MARY SHELLEY Trailer

Nowadays most people know that a woman wrote Frankenstein, but the origin of one of horror’s most iconic stories has more intrigue than simple feminism. Mary Shelley will take on many facets of the young author’s life, examining the incidents that led Shelley to write the enduring novel.

The basics may be familiar: Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and a writing challenge makes up the common lore. Perhaps you even know about the poor weather keeping them indoors, itself the result of another historic event, the eruption of Mount Tambora. Then there’s the affair, which this movie seems to lean heavily on, and the whispers that Mary wasn’t the book’s true author. It’s a ripe behind the scenes tale, one that sets the table for an unusual biopic.

Leading the project is director and co-writer Haifaa Al-Mansour, whose previous film, Wadjda, was so successful that it helped influence her native Saudi Arabia to lift its cinema ban. Al-Mansour still made the jump to English-language films for Mary Shelley, but something tells me that the bigger production might have been a breezier endeavor than her first feature.

Elle Fanning takes on the titular Shelley, which should give her another meaty character as she transitions into adult roles. The rest of the cast is filled with familiar faces, making for a show of confidence in Al-Mansour and this story. Hopefully, the film lives up to the promise.

Mary Shelley is directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour and stars Elle Fanning, Douglas Booth, and Bel Powley. It will be released in the US on May 25th, 2018 and in the UK on July 6th, 2018. For international release dates, click here.

Are you excited for Mary Shelley? Let us know in the comments!