Universal is still trying to get Bride of Frankenstein off the ground

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Once upon a time, Universal Pictures envisioned a cinematic universe which would feature many of their classic monsters such as Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man, and more, but unfortunately, the lackluster reception which THE MUMMY received brought the Dark Universe to its knees before it even had a chance. One of the films which was in development during this time was a remake of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, which was to have been directed by Bill Condon (THE GOOD LIAR) and star Angelina Jolie as the Bride and Javier Bardem as Frankenstein's monster.

Months after the release of THE MUMMY, it was announced that the studio had decided to "postpone" the BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN remake, but a new report from Variety details how the project has been kept on life-support over the past few years. Variety says that former Sony chief Amy Pascal, who now has an overall deal with Universal, is attempting to get the project off the ground and has apparently presented the project to several potential collaborators, including director Sam Raimi (who is close to signing on for the DOCTOR STRANGE sequel), screenwriter David Koepp (who was once involved in the original pitch for BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN), as well as A QUIET PLACE writer/director John Krasinski, who reportedly toyed with the project last year. "Amy expressed interest in being involved with The Bride of Frankenstein, and just as the studio has done with numerous other filmmakers, we empowered her to explore a new vision for the Universal monster character and come back with a new and inventive take," a Universal Pictures source told Variety. "Nothing has been solidified in an official capacity."

In terms of whether or not Angelina Jolie is still attached to BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, there seem to be conflicting reports; one source says that Jolie "remains committed to the character as long as the right creative team comes along with it," another says that she's "ready to move on from the character and pursue other projects." While the BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN project doesn't seem to have taken any big leaps forward, it is still alive. THE INVISIBLE MAN, which is Universal's first monster film since it abandoned the Dark Universe, is set to hit theaters on February 28th.