Gods and Monsters (film)

For the 2015 film, see Justice League: Gods and Monsters.
Gods and Monsters
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBill Condon
Screenplay byBill Condon
Based onFather of Frankenstein
by Christopher Bram
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyStephen M. Katz
Edited byVirginia Katz
Music byCarter Burwell
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 21 January 1998 (1998-01-21) (Sundance)
  • 4 November 1998 (1998-11-04) (United States)
  • 26 March 1999 (1999-03-26) (United Kingdom)
Running time
105 minutes
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million[3]
Box office$6.5 million[3]

Gods and Monsters is a 1998 period drama film written and directed by Bill Condon, based on Christopher Bram's 1995 novel Father of Frankenstein. The film stars Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, Lolita Davidovich, and David Dukes. Its plot is a partly fictionalized account of the last days of the life of film director James Whale (McKellen), known for directing Frankenstein (1931) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). A veteran of World War I, the aged Whale develops a complicated relationship with his gardener, Clayton Boone (Fraser), a fictitious character originally created by Bram for the source novel.

An international co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, Gods and Monsters is produced by Paul Colichman, Gregg Fienberg, and Mark R. Harris; Clive Barker served as executive producer.[4][5] As well as featuring reconstructions of the production of the Bride of Frankenstein, the film's title is derived from a scene in Bride of Frankenstein, in which the character Dr. Pretorius toasts Dr. Frankenstein, "To a new world of gods and monsters!"

Gods and Monsters was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for McKellen and Best Supporting Actress for Redgrave, and won for Best Adapted Screenplay.[6] Despite receiving positive reviews, the film was a box office failure. It was later adapted as a play of the same name which premiered in London at the Southwark Playhouse in February 2015.

  1. ^ "Gods and Monsters". Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Gods and Monsters (1998)". BBFC. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Gods and Monsters (1998)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  4. ^ Harvey, Dennis (January 24, 1998). "Gods and Monsters". Variety. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  5. ^ Kaufman, Anthony (November 11, 1998). "From Candyman to Frankenstein, Bill Condon Talks "Gods and Monsters"". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Oscars1999 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).