Hollywood’s gothic romance machine is churning out something deliciously different this time around. Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” adaptation has sparked an electric current through Tinseltown’s corridors — and not just because of its monster-sized casting announcements.
Picture this: Jacob Elordi, fresh from his Elvis-adjacent triumph in “Priscilla,” trading his pompadour for prosthetics as literature’s most misunderstood creature. Opposite him? The eternally magnetic Oscar Isaac wielding a scalpel and sporting what sources say is a rather fetching period waistcoat as Victor Frankenstein. Now that’s what you’d call inspired casting.
Del Toro — bless his monster-loving heart — isn’t exactly known for playing things safe. At Cannes 2025, between sips of what looked suspiciously like a very expensive bordeaux, he dropped quite the bombshell: “I’m not doing a horror movie — ever.” Rather, this particular creation is shaping up to be something far more intriguing: a meditation on fathers, sons, and the messy business of playing God.
The path to production hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. Andrew Garfield was originally set to don the creature’s presumably elaborate makeup before scheduling conflicts forced a reshuffling of the deck. In what might be the most gracious Hollywood pivot since… well, ever, Garfield told Deadline he was “very, very glad” about Elordi stepping into the role. Something about Elordi “needing that experience more.” Imagine that — actual civility in Hollywood. Perhaps the apocalypse really is upon us.
Speaking of unexpected twists, del Toro’s preparation methods continue to raise eyebrows in the most delightful ways. He gifted Elordi a baby development book at the start of filming — because apparently, learning to walk like a newborn creature requires some rather specific research. It’s exactly this kind of wonderfully weird attention to detail that sets del Toro’s projects apart from the usual monster-movie fare.
The production’s found its home in Aberdeen, Scotland, where the gothic atmosphere practically seeps from the stones. Del Toro, ever the poet, mused to Vanity Fair about the beauty of ruins and decay — though one suspects the local tourist board might have preferred slightly less romantic descriptions of their fair city.
Netflix continues its passionate courtship of del Toro, following the Oscar-winning “Pinocchio” and the deliciously macabre “Cabinet of Curiosities.” With Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz rounding out the ensemble (and honestly, has Waltz ever not elevated everything he’s touched?), this particular monster mash is shaping up to be something rather special.
Mark those calendars, darlings — this isn’t just another creature feature. It’s del Toro doing what he does best: turning the grotesque into something unexpectedly beautiful. Though perhaps leave the baby development books at home for this particular Netflix evening.
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