Summary

• Both adaptations of Frankenstein are honoring the two best sources of the monster's lore.
• Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! adopts the 1931 film's aesthetics, while Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein adapts rarely seen characters from the novel.
• Recent adaptations have strayed from the core of the story, losing its essence.

I am looking forward to both Maggie Gyllenhaal's updates on The Bride of Frankenstein remake from Gyllenhaal and del Toro's Frankenstein, I could not help but be immensely excited.

Gyllenhaal's The Bride! and del Toro's Frankenstein plan to add new elements to the classic story of Victor Frankenstein's creation. For The Bride!, the setting will allow for a new perspective, as it will take place in 1930s Chicago. Del Toro's Frankenstein will go beyond the story, as another doctor attempts to continue Victor's ill-fated experiments. However, both films also showcase that they plan to honor the two best sources of Frankenstein lore, allowing these adaptations, in my opinion, the chance to shine in ways previous ones could not.

Both Frankenstein Films Honor The 2 Best Sources Of Frankenstein Lore

Both Adaptations Have Hinted At Their Inspiration From These Sources

Both The Bride! and del Toro's Frankenstein appear to be honoring the original novel and the 1931 Universal film, which are the best sources of Frankenstein lore. Del Toro's inclusion of Captain Walton, who was a part of the framing device in the original novel by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, is a big indicator of his desire to draw from the source material. Del Toro's reputation and love of the story also speak to this. To me, this is definitely the right move, as the original novel's creeping dread and building suspense through the framing are unique to other horror stories.

One adaptation, however, did come close to capturing that for me. The Bride! seems to be honoring the 1931 Universal movie, whose well-known additions to the story and performance by the late Boris Karloff earn it a place in the zeitgeist even today. Christian Bale's monster in The Bride! mirrors Karloff's, with the scars and stitches matching details from the original design. These nods to those sources could help the two adaptations shine, as they keep the core of the original story intact while still adding something new.

How Honoring Those Sources Will Make Both Movies Great Adaptations

Recent Adaptations Have Strayed Too Far From These Sources

Through honoring these sources, The Bride! and del Toro's Frankenstein could become great adaptations, as they keep aspects of the story other adaptations have discarded. A Frankenstein movie trend in recent years seems to be to put more focus on changing the story rather than adapting it, losing what is, to me, the core of the story in the process. Recent adaptations, such as 2014's I, Frankenstein, and 2015's Victor Frankenstein are prime examples of this. Both films add details and make choices that weaken the horror and overall lessons on responsibility and ability.

The Bride! is, at the time of writing, set to be released on September 26, 2025. Del Toro's Frankenstein does not currently have a release date.

A good adaptation is one that honors the core of a story while also modernizing it, showcasing why the story has survived as long as it has. Frankenstein's original novel and the 1931 film outline a story of discovery, responsibility, and consequences that is both horrifyingly relevant and a testament to their time periods. The Bride! and del Toro's Frankenstein seem to have already achieved that balance through honoring those sources, and blending in their own details that could elevate these themes in new, spine-chilling ways.