MOVIE NEWS – Guillermo del Toro, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Netflix’s new take on Frankenstein, gave a surprising answer when asked if Jacob Elordi’s monster would frighten viewers. His response was a firm “no,” explaining that his version is “staggeringly beautiful, almost unearthly in its presence.”

Del Toro’s interpretation of Mary Shelley’s classic breaks away from convention. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he explained: “What I wanted to avoid was the impression of a stitched-up accident victim.” In most earlier portrayals, Frankenstein’s creature was cobbled together from mismatched body parts, complete with visible sutures.

Still, del Toro insisted he remained faithful to Shelley’s spirit. The monster, he revealed, is “assembled from multiple bodies, giving it pale, translucent shades, like the soul of something newly born.” Known for breathing humanity into outcasts and monsters, del Toro has always crafted beings whose appearance belies the compassion within. On Victor Frankenstein’s vision, he added:
“Victor is just as much an artist as a surgeon. If he’s been dreaming of this creation all his life, he will perfect it. What you see is an alabaster-like newborn, with scars that are striking and almost aerodynamic.”

Netflix’s Frankenstein will open in theaters on October 17 and debut worldwide on the platform November 7.

Elordi Hailed as the Ideal Choice

In the same interview, del Toro praised Jacob Elordi’s performance. The role had previously been linked to Doug Jones, one of del Toro’s longtime collaborators, and later Andrew Garfield, who had to exit due to scheduling issues. Ultimately, the part went to Elordi, who joins a cast featuring Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Charles Dance, and Lauren Collins. The director explained what made Elordi’s performance resonate so strongly:

“What mattered most to me was charting the emotional growth of the creature. Jacob told me something deeply personal: ‘This creature is more me than me.’ He added, ‘People don’t realize it, but I can finally be myself through this role.’ That honesty and depth made his portrayal something extraordinary.”

Source: MovieWeb