FX Orders ‘Very Young Frankenstein’ to Series

It’s alive. FX has officially ordered Very Young Frankenstein to series — a new comedy inspired by Mel Brooks’ beloved 1974 film Young Frankenstein, with Zach Galifianakis leading the cast and the creative team behind What We Do in the Shadows running the show.

The pickup comes after FX ordered a pilot back in September 2025. Galifianakis will star alongside Dolly Wells and Spencer House, with Cary Elwes, Kumail Nanjiani, and Tony Award-nominee Nikki Crawford (Fat Ham) also appearing in the pilot. Plot and character details are still being kept under wraps — the title alone, though, strongly suggests the story takes place before the events of the original film, when Frederick Frankenstein was considerably younger.

The series comes from the same trio that made What We Do in the Shadows one of FX’s most celebrated comedies: writer-producer Stefani Robinson (Atlanta), director Taika Waititi, and producer Garrett Basch. Robinson wrote the pilot; Waititi directed it. They executive produce alongside Brooks, his producing partner Kevin Salter, and Young Frankenstein’s original producer Michael Gruskoff. 20th Television is the studio behind the project.

“Very Young Frankenstein blends inspiration from the fan-favorite movie with the inventive, irreverent spirit that has defined FX comedies over the years, making this a completely original take on the classic story,” FX Entertainment president Nick Grad said in a statement. “In the hands of FX veterans Stefani, Taika and Garrett, alongside the iconic Mel Brooks, we know that fans will have as much fun watching this series as we’re having making it.”

Mel Brooks, Still Very Much in the Building

Perhaps the most remarkable part of all this? Mel Brooks turns 100 years old next month — and he’s not slowing down. Very Young Frankenstein is just one piece of what’s quietly become a full-blown Brooks renaissance. Hulu’s History of the World, Part II already brought him back to one of his signature properties, and an upcoming Spaceballs sequel is also in the works with his involvement. The man is genuinely having a moment, a century into his life.

Cary Elwes, who has a long personal history with Brooks, made clear just how much the project means to him. “Mel’s producing it. He’s working more than I am right now,” Elwes told TV Insider before the pickup was announced. “The guy’s unbelievably busy. I’m so proud of him. It was fun. It was directed by the great Taika Waititi, and we had a lot of fun, obviously, making it. I’m looking forward to it.”

On his relationship with Brooks specifically, Elwes didn’t hold back: “He is like a surrogate dad to me, really. We talk all the time. I didn’t push him on this. He came to me with it, which was nice. It’s always nice to get a call from him that’s about work, as opposed to just ‘hi.’ So that was fun. Can’t wait for you to see it.”

About the Original Film

For the uninitiated: Young Frankenstein starred Gene Wilder — who also co-wrote the screenplay with Brooks — as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, a scientist so embarrassed by his family’s macabre legacy that he insists on mispronouncing his own name (Fronk-en-steen). Lured back to his grandfather Victor’s Transylvanian castle, he ends up recreating the infamous experiments anyway, with the help of Igor and a monster made of dead tissue. The film was a loving, brilliantly crafted parody of Universal’s 1930s and ’40s monster movies, and it remains one of the sharpest comedies ever made.

The ensemble was legendary: Peter Boyle as the Monster, Marty Feldman as Igor, Cloris Leachman as the imposing Frau Blücher, Madeline Kahn as Frederick’s fiancée, Teri Garr as Inga, and Brooks himself as the voice of Victor Frankenstein. The film later spawned a Broadway musical in 2007, directed by Susan Stroman, which ran for 484 performances before Stroman helmed a revamped West End production as well.

Very Young Frankenstein will air on FX and stream on Hulu. No premiere date has been set yet — but given that this was FX’s last outstanding pilot from its recent batch, and the full creative team is already in place, the wait probably won’t be too long.

A call from Mel Brooks about work. That does sound like a good day.