'Bride Of Frankenstein' Remake Might Still Be Aliiiive With Amy Pascal And John Krasinski Circling The Project
After the implosion of the Dark Universe, Universal had supposedly put a lid on the Bride of Frankenstein remake, but the project may still have a pulse after all. A few notable Hollywood figures have been circling the project over the past year, including Oscar-nominated producer Amy Pascal and A Quiet Place director John Krasinski. And with Universal launching a new creative mandate for edgier fare, according to new reports, the Bride of Frankenstein remake might still come aliiiiive.
A new report from Variety suggests that Bride of Frankenstein may still have a chance to walk down the aisle. Insiders tell the outlet that both super producer Amy Pascal, who has produced Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films and recently received an Oscar nomination for producing Little Women, and new horror phenom John Krasinski have been "quietly exploring ways to reimagine" a Bride of Frankenstein remake.
Krasinski first flirted with the project last year as well as other Universal characters, though he has been occupied with production for A Quiet Place 2. Universal has been courting several directors with reimaginings of their classic characters, including Elizabeth Banks, who ultimately chose to helm Invisible Woman (not related to Elisabeth Moss' upcoming Invisible Man remake), and Paul Feig, who is set to develop a hybrid concept Dark Army monster mash. It's all part of a new creative mandate from Universal for "edgier (and more affordable) takes on their characters," like Moss' buzzy Invisible Man film under Blumhouse.
This is where Pascal comes in as the latest suitor for Bride of Frankenstein. The producer moved her overall production deal from Sony to Universal last summer, and has been circling Bride of Frankenstein in recent months with her former Spider-Man collaborator Sam Raimi in mind. However, Raimi may be a busy man over the next few years with his deal to direct Marvel's Doctor Strange sequel, which shoots in May. Pascal has also floated the Bride of Frankenstein project to Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp, who was previously involved in the Dark Universe version (described as a liberation tale) starring Angelina Jolie. It's unclear whether Jolie — who had long been attached to the project — would stay on with Pascal on board.
"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."
Though nothing is set in stone yet, it's clear that Universal doesn't want to let Bride of Frankenstein die. It's always possible that we could get several versions — the original Jolie take, and whatever Pascal has in store — like the multiple Invisible Man movies. But with Jolie busy with Marvel's The Eternals, that's unlikely. Either way, it seems that the pulse still beats for Bride of Frankenstein.