Scarlett Johansson to Star in Horror ‘Bride’ directed by Sebastián Lelio

Scarlett Johansson is certainly no stranger to the sci-fi genre, from battling foes as Black Widow to becoming a cyber enhanced soldier in Ghost in the Shell.

Now, the Academy Award-nominated actor is about to tread the waters of horror in an updated take of a classic anti-heroines: The Bride of Frankenstein. Scarlett Johansson will both produce and star in Bride alongside Chilean director Sebastián Lelio, where they will work on reimagining this iconic movie monster. In a statement to the THR, she stated that “it is long overdue for Bride to step out of the shadow of her male counterpart and stand alone.”

Johansson has a tendency to portray strong, independent women in her sci-fi roles. The new take on the Bride appears to take on these same traits. She continues to say how she is “extremely excited to emancipate this classic anti-heroine and reanimate her story to reflect the change we see today.”

A woman is created with one sole purpose — to be the ideal wife. The singular obsession of a brilliant entrepreneur. However, she rejects her creator and flees confinement, only to confront a world where she is seen as a monster. Whilst being on the run, she discovers her true identity and the strength to remake herself as her own creation.

Synopsis

With Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo ( Orange Is the New Black) set to write the screenplay with Lelio, there’s a strong hint that female empowerment may be a running theme for this new monster modernization.

Many readers have described Shelley’s original novel as a proto-feminist work. So, it’s no surprise that a third wave perspective is now on the cards. With the director of the Academy Award-winning A Fantastic Woman on board, it’s safe to say we have strong hopes for this feminist reimagining.

Words by Katie Heyes

Originally published at https://www.indiependent.co.uk on November 3, 2020.