Over the years, there have been hundreds of films featuring Frankenstein’s monster. Audiences will be treated to another one this fall with Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, a faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel. And there’s already another one on the release calendar after that. March sees the debut of director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride!, which stars her The Dark Knight co-star Christian Bale as Frankenstein’s monster. As the title suggests, Gyllenhaal’s film is influenced by Bride of Frankenstein, with Jessie Buckley bringing the titular character to life. For a while, the only officially released look at movie was a black-and-white photo of Bale in costume, but now a trailer has made its way online.
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Today, Warner Bros. Pictures shared the first trailer for The Bride!, giving viewers a better idea of what to expect. The preview establishes the foundation for the story, with Buckley’s character being brought back to life to give the lonely Frankenstein a companion. The official synopsis teases that what follows “is beyond what either of them imagined,” as Frankenstein and his bride find themselves at the center of “a wild and radical cultural movement.” Check out the trailer in the space below:
Can The Bride! Continue WB’s Horror Movie Hot Streak?
It seems funny to think about now, but at the beginning of the year, there were legitimate concerns about WB’s long-term viability as a movie studio. On the heels of multiple box office bombs, WB was banking on an eclectic mix of auteur-driven original films and blockbuster hopefuls for a rebound. Over the past handful of months, WB has become the talk of the town, with seven consecutive movies posting an opening weekend of at least $40 million domestically. Horror movies have played a key role in this resurgence, with the likes of Sinners, Weapons, Final Destination Bloodlines, and The Conjuring: Last Rites all exceeding box office projections.
Sinners and Weapons were notable achievements because they rode waves of positive buzz to box office success. WB was rewarded for the bets it took on Ryan Coogler and Zach Cregger, and now it’s hoping for similar results with Gyllenhaal. While Frankenstein is a staple of pop culture and is instantly recognizable, Gyllenhaal’s film is described as a “bold, iconoclastic take” on the source material, meaning it’s looking to put its own spin on the story. This isn’t the same as The Conjuring: Last Rites being the final installment in a popular, long-running series. The Bride! isn’t as rooted in established Hollywood IP despite the Frankenstein connection. It’s a bit of a gamble on WB’s part.
Gyllenhaal’s first directorial effort, The Lost Daughter, received critical acclaim when it premiered in 2021. Among the accolades it earned were Oscar nominations for Buckley (Best Supporting Actress) and Gyllenhaal herself (Best Adapted Screenplay). Critics praised the film’s performances and the story’s bold nature. So, Gyllenhaal has already demonstrated a keen ability to take a previously published work and turn it into a compelling film. In addition to directing The Bride!, Gyllenhaal wrote the screenplay, so her creative voice will be the film’s primary driving force. If The Bride! earns a critical reception similar to The Lost Daughter, it could become a hit, especially with WB giving it a big push in the spring.
At one point, The Bride! was supposed to come out this fall, but WB pushed it back to March 2026. Ostensibly, that move was made to put the film in a better position to succeed at the box office, but it will be interesting to see if that comes to pass. The Bride! is now opening one week after the anticipated Scream 7, which will likely be a big draw with horror fans and general audiences. The Bride! is also directly facing off against the new Pixar film Hoppers, though Pixar has had its struggles at the box office lately and may not be much of a threat (depending on what Hoppers‘ reception is). With the talent involved, there’s a path for The Bride! to surprise next year.
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