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What We Do In The Shadows lives on (with added Mel Brooks) as FX orders Very Young Frankenstein to series

Comedy by way of classic horror rises again, as What We Do in the Shadows vets Stefani Robinson, Taika Waititi, and Garrett Basch breathe new life into Mel Brooks's seminal Young Frankenstein

News by Grant DeArmitt, Staff Writer

Published on Tue May 19 2026

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I won't speak for you, Popverse reader, but I'll tell you that when I heard about What We Do in the Shadows ending, my horrid little heart sank. Where else, I wondered, was I going to get such a delightful combination of classic horror and contemporary comedy, produced by some of the funniest nerd on the planet? Some years later, though, I have an answer: the Young Frankenstein prequel has received a series order over at FX, and it's bringing some of the WWDITS crew along with it.

The story comes out of a Variety article dated May 18, which follows on previous reporting that Very Young Frankenstein received a pilot, blessed by none other than original filmmaker Mel Brooks. Now, though, we're throwing a whole lot more names of comedic legends into the stitched-together series, including folks like Zach Galifianakis, Dolly Wells and Spencer House, who will star in the series, alongside Nikki Crawford, Kumail Nanjiani, and Cary Elwes, who appear in the pilot.

But you're here for the BAT of it all, and we're only happy to oblige. Very Young Frankenstein, whose plot details are under wraps save for the fact that the show will be a prequel to Brooks's 1974 classic, is coming directing from the creative minds of Stefani Robinson, Garrett Basch, and Taika Waititi. In case you don't know, those are the executive producers and co-creators of What We Do in the Shadows, respectively.

Now, here's where I have questions: For five years, What We Do in the Shadows brought us bloodthirsty hijinks by way of the mockumentary format. With Very Young Frankenstein reportedly set in the 1800s, that almost certainly won't be the method they use this go-around, so how will this show come to life? And if it's set before the events of Young Frankenstein, on whom will the story focus?

Again, I'm not speaking for you here, reader, but these are questions I'd very much like the answer to now. Still, if I was going to trust anyone to answer them, I'm at least comforted by the fact that it's exactly this line-up of folks.

What We Do in the Shadows is streaming on Hulu; Very Young Frankenstein will also stream on the platform, via its ongoing deal with FX.

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Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.