Why Are Frankenstein Movies Suddenly Hot Again in Hollywood?

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Over two centuries since “Frankenstein” was initially published, Mary Shelley continues to gain unprecedented popularity. Her iconic creation, a towering figure that straddles the line between man and beast, is set to make a significant appearance in two forthcoming films from prominent directors, both of which are scheduled for release within a few months of each other.

1. The first movie, titled “Frankenstein,” is from Guillermo del Toro, known for his dark and eerie productions like “The Shape of Water” and “Crimson Peak.” It’s set to premiere on Netflix in November, featuring Mia Goth and Oscar Isaac as the main characters.

2. The second film, called “The Bride,” will be helmed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is following her critically-acclaimed directorial debut, “The Lost Daughter,” with a $90 million creature feature inspired by “The Bride of Frankenstein.” Warner Bros. has planned to release this in theaters on March 6, 2026, starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale as the undead couple. Originally scheduled for September 26, 2025, the release date was moved back this week by the studio to provide some space between del Toro’s version.

It’s quite common for films on similar topics to be released close together in time. For instance, in the late 1980s, “Dangerous Liaisons” and “Valmont” were both adaptations of the same 18th-century French novel about power struggles within sexual relationships. The 1990s witnessed multiple films about volcanoes (such as “Dante’s Peak” and “Volcano”), asteroid impacts (like “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon”), and exotic dancing (with “Showgirls” and “Striptease”) hitting theaters within a few months of each other. More recently, in 2012, not one but two movies about Snow White were released — “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “Mirror, Mirror.

There’s been a surge of interest in Frankenstein following years with little representation on-screen. While the character was pivotal in Universal’s monster films during the 1930s, contemporary efforts to resurrect him have struggled. For instance, “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” (1994) with Kenneth Branagh and Robert De Niro, as well as “Victor Frankenstein” (2015) starring Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy, were met with poor reception by both critics and audiences. There was also a recent — and ultimately abandoned — attempt to rejuvenate Frankenstein in Universal’s Dark Universe, a collection of interconnected monster movies that planned to feature Javier Bardem as the creature. However, this endeavor came to an end after Tom Cruise’s “The Mummy,” intended to initiate everything, failed to take off.

It’s apparent that Netflix and Warner Bros. believe Del Toro and Gyllenhaal have what it takes to surpass where previous films stumbled. Despite having similar foundations, the two “Frankenstein” adaptations might turn out to be quite distinct from one another.

As a follower, I’d express it like this: “I find both directors remarkable for their distinctive approaches to filmmaking. While their films may share the same source material, I anticipate that comparing them will be more like discussing apples and oranges due to their unique visions.” (Shawn Robbins, Fandango’s director of movie analytics)

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2025-03-21 22:48