Maggie Gyllenhaal ‘Bride of Frankenstein’ Adds Annette Bening

Earlier this week, a new listing indicated that director Maggie Gyllenhaal was gearing up to begin production on a Bride of Frankenstein feature tentatively titled The Bride. The currently untitled Frankenstein lore movie, now confirmed under Warner Bros., is not only now official, per Deadline, but Annette Bening has joined the cast.

Bening adds to a cast that includes star Jessie Buckley, Penelope Cruz as the Bride, Christian Bale as Frankenstein, Peter Sarsgaard as a detective.

In the untitled Bride of Frankenstein film, “A lonely Frankenstein travels 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.”

This confirms a period-set feature that will center around Frankenstein’s quest for love.

In the original 1935 film from director James Whale, “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.”

Bale most recently starred in the Netflix period horror movie The Pale Blue Eye, centered around a young Edgar Allan Poe. The Bride would be Gyllenhaal’s sophomore directorial effort; the actor-turned-director made her debut with 2021’s The Lost Daughter starring Olivia Colman.

Deadline reports that the movie is being produced by Emma Tillinger Koskoff (The Joker, The Irishman), Gyllenhaal, Talia Kleinhendler (The Lost Daughter), and Osnant Handelsman-Keren (The Lost Daughter). EPs are Courtney Kivowitz (The Lost Daughter) and Carla Raij (Maestro, The Fablemans).

Production is currently scheduled to begin this March.