Koontz’s FRANKENSTEIN to hit the screen—again

By Michael Gingold

Variety reports that Ralph Winter and Terry Botwick of 1019 Entertainment have picked up the screen rights to the series of FRANKENSTEIN novels written by prolific horror author Dean Koontz. The duo are planning a feature-film franchise based on the books, producing along with Whitney Thomas.

In Koontz’s updates of the Mary Shelley classic, Dr. Frankenstein—now calling himself Victor Helios—and his scientifically created humans, the most prominent of whom is known as Deucalion, live in present-day New Orleans and are tracked by a pair of detectives. The author’s scenario was already the basis of a 2004 TV movie directed by Marcus Nispel and starring Thomas Kretschmann, Parker Posey, Adam Goldberg and Vincent Perez. Three books—PRODIGAL SON (written with Kevin J. Anderson), CITY OF NIGHT and DEAD AND ALIVE (both penned with Ed Gorman)—have been published since 2005, with LOST SOULS due out this June and two more to follow in 2011 and 2012, providing plenty of material for the movies. “These books have enough twists and turns to keep the public coming back to the theaters for many years to come,” the producers tell the trade; no talent has yet been attached.