The Bride!, actor-turned director Maggie Gyllenhaal's adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic tale, only recently started production, but Warner Bros. has already shared a couple of stylish promo images.
The stills feature Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, Thor: Love and Thunder) as Frankenstein's Monster, and Jessie Buckley (Men, Wicked Little Letters) as the titular Bride.
We first heard about this project back in 2022 when it was being developed for Netflix, but a follow-up report indicated that the film had been shelved shortly after the Hollywood strikes got underway, and was being shopped elsewhere. More recently, we'd learn that Warner Bros. had acquired The Bride!, which is now set for a theatrical release on October 3rd, 2025.
Gyllenhaal is set to direct after garnering acclaim for her debut feature, The Lost Daughter. Penélope Cruz (Vanilla Sky, Zoolander 2), Peter Saragaard (Green Lantern, The Batman) Annette Bening (American Beauty, Nyad) and Julianne Hough (Footloose, Dirty Grandpa) are also part of the cast, but no details on their roles have been disclosed.
This take on the story "sees a lonely Frankenstein travel to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman, and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police, and a wild and radical social movement."
Check out the images below.
It doesn't sound like this is going to be a direct remake of the 1935 classic, and even if they stick to the basic premise, we'd say the story will undergo a few changes for a modern audience.
The original was helmed by James Whale, and was a direct sequel to 1931's Frankenstein. The plot focused on Henry Frankenstein's (Colin Clive) mentor Doctor Septimus Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), who convinces Henry to assist him in creating a Bride for the Monster (Boris Karloff). Henry is wary of giving life to another potentially murderous creature, but is blackmailed and threatened by Dr. Pretorius and the monster, leading to the creation of the titular character (portrayed by Elsa Lanchester, who also appeared in the film as Mary Shelley).
"After recovering from injuries sustained in the mob attack upon himself and his creation, Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) falls under the control of his former mentor, Dr. Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger), who insists the now-chastened doctor resume his experiments in creating new life. Meanwhile, the Monster (Boris Karloff) remains on the run from those who wish to destroy him without understanding that his intentions are generally good despite his lack of socialization and self-control."
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