Written by new-contact on Nov 17, 2014. Posted in On Location

Sean Bean drama The Frankenstein Chronicles to film in Northern Ireland

Sean Bean is set to star in ITV drama The Frankenstein Chronicles. The miniseries will film in Northern Ireland, where it will recreate Regency London of the early 19th century. Bean previously starred in the opening season of Game of Thrones, which is still based in Belfast.

“The Frankenstein Chronicles is an epic re-working of one of literature and cinema’s most iconic stories,” said Steve November, Director of Drama for ITV: “We’re delighted to be working with [director and writer] Benjamin Ross, [writer] Barry Langford and the team at Rainmark Films with the vision to bring Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein back to life.”

Northern Ireland’s production industry has had a big boost by hosting the HBO drama Game of Thrones. The region recently doubled for Eastern Europe in Dracula Untold but still appeals mainly to UK features and TV series, including high-profile BBC crime drama The Fall.

Dublin is also building a reputation as an effective double for period London, with both Ripper Street and Penny Dreadful having shot in the Irish capital.

More producers are returning to the Frankenstein tale. In the US a modern-day version of the story is being made for the Fox network by Howard Gordon, the executive producer of Homeland.

Movies inspired by the classic story are also prolific. Stuart Beattie’s I, Frankenstein opened in cinemas earlier this year having filmed on location in and around Melbourne, Australia. Next year will see two separate versions of the story released in cinemas. The higher-profile production will be Victor Frankenstein, which stars Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy and will tell the story through the eyes of supporting character Igor.

More Frankenstein movies could follow as rights-holder Universal Studios recently announced plans to develop a new slate of films similar to the cinematic universe now presented so effectively by Marvel.