With the planned 3D remake of Fantastic Voyage still sitting miniaturised in the development syringe, it would appear that director Shawn Levy may be ready to jump ship, or at least push the sci-fi pic further back on his schedule, as he considers other projects first. Now **Voyage **studio Fox is pushing the idea him towards the studio’s planned version of the Frankenstein story.
Max Landis is at work on a script, which would be yet another take on the monster and his maker based on Mary Shelley's tale of man's scientific folly.
Deadline reports that Levy, who has been wavering on the Voyage job for a while (recent reports had him considering ditching it if he couldn’t get Will Smith to star), has his eye on several films. Fox, meanwhile, is looking to get out ahead in the crowded Frankenstein movie market and lock in a director after talking to the likes of David Yates, Ron Howard and Paul Greengrass.
If Levy does sign on, he’ll enter the Franken-fray against at least five other projects including Universal’s long-planned Guillermo del Toro pic (which won’t go anywhere anytime soon given his schedule unless he hands the directing reins to someone else), Stuart Beattie’s I, Frankenstein, Peter Ackroyd adaptation The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein at Ghost House Pictures, Summit’s This Dark Endeavour, which offers an adventure from the dodgy doc’s early years and Sony’s planned modern-day update. And Tim Burton's animated Frankenweenie, of course. Which one will stagger out to meet torch-wielding cinema audiences first? Right now there’s no sign…
Levy’s next film, Real Steel, will bring its robo-boxing action to our screens on October 14.