Saturday 15 February 2014

Trailer: Showtime's PENNY DREADFUL

Saturday 15 February 2014

Showtime have teased us for weeks, but here's the full-length trailer for their upcoming "psychosexual horror show" PENNY DREADFUL. This stars Josh Hartnett (Lucky Number Slevin) and Eva Green (Casino Royale), in a story that finds various 'classic monsters' embroiled in the same story: vampire Dracula, immortal muse Dorian Grey (Reeve Carney), the Wolfman, and Frankenstein's Monster (Skyfall's Roy Kinnear).

The Gothic drama also stars Timothy Dalton, Harry Treadaway (as Dr Frankenstein), Billie Piper (Doctor Who), and Helen McCrory (Peaky Blinders). The show has been created by screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, Skyfall), is produced by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Skyfall), and features direction from Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage), Dearbhla Walsh (The Tudors) and James Hawes (Doctor Who).

Of all the news shows coming this year, Penny Dreadful is amongst my most anticipated. Horror's a hot commodity on television right now, and with True Blood limping to a conclusion this summer we need something to replace it. Something with more clarity and logical thought behind it than American Horror Story, preferably. This trailer certainly looks promising, with some cool designs and production values. It looks cinematic, and the content feels unsettling and with the potential to scare. I'm certainly pleased to see a vampire that actually looks monstrous, for once. Plus it's always great fun to see Eva Green chewing the scenery with her peculiar Anglo-Swedish-French accent (or whatever's going on, it never fails to delight me).

Anyone else excited for this?

PENNY DREADFUL debuts 11 May on Showtime, and Sky Atlantic soon after.