Bride of Frankenstein has been in development hell for years but, like its eponymous monster, it looks like plans for a new big screen adaptation could finally be resurrected. The film’s screenwriter recently teased some details surrounding the Universal Monster movie, including what we can expect to see when it finally hits theaters.
When Bride of Frankenstein was initially announced, Bill Condon was attached to direct, and Angelina Jolie was set to star. It was meant to be part of Universal Pictures’ Dark Universe. That burgeoning franchise ultimately failed to perform the way the studio had envisioned, following the lackluster response to 2017’s The Mummy. Instead, they seem to have changed gears, handing off the idea to Blumhouse. This year’s The Invisible Man wound up working successfully as a standalone film. Now, it looks like Bride of Frankenstein may get a similar treatment, as screenwriter David Koepp recently revealed that Bride is still very much alive:
I just gave Universal a new draft about a month ago and they seem to really like it and they’re talking to directors. It’s become the story of how are we extending our lives; can we create life, can we cheat death? It only gets more and more relevant over time. The big life extension work right now that’s being out in Silicon Valley is overwhelming, impressive and scary, and I feel like a present day version of that is begging to be made.
The Bride has long been an iconic movie monster and, like Frankenstein, her story has always been a tragic one. But she’s largely been relegated to a supporting role. That doesn’t mean her story won’t resonate with audiences today. It seems reasonable to expect that the new Bride of Frankenstein, like The Invisible Man, will be adapted to fit modern themes and, as David Koepp told Bloody Disgusting, many of those themes definitely draw parallels to the Bride’s origin story:
The other thing is she is a woman who is not created but resurrected, and certain people feel ownership over her, and that almost too relevant today in the era of #metoo. What are her rights as a person, the person that exists, if you were dead? There are a lot of really interesting questions that are raised.
Bride of Frankenstein isn’t the only Monster movie Universal has lined up, as the studio is also developing a new remake of Dracula. However, David Koepp is right that there’s a strong case to be made for why the Bride of Frankenstein is ready for her time in the 21st century spotlight, whether it winds up being a modern adaptation or not. Unlike her monstrous hubby, she’s never really been given a treatment that reflects how interesting her story could be, and this could be the perfect time to do that.
There’s no official word on when Universal Pictures will move forward with bringing Bride of Frankenstein to the big screen - but the plans definitely sound intriguing.
What would you want to see in a Bride of Frankenstein remake? Let us know in the comments!
