Bride Of Frankenstein Reboot To 'Subvert' Original Film's Story

The Bride of Frankenstein will be more than just a pretty (undead) face in her upcoming reboot film. 

Speaking with Den of Geek, Alex Kurztman, producer of Universal's pending Bride of Frankenstein refresh, spoke about the iconic character originated by British actress Elsa Lanchester. In the 1935 film, the Bride barely speaks and only enters the action in the last few scenes. 

"Here's the weird thing about Bride of Frankenstein. It is one of the weirdest movies you'll ever see in your life. It is such a strange film. What amazes me is that the bride doesn't show up until, what, the last ten minutes of the film?" said Kurtzman. "[She] doesn't say anything, rejects Frankenstein, he pulls a lever and the building explodes and that's the end of it. It's not like she has long monologues, it's not like you get to know her character, it's not like she goes out into the world. There's almost no screen time with her."

This is something Kurtzman and co. are seeking to remedy. According to Kurtzman, the Bride of Frankenstein reboot won't focus on the title monster serving another man. Rather, the film will give her a sense of agency, independence, and purpose that she lacked in the original. Because the character has become so well-known in spite of her short on-screen showing, the minds behind the film are aiming to update the Bride for a sharper audience. 

"[The Bride is] an enduring character because there's something mysterious about her and that look, and the idea that she was created to serve another man. Which is gonna be an interesting thing to tackle in this day and age. It might be something we subvert in our film," explained Kurtzman. 

The creatives will reportedly achieve this through scribe David Koepp's "brilliant script" that features "a very unique structure and a central relationship" true to what Kurtzman feels people love about the original Bride of Frankenstein.

Kurtzman's remarks come shortly after his interview with Collider, in which he expressed similar sentiments about the Bride. "I think that she's been remembered for her defiance and remembered for her independence," he stated. "She's certainly been remembered for her iconic look. And I love that and I think [director] Bill [Condon] is going to do something amazing with that." 

Bride of Frankenstein is due for release on February 14, 2019, where it will join Universal's potentially troubled Dark Universe.