Christian Bale Goes Full Jared Leto Joker As Frankenstein's Monster In The Bride First Look

Our first official look at one of the most anticipated horror movies currently in the works, a new spin on Frankenstein's monster titled "The Bride!" (exclamation point and all, apparently), has finally arrived ... and it's nothing like what we were expecting.

Actor/director Maggie Gyllenhaal has long been rumored to be taking a stab at the classic Universal monster(s) and, after the widespread acclaim of 2021's "The Lost Daughter" (in which Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley received acting nominations at the Academy Awards, while Gyllenhaal's screenplay received a nom of its own), we most recently had word that the filmmaker had assembled quite an A-list cast of talent for the production. In addition to Annette Bening, Penélope Cruz, and Peter Sarsgaard in various supporting roles, none other than Christian Bale will star as Frankenstein's monster while Buckley reunites with her "The Lost Daughter" director to portray the eponymous Bride. This morning, we got our first look at Bale and Buckley as the monstrous duo and, well, believe us when we say you'll probably need to see it to believe it.

Scroll down to feast your eyes on this newest reimagining of Frankenstein's monster and his bride, but maybe brace yourselves for some unexpected influence by (checks notes) Jared Leto's Joker, of all things?

Dare we say Frankenstein's monster is looking a little ... damaged?

Maggie Gyllenhaal unveiled the first look at her upcoming "The Bride!" courtesy of an Instagram post showing off a camera test of her two big stars. Christian Bale as the Frankenstein's monster definitely has all the requisite scarring, ratty clothing, and sharp cheekbones we'd expect to see from the unholy creation ... but a chest tattoo emblazoned with what appears to be the word "Hope," which will inevitably bring to mind bad memories of Jared Leto in that ill-fated "Suicide Squad" film? That's definitely a choice! You can check out the embedded social media post below, which was captioned by Gyllenhaal as, "Meet The Bride & Frank 🖤"

Jessie Buckley as the Bride maybe won't stir up quite as many headlines as her, ah, visually distinct co-star, but she's certainly sporting another rather bold look with her ink-smeared face, too. If the images didn't tip you off, it seems this film won't be taking its cues strictly from the 1935 black-and-white classic "Bride of Frankenstein," as the story has been described as:

A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement.

"The Bride!" is slated to hit theaters on October 3, 2025.