23 June 2023

The new ‘Swamp Thing’ film will be a “Gothic horror movie” inspired by ‘Frankenstein’, according to director James Mangold.

Swamp Thing from Wes Craven’s 1982 film

The ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ filmmaker is set to helm the upcoming movie which is part of the new DC Universe and he wants to explore what it means to be a man-turned-monster and Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel and the subsequent film versions of ‘Frankenstein’ will be an influence.

Speaking to Variety, Mangold spilled: “While I’m sure DC views ‘Swamp Thing’ as a franchise, I would be viewing it as a very simple, clean, Gothic horror movie about this man/monster.

“I am interested in making something that works from beginning to end — to curtain. Otherwise, I’m working on the world’s most expensive television show.

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“I’ve been toying for years with the idea of making a kind of ‘Frankenstein’ movie.”

In the DC comic book series, scientist Alec Holland and his wife Linda invent a bio-restorative formula that can solve any nations’ food shortage problems but after he is a victim in a bomb attack on his laboratory, Alec, who is in flames, runs to a nearby swamp to douse the fire and the formula combined with the plant life creates a new being made from vegetation with Alec’s memories known as Swamp Thing.

James Gunn and Peter Safran confirmed that ‘Swamp Thing’ would be part of the first 10 films and TV shows within their rebooted DC Universe, with Chapter 1 of the DCU being named ‘Gods and Monsters’.

‘Swamp Thing’ was created by the writer Len Wein and horror artist Bernie Wrightson and made his first appearance in comic book pages in 1971.

He first appeared on the big screen in 1982 flick ‘Swamp Thing’, which was directed by horror legend Wes Craven. The movie was a success on home video rental and cable and spawned a sequel, Jim Wynorski’s 1989 follow-up ‘The Return of Swamp Thing’.

The character also headlined a short-lived TV series in 2019.