Taking no time in upping the ante, back in 1935 Universal Pictures brought to the world The Bride of Frankenstein, a sequel to the 1931 classic monster movie that follows a chastened Henry Frankenstein who abandons his plans to create life, only to be tempted and finally coerced by the Monster, encouraged by Henry's old mentor Dr Pretorius, into constructing a mate for him. The Bride rejects the Monster however, resulting in her death, that of Pretorius, and apparently the Monster's own death, when he destroys Henry's laboratory. While Universal Pictures is prepping the release of their Wolfman remake and still developing a new Creature from the Black Lagoon, the studio is still keen on bringing this luscious bride back to the big screen (and in color!). Read on for the skinny.
From THR's Risky Biz Blog:
"Universal and Imagine are breathing new life into “Bride of Frankenstein."
The companies are in talks with Neil Burger to write and direct their long-stirring remake of the 1935 monster movie. Burger, who would pen the script with writing partner Dirk Wittenborn, most prominently wrote and helmed “The Illusionist,” the Edward Norton magician mystery that earned nearly $40 million for Yari Film Group in 2006.
James Whale’s “Bride of Frankenstein,” which starred Boris Karloff as the monster and Elsa Lanchester as the titular bride, continued the story that began with 1931’s “Frankenstein.” A monster, on the run from an angry mob, has a series of adventures, and also persuades Dr. Frankenstein to create a mate. The doctor is successful, but the bride (who is not a central character) winds up rejecting the monster at the end of the movie.
The CAA-repped Burger, who also penned and helmed Iraq-veteran pic “The Lucky Ones,” is attached to direct “Dark Fields,” a thriller about a slacker who discovers a drug that makes him sharper. That pic is also set up at Universal, but progress has been slowed since star Shia LaBeouf was forced to pull out last year with a hand injury.
“Bride” has had a series of stops and starts. About five years ago, “American Splendor” scribes Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini were attached to write the screenplay for the Uni/Imagine update. Their concept was to set the picture in contemporary New York, with a young woman dying and then unnaturally brought back to life (Burger’s version is expected to differ significantly from that concept). Jacob Estes, a writer on Spider-Man spinoff “Venom,” also at one point had been attached to write a draft.
Brian Grazer and Sean Daniel will produce the pic; Karen Kehela, David Bernardi and Chris Wade will oversee for Imagine.
Universal is eager to develop reboots of its library of classic monster titles, insiders in the development community said. It is developing a new version of “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” the 1954 Jack Arnold pic about a monstrous fish that a group of travelers encounters in the Amazon, and later this year it will release the Benicio Del Toro-toplined “The Wolf Man,” an update on George Waggner’s 1941 werewolf tale.
“Frankenstein” has been remade numerous times — Mary Shelley’s book sits in the public domain — but “Bride” has had only one other go-round on the big screen: a 1985 version at Columbia starring Sting and Jennifer Beals. In 1999, Bill Condon’s “Gods and Monsters,” a biopic of Whale, showed clips from the film and re-created the bride herself."
Frankenstein has NOT been remade several times. Shelley's original novel has been adapted hundreds of times, yes. However, the original Universal film has NEVER been remade, unless you count the spoofs 'Young Frankenstein' and 'Frankenweenie'. 'Bride of Frankenstein', as mentioned above, has arleady been remade, as 'The Bride' starring Sting. It's obvious what they should do. Get a fantastic writer to pen an epic tribute to the original film, hire Tim Burton to direct it, keep the non-descript period German setting, cast Johnny Depp as the doc and Gheorghe Muresan as the monster (from 'My Giant'). Hire Bernie Wrightson to design the monster as a tribute to calssic design by Jack Pierce. After that film is a huge success, fiulm 'Bride' as the sequel. Lisa Marie (Vampira in Burton's 'Ed Wood)should play the bride, NOT Helena Bonham Carter, who's already been there, done that.
But the Frankenstein film has only just begun casting which means this will be years away. Anyway the original Bride was the best of Universal's original golden age so they would have to do something different because they would never be able to match it.
LOL @ Megan Fox.
This is a remake I will totally be on board for. Bride is my favorite of the original Universal monster films and I can only begin to imagine how great they could make this movie today.
PATHETIC!
There are so many good novels and short stories that could be developed into really awesome movies, but today's screen writers are obviously unable to read or create anything fresh and original.
"The Bride of Frankentein" is a major masterpiece!
How DARE them touch it!
this is gonna be another fucking twilight type movie. the monster will be a young guy with a few slight scars and pale skin. the bride will be similar. they will fall in love despite what everyone around them wants. fucking pathetic.
I guess it had to happen- they're remaking the best film ever made--- again. The '85 attempt was painful, but people tend to forget that Hammer tried to make a bride film as well ("And Frankenstein Created Woman") and failed (more modestly) as well. James Whale's "Bride of Frankenstein" is a perfect film in every way- the ticklish humor, uncomfortable suggestions, real threat, and sublime metaphoric underpinnings. It's certainly the most cerebral horror film ever made. Although I'll choose to hold out some hope for a remake, I cannot imagine why (other than theme park attractions, Hot Topic merchandise and, more precisely, money) anyone would even tempt fate by trying to match the original. Remaking "Wolf Man" makes sense: its a sentimental favorite, but a flawed film. Even Universal's "Frankenstein" is fair game- its fairly clunky in places- but "Bride"? There's nothing to fix, no relevance has been lost, and its doubtful that it would benefit from new technology (I prefer my profane, fractured faerie tales in stark black and white, thank you very much.)
This doesn't sound good at all unless they pick a really good writer and director. This movie should not be made in color but be a homage to the original. I just have a feeling their really gonna fuck this up.
@LorneDixon
I agree. On the announcement of Del Toro helming Frankenstein and choosing Doug Jones, I said that provided the team chosen to remake the old Uni monster films was one who respected and loved the source, it could be made well. But this is the one exception. Bride is as much a perfect horror film, as it is time spent with it's director James Whale. This will never be equaled. But I would love to see the Daughter of Dracula remade, with Whales's original script, as he was suppossed to have worked one up that was lavish, and more over the top than Bride. And I would just like to see that film updated...it was not a bad film, but it could have used some better casting in the leads except Gloria Holden, she was brilliant.
BoF is one of my favorite movies of all time. I'm afraid for it, and I'm not usually against a remake. I just see the remake being some gothic (all the wrong types of gothic) piece for Hot Topic fanatic to jerk off to. Or I could be totally wrong.
I love EricCord's idea of remaking Daughter of Dracula with James Whale's screenplay. I shiver at the thought.
I still think you just cant recreate how great the old universal movies were, no matter who is on board or how much money you have. Usually i think you should only remake a movie if the original sucked, and you couldnt be farther than that with this film. God Hollywood, get a fuckin clue
EricCord- Universal fans are always very split on "Dracula's Daughter" and its easy to see why- its visually a beautiful film, crafted as well as anything Universal produced in the genre post-"Bride". I like the film quite a bit and always remind those who have a bone to pick with it that it would only be six years before Univeral would begin producing movies like "Night Monster" that don't even compare kindly to Monogram or Paramount's contributions to the genre from the period. ("Night Monster" even wastes performances from Lugosi and Atwill)... Now, if there's one Universal Monster flick I would actually enjoy seeing remade, it would be "The Mad Doctor of Market Street".
I second Mr. Halloween. Why would you continue to make subpar remakes when there are so many talented writers, novels, books, or get this ORIGINAL concepts that can be made and for much less money. Who needs all that CGI and ridiculous amounts of spending on special effects? Shitty directors and producers like Michael Bay who couldn't create an actual believable storyline or idea if his life depended on it. At least if you fail doing something original, you tried something different. All these shitty remakes were all once ORIGINAL ideas. Hire better writers Hollywood and give them a chance at least.
I wish they'd leave Bride alone. Like King Kong, it's perfect, it cannot be improved upon, and the time is not right for a remake/reboot/regurgitation.Universal should look no further than Man Made Monster. It was at the start of the second wave of horror, but never reached the level of appeal that the others of its era did. The story is interesting enough to warrant a second look (okay, third if you count the unofficial remake The Indestructible Man).
If they are going to do it, they need to do it right. NOT a re-imagining. A straight-up remake. Not shot-for-shot, mind you, but a true tribute to Whale, Karloff and Jack Pierce. Just as with 'The Wolf Man' update, keep a period setting. Cast Ian McKellen as Dr. Pretorious, change absolutely NOTHING about that particular charactor. Johnny Depp as Dr. Frankenstein looking like Rotwang the Inventor from 'Metropolis'. Lisa Marie (Vampirella in 'Ed Wood')doing a recreation of Elsa Lanchester with a little Maria the Robotrix thrown in. The monster should be Bernie Wrightson's popular design and a nod to the original iconic make-up, hire him to oversee it. Film it in washed out greens and monochrome and sepia tone. David Lynch as producer, Tim Burton as director. Bring back the gothic stone castle on a dark and stormy night! Retain the Kenneth Strickfadden wizbangery! Make it epic in scale! If the original film is approached with respect and adoration, the remake could be a masterpiece. But it MUST be an almost slavish tribute to what has come before, only with modern production values, effective performances and state-of-the-art special effects. Or it'll never work. Respect the source material the way Werner Herzog payed hommage to Murnau's original 'Nosferatu'.
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