During the 20th Century Fox presentation at Comic-Con earlier today, the studio previewed its upcoming film Victor Frankenstein. Written by Max Landis (Chronicle) and directed by Paul McGuigan (Sherlock), the film offers a twist on the Frankenstein story as it revolves around the relationship between Victor Frankenstein, played by James McAvoy, and his assistant Igor, played by Daniel Radcliffe.

They revealed the film’s first trailer, which previewed a somewhat humorous yet dark tone, filled with some interesting monster effects. There’s a fairly heavy amount of CG in the backgrounds and a few of the creatures, but the film have a significant Victorian bent. We were also shown a clip in which Victor and Igor demonstrate one of their creations to some peers, and it was a nice mixture of grotesque, humorous, and chilling.

I’ve recapped some of the highlights from the back-and-forth between moderator Chris Hardwick, McGuigan, McAvoy, and Radcliffe during the Comic-Con panel below.

  • At the beginning of the movie, Igor is hunchbacked and what you’d expect to see, but he has a passion for science and anatomy that Victor sees, and the two subsequently work together to create the monster. McGuigan describes the film as a love story between Igor and Victor, who need each other.
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Image via 20th Century Fox
  • “It’s actually about giving the name back to the scientist, Frankenstein,” McGuigan said, addressing the common mistake people make when referring to the monster as Frankenstein.
  • Radcliffe says Igor is treated as “subhuman” at the beginning of the movie, before Victor essentially saves his life by bringing him into the experiment. The conflict comes into play when Igor tries to tell Victor he’s lost his mind.
  • Speaking about the contentious relationship that develops between Victor and Igor, McAvoy said, “If you’ve ever wanted to see Daniel Radcliffe utterly abused and embarrassed and manipulated by me, [this is the film].”
  • “Like Liam Neeson in the film Taken, Victor realizes that he has a very particular set of skills,” said McAvoy.
  • The main theme that they share with Mary Shelley’s original book is obsession.
  • The film gives Victor a reason for being so crazy and doesn’t cure him of his obsession halfway through the book. It keeps him mad “all the way to the end.”
  • The movie also has other little monsters that weren’t in the book.
  • “It’s unashamedly entertaining,” remarked Radcliffe when discussing the appeal of the script.

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Image via 20th Century Fox