Mel Brooks Announces One-Night-Only 'Young Frankenstein' Screening — and a New Stage Production in London (Exclusive)
Mel Brooks recently hosted a screening of his 1974 Western-comedy classic Blazing Saddles at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. And now, on the heels of that triumph, the 90-year-old actor-writer-director is back to announce yet another big-screen event — and this time, it will be available to moviegoers nationwide.
On Oct. 5, Young Frankenstein will return to 500 theaters across the country for one night only courtesy of Fathom Events, which is bringing the beloved 1974 horror spoof back to the big screen. More exciting still, its return engagement will take place with help from Brooks, who will introduce the film via livestream from the studio lot where it was produced.
As Brooks told Yahoo Movies in an exclusive interview, “[Audiences] are going to see me at the beginning of the presentation, at Stage 5 at 20th Century Fox. The back of Stage 5 has an incredible, 120-foot mural of the making of the monster scene — of me, and Gene Wilder, and Peter Boyle on the table, and Teri Garr, and Marty Feldman.”
Fathom’s Young Frankenstein screening will arrive mere weeks after the passing of the film’s inimitable star, Gene Wilder. Though Brooks notes that the timing is coincidental, he also believes it will be a great opportunity for moviegoers to enjoy one of the actor’s greatest performances.
Related: Gene Wilder, 1933-2016: His Most Memorable Roles
“[Fathom] didn’t know about Gene. I knew, but they had no idea that Gene wasn’t really going to survive this Alzheimer’s, and they didn’t want people to think that they were just taking advantage of a great star’s passing. This was started close to a year ago, and I’m glad it’s being done, really, because for those who’ve never seen Gene Wilder act, it’s going to be a thrilling event.”
As if that news weren’t enough to excite Brooks fans, he also revealed that next year, a new stage production of Young Frankenstein will debut on London’s West End, helmed by Susan Stroman, director of the Broadway production of The Producers. “We’re going to do a streamlined version…It’s going to be in a theater in the West End in London about a year from now, and then if it really works, and people really love it, I’ll take it back to New York in a nice little theater. We won’t do an over-blown production like we did originally.”
More information about Brooks and Fathom’s Oct. 5 Young Frankenstein screening can be found here. For more details on that event, Brooks’s thoughts on Wilder and Young Frankenstein, and his upcoming musical plans, check back with Yahoo Movies later today for our full interview with the Hollywood legend.