Warner Bros. has unveiled the first look at The Bride, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s ambitious new take on the Frankenstein story. The trailer sets the mood with roaring 1930s Chicago streets, a desperate monster, and a woman reborn from the dead.
In this version, Christian Bale plays a weary Frankenstein who pleads with Dr. Euphronius to give him a companion. Their grim experiment brings back Jessie Buckley as the Bride — but instead of quiet obedience, she sparks a romance that quickly spirals into chaos, police chases, and city-wide unrest.
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The movie leans into its classic roots while reworking them with a stylish art-deco edge. Rather than shadowy castles and stormy skies, the action unfolds in smoky jazz-era Chicago, mixing gangster grit with gothic horror.
A Cast Full of Heavyweights
Buckley and Bale lead, but the film also features Penélope Cruz, Annette Bening, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jake Gyllenhaal. With names like these, the project feels less like a standard horror reboot and more like an awards-season contender dressed up in monster makeup.
The Team Behind the Camera
Gyllenhaal has put together an impressive creative crew. Lawrence Sher (Joker) handles cinematography, Sandy Powell brings her Oscar-winning touch to costume design, and Karen Murphy shapes the 1930s sets. Add in a score from Hildur Guðnadóttir and editing by Dylan Tichenor, and the production has the look and feel of a prestige film.
This is only Gyllenhaal’s second feature after her acclaimed directorial debut, The Lost Daughter (2021), which earned three Oscar nominations.
Release and Rival Frankenstein
Warner Bros. has dated The Bride for March 6, 2026 in the U.S., with an international launch starting March 4. Interestingly, the film began as a Netflix project before shifting to Warner Bros.
It will also arrive just months after Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, starring Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, and Mia Goth, which premieres in October before landing on Netflix. That means audiences will get back-to-back Frankenstein stories told through very different lenses.
Why Fans Are Excited
Between Bale’s monster, Buckley’s fiery Bride, and Gyllenhaal’s bold directing style, The Bride is shaping up as one of the standout films of 2026. The trailer teases a mix of horror, romance, and spectacle — a monster story reimagined for modern audiences but still true to its gothic roots.