Matt Tolmach, the former co-president of Sony Pictures Entertainment who left his cushy executive post to focus on producing, has set up his first project at the studio.
Tolmach will produce a contemporary adaptation of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" for Sony through his company Matt Tolmach Productions, the studio has confirmed to TheWrap.
Craig Fernandez will write the script based on his own pitch, which Sony took off the table in a preemptive deal.
The "Frankenstein" tale has always been my favorite of the classic monster movies, which also include Dracula, The Wolfman and The Mummy. The set-up is inherently rich with dramatic potential, and the last time I saw an interesting take on the material was James Bai's little-seen 2005 indie "Puzzlehead."
Sony is no stranger to Shelley's spooky story, as the studio released Kenneth Branagh's "Frankenstein" through its TriStar Pictures label in 1994.
Fernandez has been on fire lately, having written a Latin-centric spin on "Sense and Sensibility" titled "From Prada to Nada" for Lionsgate, as well as a pair of projects for DreamWorks Animation. His agent, Jordan Bayer of Original Artists, will soon shop Fernandez's adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's "Captains Courageous," which has Jon Shestack attached as a producer.
It was just before Halloween when Tolmach accepted a multi-year producing deal that kicks off with Marc Webb's "Spider-Man" reboot, which Tolmach will produce along with Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad. Production on the 3D superhero movie is scheduled to start next week.
Tolmach's "Frankenstein" deal was first reported by Deadline.
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