Leave it to Christian Bale to make death look dashing, as the first images of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride have unearthed themselves. Suave and debonair were never two words we’d have thought of using to describe Frankenstein’s monster, but he’s getting gussied up and finessed to impress his potential beau. The first picture showcases the leading male monster in Gyllenhaal’s sophomore directorial effort in a way that audiences have never seen him before. Bold, beautiful, and surprisingly not bald, Bale’s take on the legendary creature sees him sporting a full head of hair, a trendy jacket, and even tattoos. Given that fans were a bit miffed to see Rupert Sanders do a similar thing to Bill Skarsgård in the debut images and trailer for The Crow reboot, we’re sure the creative team behind The Bride will be facing some pushback on Frankenstein’s monster’s new-agey appearance.
Filming is clearly underway for Gyllenhaal’s adaptation of James Whale’s classic 1935 Universal flick, The Bride of Frankenstein, which has yet to set a release date. Bale’s addition to the film was the latest piece of news to arrive surrounding the horror production, which is already shaping up to include a rather impressive cast. Joining the Academy Award-winning actor on the call sheet are the likes of Annette Bening (Nyad), Jessie Buckley (Wicked Little Letters), Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Julianne Hough (Burlesque), and Peter Sarsgaard (Garden State).
When we take the new information allotted by way of the first image and compare it with the plot that’s been revealed, things get a little confusing. Judging by the large tattoo scrawled across Bale’s chest, it would seem as though the film takes place in the modern day. However, the project’s logline sets it a century in the past, reading, “A lonely Frankenstein [the monster] travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aid of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is here. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement.” From our latest piece of information, could The Bride have a time-traveling twist that’s being hinted at between image and description?
When Does ‘The Bride’ Walk Down The Aisle?
With so many details still up in the air, it’s only by way of trailers and teasers that we’ll learn the answers to these and more burning questions. The cast and crew of Gyllenhaal and Warner Bros. creature feature are hard at work plotting, setting, and filming, with an arrival date in theaters and in IMAX on October 3, 2025.
You can check out the first shot from The Bride above and stay tuned to Collider for more information on Gyllenhaal’s sophomore production.
via Collider