Who’s the Monster?
Guillermo del Toro’s long-gestating Frankenstein movie, starring Oscar Isaac as Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi, as the Creature, had its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.
Reviews are mixed but most agree that the production design on the US$120 million movie is “over the moon”.
Let’s construct the wardrobe and tailor the sets, and then give them to the actors . . .. I always say there is a difference between eye candy, which is pretty, and eye protein, which is telling the story. — Oscar Isaac.
This film concludes a quest that started at age seven, when I saw James Whale’s Frankenstein films for the first time. I felt the jolt of recognition in that seminal moment: Gothic horror became my church, and Boris Karloff my Messiah. Mary Shelley’s masterpiece is rife with questions that burn brightly in my soul: existential, tender, savage, doomed questions that only a young mind allows and only adults and institutions believe they can answer. For me, however, monsters alone hold the answer to all mysteries. They are the mystery. So Frankenstein is a blessed enterprise moved by reverence and love for both mystery and monsters. The Grandfather of them all — a tale of a lost son and a prodigal father — Lazarus and Job in dialogue with a single creator and seeking all answers. Just like we all do. — Guillermo del Toro.
Characters:
Oscar Isaac as Dr. Victor Frankenstein.
6’5″ Jacob Elordi as the Creature.
Mia Goth as Victor Frankenstein’s mother and his love interest, Elizabeth.
Christoph Waltz as arms merchant Harlander, Charles Dance as Victor Frankenstein’s father, and Felix Kammerer as Victor Frankenstein’s brother.
Related: Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein With Oscar Isaac & Jacob Elordi: Teaser
Frankenstein filmed in Toronto and Scotland last year under the working title Prodigal Father.
We first saw Frankenstein’s giant outdoor ship at CineSpace Studios Marine Terminal near Cherry Beach in Toronto in early 2024 in the background of a Guillermo del Toro post.
Toronto photographer Andrew Thomas captured some spectacular images of the ship set.
Including the hooded Creature.
I’m doing Frankenstein. We’re working on it, we start shooting on it in [March]. It’s a movie I’ve been wanting to do for 50 years since I saw the first Frankenstein and I had an epiphany and is basically a movie that requires a lot of growth and a lot of tools that I couldn’t have done 10 years ago, 20 years ago and now I’m brave or crazy enough or something and we’re going to tackle it. — Guillermo del Toro to Collider.
Related: Guillermo del Toro’s Dr. Frankenstein Movie To Film in Toronto This Winter & Spring
Ahead of production, the Oscar-winning director gathered some of his Frankenstein cast — Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz and Charles Dance — at Pai restaurant in Toronto.
Some weeks later, the 6′ 5″ tall Jacob Elordi (replacing Andrew Garfield who had a scheduling conflict) joined the director and co-star Mia Goth for another dinner at Pai restaurant.
Related: Jacob Elordi at Toronto’s Pai With Frankenstein Director Guillermo del Toro
Frankenstein wrapped its four-month shoot in Toronto last summer and then headed to Scotland to shoot exteriors.
Frankenstein
Working title: PRODIGAL FATHER.
Writer/Director: Guillermo del Toro.
Toronto filming dates: March 04 2024 – July 05 2024.
Scotland shoot: July 2024 – October 2024.
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Charles Dance, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Christian Convery.
