You think you know Frankenstein and Igor? Wait until you see director Paul McGuigan's spin on the Mary Shelley classic. The movie stars Daniel Radcliffe as Igor. At the start, he's got a hunchback and is viciously bullied by his colleagues at a traveling circus, but when James McAvoy's Victor Frankenstein whisks him away, Igor gets the chance to put his brilliant mind to use and have his back fixed, too. However, as Frankenstein's experiments become more and more dangerous, Igor must consider putting an end to them, even if it means ruining their friendship.

I already shared the video of Radcliffe and McAvoy playing a little "Would You Rather," but now it's time for a more in-depth conversation with McGuigan about the making of Victor Frankenstein. During our interview he discussed the unique tone of the film, the real science in the movie, why he changed the progression of Igor and Lorelei's (Jessica Brown Findlay) relationship and more. Check it all out in the video interview below. Victor Frankenstein is in theaters now.


 

Paul McGuigan:

  • 00:20 - On the tone of the movie.
  • 00:40 - Working with characters that many think they're familiar with.
  • 01:25 - On the script itself being Frankenstein-like; bringing science to a more interesting place.
  • 02:33 - The detail of the apartment set.
  • 02:58 - Approaching the science in a very real way.
  • 04:09 - The five steps of bringing someone back to life.
  • 05:21 - The science behind how Victor fixes Igor's back; what McAvoy added to that scene himself.
  • 06:01 - How much the movie changed from the first to the final cut.
  • 06:39 - What he learned from the test screening process; changing the Lorelei storyline.

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe star in a dynamic and thrilling twist on a legendary tale. Radical scientist Victor Frankenstein (McAvoy) and his equally brilliant protégé Igor Strausman (Radcliffe) share a noble vision of aiding humanity through their groundbreaking research into immortality. But Victor’s experiments go too far, and his obsession has horrifying consequences. Only Igor can bring his friend back from the brink of madness and save him from his monstrous creation.


victor-frankenstein-daniel-radcliffe-interview
Image via 20th Century Fox

victor-frankenstein-poster