It remains to be seen just how Universal's plans for a Dark Universe of connected monster movie reboots will progress, since producers Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan left the project after last year's THE MUMMY underperformed on a budget that was too damn high. The second film in the Dark Universe series, a remake of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN to be directed by Bill Condon, was pushed out of its February 14, 2019 release date and delayed indefinitely so work could continue on the screenplay by David Koepp… but now there's some indication that BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN's delay may be coming to an end.
The folks over at Omega Underground have learned that Condon has assembled his production team for the film, with several crew members following him over from last year's billion dollar hit BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. This includes cinematographer Tobias A. Schliessler, production designer Sarah Greenwood, and costume designer Jacqueline Durran. BEAUTY composer Alan Menken, who works primarily for Disney, will not be joining Condon on FRANKENSTEIN – instead, the director has enlisted frequent Coen brothers collaborator Carter Burwell to provide the film's score, as he has done for most of Condon's movies, including 1998's GODS AND MONSTERS, a fictionalized account of original FRANKENSTEIN director James Whale's final days.
Condon has said that Koepp's script
turns everything on its head. This is Eve before Adam, the bride comes first. So in its own way — you know, we all know the Bride only exists for 10 minutes in the Whale movie; she’s there and the movie’s over. So I keep thinking [it’s], in a way, at least a tribute to what Whale might have done if he’d made a third Frankenstein movie and he’d done it in the 21st Century. I think there are just things about the sensibility of that movie. Also his genius in solving that basic problem you still see when people approach monster movies now, which is you’ve got to create a monster that you’re afraid of, that you’re terrified of, but you can still identify with, and that line was never walked better than by James Whale."
It's still not clear when BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN will begin filming, or who will be playing the title character when it does. Top choices have been said to be Angelina Jolie and Gal Gadot, but both actresses have busy schedules.
Whoever plays the Bride, Javier Bardem is attached to play Frankenstein's Monster.
I really want to see the Dark Universe keep moving forward, so I'm hoping cameras will start rolling on Condon's BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN before too much longer. Filming had originally been scheduled to begin in just a couple weeks, on February 1st.
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