to night so one evening you can catch Dr. Frankenstein played by Cumberbatch and the Monster by Miller, and then (if you can snag tickets or head out to multiplex screening more than once) see the reverse a few days later. But it’s not just on the acting front where Boyle is changing the game. He’s employed British techno duo Underworld to provide the score, and an early listen (check it out below) reveals that even in this arena, “Frankenstein” is pushing boundaries.
“Born Slippy” this isn’t. Starting off with the sounds of birds chirping, the track builds nicely into an ambitiously ambient and disorienting piece with overlapping, cut up vocals over strummed guitars. It’s an effectively haunting bit of work and yet another element to “Frankenstein” that seems to be lifting the material right off the boards into another realm.
You can check out a trailer for “Frankenstein” here and just a reminder, a live broadcast of the show will hit theaters on March 17th — check the listings to see if it will play near you. No date yet on the soundtrack album release, but it is on the way. Check out the website for the disc and updates. [via Gigwise]