Shown on IndieWire’s Most Anticipated Movies of 2025, Maggie Gyllenhaalupcoming sophomore director’s contributions”The bride!” is shaping up to be a wild ride. Starring Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley as Frankenstein’s monster and his eponymous bride, film is a family affair with Gyllenhaal’s husband, Peter Sarsgaard, her brother Jake Gyllenhaal also starring, as well as Penélope Cruz, Annette Bening and Julianne Hough. Sarsgaard also brought his “September 5” co-star, John Magaro to the project. IN a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporterdiscussed Magaro starting work on the film, which he described as a mash-up of dance films and movies about bandits in love.
“It’s a wild movie. It’s very different from ‘The Lost Daughter,’ Maggie’s previous movie that she directed,” Magaro said. “It’s like a mix of a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie, ‘Young Frankenstein,’ “Frankenstein,” “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Badlands.” It’s just a wild, fun ride, with Christian Bale and the amazing Jessie Buckley at the helm. It’s something that people haven’t seen before, and I’m really excited to get it in front of an audience. It’s crazy.”
Magaro has kept busy over the past year, with a leading role in award contenders “September 5th” and a supporting role in the Showtime series “The Agency” in addition to his work in “The Bride!” He also has the film “Omaha” premiering at Sundance this week and “Cologne 75” debuting at the Berlinale in March, not to mention a small part in Kelly Reichardt’s latest project, “The Mastermind.” The film stars Josh O’Connor, Alana Haim, Hope Davis and Bill Camp, and is described as “a bold contrivance set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War.”
Magaro discussed the production in a recent interview with IndieWire’s Kate Erblandand said, “It was such a homecoming just to be on set with these people, mostly the same crew (from ‘First Cow’), they all come back to work with her. There’s something familiar about that set. And there’s also just brilliant at work I mean, that’s Kelly brilliant. I am really excited to see “The Mastermind”. It will be amazing. I’m already sure of it. As she has a true appreciation for film at the expense of perhaps sometimes having a popular appeal, her appreciation for film is evident in the execution. You can’t help but be infected by that passion.”
It may seem like a lot to handle, but Magaro counts himself blessed to be able to have so many opportunities to practice his craft. Especially in today’s industry, when work is becoming harder and harder to come by.
“I feel very fortunate because I hear about so many of my peers and colleagues not working because of the contraction in business after all these events,” Magaro told THR. “I keep hearing about grabs below the line and tough guys who can’t get work. Now we have these fires in LA, and LA’s film industry has already been so ravaged. So I feel very fortunate to be able to continue working, and that’s why I’m always looking forward to jumping at opportunities. I know how tough this business is, and I know it’s only going to get harder and harder.”
“September 5” is currently in theaters from Paramount Pictures.
