At CinemaCon, Maggie Gyllenhaal unveiled an exclusive first look at The Bride!, her bold, big-budget retelling of Frankenstein through the eyes of the monster’s bride. The $90 million Warner Bros. film stars Christian Bale as the stitched-up creature and Jessie Buckley as his undead companion, in what promises to be a gothic romance full of blood, chaos, and rebellion.
The preview, shown exclusively to CinemaCon attendees,opens with Buckley’s character falling violently down a staircase, her bones snapping as she hits the ground. She soon finds herself on an operating table — not for healing, but to be reconstructed as a bride for Frankenstein’s monster. "It wasn’t any accident," says a voice. "They did it on purpose."
From there, the trailer teases a twisted love story. Bale’s monster growls, "Till death do us part." Buckley’s bride answers, "There is nothing left to do now but live."
Gyllenhaal, an Oscar-nominated actress and acclaimed director of The Lost Daughter, shared the origin of the project during the presentation. She recalled seeing a stranger at a party with a 'Bride of Frankenstein' tattoo, which prompted her to watch the 1935 original.
"In the original Bride of Frankenstein, the bride is in the movie for about three minutes, and she doesn’t speak," Gyllenhaal said. "Which could not be more different than our bride."
Buckley, appearing onstage, added with a grin, "She’s a bit naughty!" She compared the couple to chaotic lovers like Bonnie and Clyde or the duo from Wild at Heart. The film also stars Penélope Cruz, Annette Bening, and Peter Sarsgaard, Gyllenhaal’s husband.
Originally set for release on September 26, 2025, The Bride! has now been moved to March 6, 2026, giving space between it and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which arrives on Netflix in late 2025.
