While 2025 was celebrated as the year of Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” 2026 is shaping up to be the year of “The Bride.”
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s second feature film as a director reimagines “The Bride of Frankenstein” with a rebellious punk rock vibe and features an impressive cast. Jessie Buckley stars as the titular Bride, with Christian Bale portraying Frankenstein’s monster. The film also boasts a star-studded ensemble including Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Penélope Cruz. With Warner Bros. riding high on a string of successes, anticipation for this movie is sky-high. During a virtual press conference on January 13, Gyllenhaal shared how her creative vision was inspired by Elsa Lanchester’s powerful presence in the 1935 classic “The Bride of Frankenstein,” despite her limited screen time.
“Elsa Lanchester, the original Bride of Frankenstein, has such an impact,” Gyllenhaal explained. “Her look, her presence—there’s something formidable about her. I watched the film for the first time recently and realized she doesn’t even speak. Yet, she commands the screen. That’s what I find fascinating. The movie’s called ‘The Bride of Frankenstein,’ but it’s not really about the Bride. Still, Elsa Lanchester makes an unforgettable impression, even with just a few minutes on screen. She’s kind of badass.”
Gyllenhaal also discussed how her film seeks to explore some of the narrative gaps in the original story, especially regarding the Bride’s lack of agency.
“In many versions, Frankenstein is a monster—doing monstrous, terrible things—but he’s also a lonely, beautiful, kind soul,” she said. “His desire for a mate, which is part of the story, is understandable. But what about her? When he asks for someone to be brought back from the dead to be his partner, what about her own needs, her own fears, her own agenda? That’s what I want to explore—what if she returns and has her own wants and terrors?”
Warner Bros. will release “The Bride” in theaters on Friday, March 6. Check out the latest trailer below.
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