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What can we expect from The Bride!, the female reading of Frankenstein?
While Guillermo del Toro recently created a new version of Frankenstein for Netflix, actress and director Maggie Gyllenhaal is offering her own take on the myth. But this time the director focuses on the monster’s bride. In The Bride!, a romantic horror film reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde, slated for release in March 2026, Jessie Buckley brings back to life a figure long forgotten by pop culture. As the film has just unveiled its second trailer, Numéro takes a closer look.
By Jordan Bako.
Published on 16 January 2026. Updated on 19 January 2026.
The Bride!: a new reading of Frankenstein centered on his bride
In Mary Shelley’s 1804 gothic novel, the monster Frankenstein only asks one thing from his creator – to craft him a bride. A companion who, like him, would defy death and help him bear the burden of eternal life. Although the scientist initially agrees to grant his wish, he ultimately destroys the would-be bride before her creation is complete, fearing to defy the laws of nature once again.
As a result, the monster’s bride was denied her own fate in Mary Shelley’s narrative. The Bride of Frankenstein, a 1935 film starring actress Elsa Lanchester, attempted to fill this gap. But while the title suggested that this character was central to the story, her screen appearance only lasted for a fleeting moment.
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s third feature film as a director
At a time when the myth of Frankenstein is captivating pop culture – an upcoming adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel by Guillermo del Toro is slated for November 2026 – Maggie Gyllenhaal is offering her own reading of the story. In The Bride!, she resurrects Frankenstein’s bride from the shadows.
During CinemaCon, the prestigious American film convention held last March, the Secretary (2002) actress turned director presented the first footage of her upcoming feature.
According to Variety, she said during a press conference: “In the original ‘Bride of Frankenstein,’ the bride is in the movie for about three minutes, and she doesn’t speak, which could not be more different than our bride.” She went on to explain that, with this film, she wanted to explore “what happens if his bride that comes back is beyond his wildest imagination and doesn’t fit into the box that Frankenstein or the world imagined for her?”
Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale in the cast
While Mary Shelley’s narrative is taking place in the 17th century, Maggie Gyllenhaal has chosen to set hers in the 1930s. Another liberty taken by the director? Her story is set in Chicago, instead of Geneva or the North Pole. The Bride! follows the tumultuous relationship between Frankenstein and his bride. Based on the first trailer released on September 23rd, 2025, the duo seems to draw as much from gothic romance as from Bonnie and Clyde (1967).
To bring the couple to life on screen, Maggie Gyllenhaal once again turns to Jessie Buckley, whom she previously directed in her second feature, The Lost Daughter. The actress delivered a standout performance in that adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel. A role that even earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress… This year, Jessie Buckley is also expected to star in Chloé Zhao’s upcoming drama, Hamnet, this year.
It is none other than the exceptional Christian Bale who will portray the infamous monster. Jake Gyllenhaal, the director’s brother, Penélope Cruz, and Annette Bening round out the cast. A stellar lineup that could very well make waves in the upcoming award ceremonies…
The Bride! by Maggie Gyllenhaal, coming out in theaters on March 4th, 2026.
