How time flies. Five years ago, The Mummy by Alex Kurtzman was to serve as the spearhead of the Dark Universe – a shared universe bringing up to date the mythology of some of the most famous creatures of popular culture and uniting among others Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Russell Crowe, Johnny Depp and Javier Bardem. Following the relative failure of this first opus, Universal Pictures’ initiative came to an end and the studio put an end to this aborted project.
A time that now seems distant when we see the evolution of the studio’s strategy for its horrific catalog. As you know, the firm owns the rights to a sacred bestiary, having produced since the beginning of the 20th century a good number of works honoring cult monsters, particularly from the world of literature. Thus franchises on Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and his fiancée, the Mummy, the Phantom Of The Opera, the Strange Creature Of The Black Lake but also The Invisible Man and The Werewolf, have seen the light of day through the decades, forming what is commonly known as theUniversal Monsters.
Regularly, Universal tries to rekindle the flame and deliver new productions revolving around these figures known to all, with ups and downs over the decades. While it was thought that the failures of Dracula Untold And There Mummy were going to cool the ardor, the opposite effect occurred. Indeed, since the release ofInvisible Man directed by Leigh Whannell two years ago, a breath of fresh air reigns, the studio taking advantage of this renewed interest to accumulate independent projects highlighting its bestiary.
After the announcement of a review of Wolfman worn by Ryan Gosling then a regular dusting off of the myth of Dracula by Chloé Zhao, another well-known figure prepares to reappear from the darkness. Invented for the needs of the seventh art unlike its companion, which owes its genesis to Mary Shelley, the Bride of Frankenstein caused a sensation during its first steps on the screen in the eponymous film by James Whale.
Released in 1935, this first sequel to the Frankenstein stamped Universal Monsters remains among the top of the basket of the horror genre, managing to be just as cult as its predecessor (if not more), thanks in particular to the score by Boris Karloff, Valerie Hobson and Elsa Lanchester – who embodies this character tormented created for the wrong reasons.
Having already been the subject of a remake fifty years later (The Promise, directed by Franc Roddam), the feature film will once again inspire the seventh art. If in 2020, a project carried by Sebastián Lelio and Scarlett Johansson had been formalized, this one was never talked about again, another version now following suit. As reported by trade magazine Production Weekly, a revival of Bride of Frankenstein is in active march on the side of Hollywood.
Led by Netflix – Universal is not mentioned but it is undeniable that the major is in the game – this film entitled The Bride will mark the second passage behind the camera of Maggie Gyllenhaal, who made a name for herself with her first try The Lost Daughter in 2021. Due to enter production in early 2024, this second production will be the opportunity for the actress to collaborate once again with Christian Bale, fifteen years after having given the reply in The Dark Knight. In all likelihood, the latter should play Victor Frankenstein while Penélope Cruz will play the famous ‘fiancée’. Alongside them, we also find Peter Sarsgaard, in a role for the moment unknown. What intrigue us about this reimagining of the original film by James Whale.
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