Jay Russell (Ladder 49, The Water Horse) has been hired to direct Wake the Dead, an adaptation of a Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) 4 issues comic mini-series

The series is described as a modern day re-telling of the Frankenstein myth and has been adapted for the screen by James V. Hart (Bram Stoker’s Dracula).

Niles said to Shock Till You Drop…

“It’s Frankenstein, but it’s not the novel, it’s not the movie. It’s the gist of Frankenstein. It’s such a part of our psyche and I want to get it out there. And it’s a shame because every time people put it out there, it’s another period piece. For some reason or another, the kids today reject it. So, I’m hoping this will be more a more accessible and more visceral telling.”

Russell created this video montage to show us the tone, which includes some shots from elsewhere such as Bride of Frankenstein…

Love it. If Russell can keep promise on that montage above, then this should be a nice little addition to the Frankenstein mythology.

30 Days of Night was a bit of a disappointment, let’s hope we get better execution on another good concept but this time from a different director.