First Look at Christian Bale as Frankenstein in ‘The Bride’ Revealed
The first images of Christian Bale as Frankenstein in Warner Bros.’ upcoming thriller The Bride have leaked courtesy of the film’s director, Maggie Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal shared photos to her Instagram account of a recent camera test for the movie on Thursday, which also stars Penelope Cruz and Annette Bening.
The Bride takes place in the 1930s and follows a love-lorn Frankenstein as he travels to Chicago to meet with Dr. Euphronius (Peter Sarsgaard) about a new experiment. Using the body of a murdered woman, the two resurrect her into The Bride (Jessie Buckley) so that Frankenstein may have an eternal companion.
However, according to the official plot synopsis shared with Deadline, “she is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police, and a wild and radical social movement.”
Bale appears entirely unrecognizable in the still image, a bit like Josh Brolin with the tattoos of Jared Leto’s Joker. He’s wearing an era-appropriate suit, lending him the appearance of an Al Capone-era gangster. Gyllenhaal also provided fans a look at Buckley’s eponymous ghoul, decidedly more demure in her look but similarly punky.
The Bride is Gyllenhaal’s second film as director after The Lost Daughter, which also starred Buckley. Unlike her first film—a quiet character study that was released to Netflix—The Bride is an out-and-out horror blockbuster with sprawling sets and locations.
The film is slated for a cinema release on October 5 in both regular theaters and IMAX, as well as other premium format screens.