Back in the days when Universal Pictures was putting together its Dark Universe franchise, Javier Bardem was on deck to play Frankenstein’s monster. This shared universe was not realized due to the first entry. The MummyIn summer 2017, it was both critically and commercially underperforming. Since then, Universal has embarked down a new creative path with its lineup of Monsters, but is it possible that the man who appeared as Stilgar in Denis Villeneuve’s DuneCould you still be a star in a Frankenstein movie?
Recent appearances on Sirius XM’s The Jess Cagle Show, Javier Bardem was asked if he’s still attached to play Frankenstein’s monster for Universal. The actor replied that he is the right size for the role after mentioning that he had the right head.
It’s not something I’ve heard about so I don’t know the status. Personally, Frankenstein is what I’d love to play. Actually, I would like to play both — Dr. Frankenstein and Frankenstein the monster. It’s the paradox and the dichotomy of one, the exact same thing. However, I am not sure if this will be true. So far, I don’t know if it will happen.
Javier Bardem has been associated with Frankenstein’s monster since 2016, when it was first reported that he was in talks to play the towering brute. By May 2017, Bardem confirmed he was in discussions for the role, but rather than play the monstrosity in a direct adaptation of Mary Shelley’s original 1818 novel, he was expected to appear as the character in a remake of Bride of Frankenstein. As mentioned earlier, however, it wasn’t all. The Mummy failed to impress, so whatever original plans Universal had for Frankenstein’s monster in the Dark Universe ended up being scrapped. That was when the play was called off. Beauty and the Beast’s Bill Condon to direct, and Angelina Jolie was being eyed to play the title protagonist originally brought to life by Elsa Lanchester.
Fast-forward to now, evidently Javier Bardem hasn’t been kept in the loop about whether he will indeed still get to play Frankenstein’s monster. That said, it’s worth mentioning that in June 2020, producer David Koepp revealed that he’d written a new version of the Bride of Frankensteinremake and that the studio had started talking to directors. No major updates have come in since then, but it’s possible the remake is still in the development stages. If so, perhaps Universal would still be game for Bardem to take part in it rather than look for someone else to play Frankenstein’s monster. Josh Brolin could be the actor the studio chooses, if it does not decide to cast another actor. Bardem stated in the interview that Josh Brolin was his choice. No country for old menCostar is the same size as him in terms of head.
If/when the day comes that Javier Bardem is confirmed to be playing Frankenstein’s monster, whether it’s in Bride of Frankenstein or a different Universal Monsters project, we’ll pass along that news. Keep an eye on our 2022 release schedule to keep you up-to-date with the latest movies.