by Sarah Cook

Since Robert Louis Stevenson first penned The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll & Mr Hyde, there have been countless of adaptations. In fact, the Victorians were the first to produce the first-ever stage production a mere year after release. The first cinematic outing for this essential horror film was in 1908 and, ever since, there have been over a hundred adaptations, retellings, and sequels in books, in movies, on stages, and even some interpretive dancing.

Now in 2023, Hammer Horror returns to the big screens with a brand-new adaptation of Stevenson’s work by director Joe Stephenson. It sees young ex-convict and drug addict Rob who takes up a caretaking position at a manor house owned by elusive scientist and billionaire Dr Nina Jekyll. But does she have a dark side?

Tackling such a revered text must add some pressure to creating your own version of the story, but Stephenson’s modern romp will appease fans.  

“As a filmmaker, I want to see a transformation scene,” Stephenson says as we sit down to talk about his upcoming adaptation. “I know what everybody else wants, but to go forward, we have to shake them off a little bit and just make the film you want. Do something fresh for a new audience.”

As a huge fan of the Robert Louis Stevenson text, to the extent that I have named my cat after the titular doctor, there is a lot in Stephenson’s film that will appease die-hard fans. “People have to look out for little winks,” Stephenson continues. “But you have to go on your own journey and have fun with it. That satisfies people who are huge fans but also everybody who wants something.”

So how does Stephenson balance all these ideals in his new film? “My angle was really more about modern characters. The modern world isn’t very good for Gothic storytelling with television and phones.” Stephenson says, yet he does manage to imbue that Victorian feel into his new work. “I wanted to isolate the characters we meet and also give them a modern boy for audiences to follow.”

That character is Rob – our new hero created for the film. He’s played by upcoming actor Scott Chambers. Sat next to Stephenson for the interview, he interjects about Rob’s shady history which is crucial for the story. “He’s got a really messed up background.”

“It’s kind of a modern version of a boy who doesn’t come with toxic masculinity that some certain adaptations do have.” Joe Stephenson further speaks about Rob and how he is enticed into the world of Dr Jekyll played by Eddie Izzard. “On top of that, you’ve got the trans shackle. It’s not about gender and it’s not about the difficulties Jekyll had as a trans person. That’s the past. She has certainly succeeded and lived a very successful life. So whilst it is very modern to have a trans character at the centre of it, ultimately the film is about placing them in a world which felt appropriate for Gothic tradition.”

Rob is a fantastic character to root for in the story because he is trying to better himself from his previous life and addictions. Chambers plays him with a keen energy which makes him instantly likeable. “I remember reading the very first script and I was like ‘OK. I can play this in a really clichéd way. I don’t want to do that.’” Chambers says, speaking about bringing to life this tortured hero. “I wanted to do something that people aren’t expecting. He’s had this really shit background, but you can’t judge a book by its cover. He is a good person; he’s just not had an easy life. I just wanted to bring people a character that they could invest in, and hopefully, love. At the same time, be two steps ahead of him and protect him. Because he’s going to probably get put through the wringer.” Chambers laughs. After all, we all know the darkness that is whipping around him. “I feel it’s just so important that you want to hug him, but you’ve got to sit and watch him go through all of this.”

Chambers plays Rob excellently. There is a jitteriness as he wants to better his life for not only himself but also his sick daughter. At the same time, falling back into bad habits is an easy slippery slope. Chambers did a lot of research to create authenticity for his character. “I watched documentaries to try and pull little things into it. I feel the anxiety is still gonna be there for him, especially when you’ve just come out of jail. The desperation is there to rebuild his life – to be better for himself, to be better for the child, and to transform.”

Pulling back to Nina Jekyll, and working with Eddie Izzard on the role, there is a question of whether having a female Jekyll was the initial intention. After all, there are not many adaptations with a woman playing Jekyll, let alone a transgender woman.

“I think my feeling is that representation is so important in the film,” Stephenson says, speaking on the famed comedian and there are very few people that can lead the way Eddie can lead. Who can be that name on the poster but also have humour. It was just a perfect fit.”

Casting Eddie opened up the film and helped evolve it as Stephenson says. “It was constantly moving forward in different ways. I didn’t feel like we were working on my film until we had Eddie. It was like I was trying to do someone else’s film.”

Chambers enthuses this sentiment. “We had chats and the options were great but then you got Eddie and you were so excited.”

“There was just something unique. It makes it sort of pop a little bit.” Joe Stephenson concludes, whilst also mentioning how crucial it is in this time to have representation. “Telling stories that people don’t get to tell is always exciting. But it’s always important, particularly for trans people right now, to tell their stories. I am really proud we were able to do that.”

Doctor Jekyll is in cinemas now.