'Bride of Frankenstein' Movie Update: Project Removed From 2019 Slate
"Bride of Frankenstein" is not hitting the big screen anytime soon.
Universal Pictures has pushed back preproduction for the film and completely removed it from its 2019 slate to give director Bill Condon more time to work on the script.
Both parties want to make sure that the screenplay for "Bride of Frankenstein," which was supposed to come out Feb. 14, 2019, is perfect so a delay was deemed a better option than making a movie that is not up to par. In a statement picked up by Variety, the studio said:
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After thoughtful consideration, Universal Pictures and director Bill Condon have decided to postpone "Bride of Frankenstein." None of us want to move too quickly to meet a release date when we know this special movie needs more time to come together. Bill is a director whose enormous talent has been proven time and again, and we all look forward to continuing to work on this film together.
As far as casting goes, Javier Bardem is set to play the role of Frankenstein's monster while Angelina Jolie is in talks for the titular role. However, the actress, who is set to film the "Maleficent" sequel early next year, has yet to commit to the project.
Interestingly, according to a source that spoke to The Wrap, Condon eyes on "Wonder Woman" star Gal Gadot to play the character if Jolie passes on "Bride of Frankenstein."
However, at this time, the people behind the project have not reached out to the Israeli star yet. Gadot is set to appear in the DC Comics ensemble movie "Justice League."
"Bride of Frankenstein" is part of the Dark Universe that Universal Pictures is building as the realm for the classic cinematic monsters that the world came to know and love.
It started with "The Mummy" starring Tom Cruise last summer, which did not perform as well as they hoped. This failure did not faze the studio apparently as another source that spoke to The Wrap said:
You just assume they'd throw out a lot of that thinking out after "The Mummy's" Rotten Tomatoes score, but it doesn't seem like it. Makes you wonder if they'll ever get those (Universal Monsters) right. Why is it so hard for them?
