While Universal’s attempts to revive their classic movie monsters stalled a little with Van Helsing, they haven’t given up, with The Wolf Man, starring Benicio Del Toro, due out in November, and now news that a new screenwriter has been hired for a remake of James Whale’s classic Bride Of Frankenstein.
The character became a horror icon thanks to Elsa Lanchester’s big-haired portrayal in the 1935 flick, which is considered to be amongst the greatest of Universal’s classic monster movies.
Previously Shari Springer Berman and Robert Purci had been working on a concept that would have set the remake in modern day New York, however now writer/director Neil Burger (The Illusionist) has been brought onboard to rework the idea (along with writing partner Dirk Wittenborn), although there’s no news on the direction he might be taking.
Remaking the Bride Of Frankenstein is actually more difficult than it sounds, because while the character is a horror icon, in the original she’s a secondary character to Boris Karloff’s monster, built for him to have a mate. However any remake would have to move her centre stage, which makes you wonder what room there is for the monster himself?