Warner Bros. co-CEO Pamela Abdy defends the budget of The Bride! Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and starring Christian Bale, the story of The Bride! sees the bride of Frankenstein revived in 1930s Chicago by Dr. Euphronius. The musical monster movie is inspired by the 1935 film The Bride of Frankenstein. Despite the anticipation surrounding the project and footage shown at CinemaCon, there have been reports of the movie struggling during test screenings and criticism of the estimated budget of more than $100 million.

While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Abdy defends The Bride! and emphasizes the double standards surrounding the movie’s criticism. She discusses how it is unfair for Gyllenhaal and The Bride! to be criticized for the budget while male directors go unscathed for directing big-budget blockbuster movies. Abdy explains that this criticism would not have happened if Gyllenhaal was a male director and goes on to praise the film and insist that it be given a chance. Check out Abdy’s comments below:

It’s so concerning to me, that [Puck] thinks it’s okay for every male director that’s gone from making an independent film to getting hired to direct a $150 million Marvel film, which is a budget that The Bride does not have, but yet it’s still not okay for Maggie? If it was a male director it would be a nonstory, but because it’s a female director …. I’m sorry, it’s just wrong.

Maggie’s movie is punk rock. It’s fun. It’s bold. It’s got Christian Bale. It’s got Jesse Buckley. It’s got multiple ensemble casts and Mike and I believe in her wholeheartedly. There’s been all this noise about the film, and no one has seen it yet. We just wish people would allow these filmmakers to make their films, to have them come out and let audiences see them. If they don’t work, fine. If we took a swing and we miss that’s fair game. But I don’t know why they’re so focused on Maggie. I do feel it’s a little about her gender — I have to be honest.

What This Means For The Bride!

The Discourse Is Plagued With Issues

Even though The Bride! is not releasing in theaters until March 6, 2026, it is already being closely scrutinized through an arguably unfair lens. The discourse is more focused on profitability than quality, even though there have recently been many movies with far larger budgets that have not been received well. A particularly notable example is the budget of Netflix’s The Electric State, which reportedly cost more than $300 million and is the streaming platform’s most expensive movie ever. Despite this budget, the movie has a 15% Tomatometer score.

With male directors Joe and Anthony Russo, known for their work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, helming The Electric State, its budget did not receive the same level of criticism that The Bride! is facing long before it comes to theaters. One advantage of the Gyllenhaal-directed movie not coming to theaters until March 2026 is that this offers plenty of time for the discourse to change. By the time it is released, questions about the budget may no longer be at the forefront of the conversation, and the focus can instead turn to the movie’s actual quality.

Our Take On Pamela Abdy’s Comments

The Bride! Remains Exciting Despite The Discourse

Abdy makes valid points about the double standards that female creatives face. Her remarks about the movie being “punk rock,” “fun,” and “bold” matter to me more than whether The Bride! will end up being profitable. Bale’s movies rarely disappoint, and I am intrigued to see him play Frankenstein’s monster and to see Jessie Buckley play the тιтular bride, who is confirmed to have more agency than she did in The Bride of Frankenstein. Gyllenhaal’s movie needs to be given a chance before it is written off due to questionable criticism.

Source: THR