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Penélope Cruz shares how The Bride does a modern spin on the classic story: ‘They are not like obvious monsters’

Penélope Cruz plays Myrna Mallow in The Bride! The film draws from both the original 1818 novel and the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein.

Mar 9, 2026, 17:51:27 IST
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Penélope Cruz is all praise for writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal for taking an original and modern spin on The Bride! The Gothic romance film starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale in lead roles is based on the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, which itself is adapted from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The Spanish actor shared how Maggie took a spin on the story in the film. (Also read: Jake Gyllenhaal on working with sister Maggie Gyllenhaal in The Bride: ‘She’s been directing me since we were kids’)

Penelope Cruz at the world premiere of The Bride! in London. (Photo by Brook Mitchell / AFP) (AFP)
Penelope Cruz at the world premiere of The Bride! in London. (Photo by Brook Mitchell / AFP) (AFP)

What Penélope said about The Bride!

Penélope said in a statement, “They are not like the obvious monsters that you’re supposed to run away from. It’s very intriguing, and it feels like trouble, but why? And you want to know. They are very attractive, and very attractive together. And you can feel that energy from kilometers away. I feel like that was a very, very smart decision from Maggie, to make sure that you’re also seeing the human in these supposed monsters all the time, and that you’re always seeing their souls.”

Talking about the film's tone, she added, “Punk—I think it’s a very good word to describe the tone. But the tone is not just one thing. It is very wild, very romantic, very smart. There are so many layers to it, so many colors. It’s not just one thing. But it is punk in the sense that, yeah, it needs to be wild, because what The Bride and Frank are, and what they represent, and in contrast with all the things in society that don’t work, that didn’t work then and don’t work now.”

About the film

Bride! also stars Peter Sarsgaard and Annette Bening. The official logline of the film reads, “A lonely “Frank” (Christian Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride (Jessie Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: Murder! Possession! A radical cultural movement! And outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance!”

The Bride! was distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, and released in India on March 6.

  • Santanu Das
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Santanu Das

    Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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