One of the most exciting horror films coming our way next year is Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride!. The film is a new take on the classic monster movie from 1935, The Bride of Frankenstein, from Warner Brothers. Now, new Bride! set images appear to show that Christian Bale’s son is participating in the monster bash and has a fun connection to the actor’s own filmography.

In two set photos, provided by Entertainment Weekly, Bale's son is seen in an old-school newsie outfit on the streets of New York City where the monster movie is filming. He’s holding a newspaper whose headline reads “Head Off Landon”. A paper that Bale’s Monster may be looking to buy in the other set photo. The significance is that the Batman Begins actor famously starred in Disney’s 1992 cult classic musical Newsies, where Bale played a character based on a real-life newsboy during the 1899 strike. It’s unclear if it’s an intentional homage or if Bale’s son will end up in the film itself. However, it doesn’t make it any less sweet for fans of the actor. Bale’s son previously made a cameo in Thor: Love and Thunder under the credited name "Rex Bale".

What’s 'Bride of Frankenstein’ About?

The original Bride of Frankenstein was the first Frankenstein sequel for Universal that was based on Mary Shelley’s iconic 1818 novel of the same name. The second installment took place directly after the first film, seeing a Dr. Henry Frankenstein who gave up his experiments for his newly wedded wife. However, his old colleague, Doctor Septimus Pretorius, forces him to create a “Bride” for Frankenstein’s Monster who survived his near-death experience at the hands of the titled doctor at the end of the first film. It’s often considered to be one of the best horror sequels ever made, and the rare sequel surpasses its original creation. Also, despite the name, The Bride famously only appears in the last five minutes of the film. The Bride in this new take is played by Men’s Jessie Buckley. It’s going to be exciting to see what Gyllenhaal and Buckley pull from Elsa Lanchester's legendary performance as well as what they added to it. This version is set in the 1930s Chicago. From the images released so far, the film appears to have a steampunk vibe to it. Along with Bale and Buckley, The Bride! also stars Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, and Annette Bening.

The Bride! releases in theaters on October 3, 2025. This reimagining is unrelated to Guillermo Del Toro’s upcoming Frankenstein adaptation for Netflix. While horror fans wait for more Bride! news, you can currently rent the original Bride of Frankenstein on all major VOD services. Check out another angle of the set image below:

The Bride! (2025)

Drama

Horror

Romance

Release Date

October 3, 2025

Director

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Cast

Christian Bale , Jessie Buckley , Peter Sarsgaard , Annette Bening , Penelope Cruz

Main Genre

Horror

Writers

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Studio(s)

Warner Bros.

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros.

Pros