Guillermo del Toro offered a tantalizing glimpse of Jacob Elordi's eerily raw monster form in the upcoming "Frankenstein" film. This eagerly anticipated adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 classic novel of the same name centers on Dr. Victor Frankenstein (played by Oscar Isaac), a brilliant yet obsessed scientist who dares to defy the laws of nature by creating life, only to be horrified by the creature he brings into existence.
In a revealing conversation with Entertainment Weekly ahead of the film's TIFF premiere, del Toro provided an intriguing preview of Elordi's monster. When asked if audiences would be "terrified" by the creature, the director promptly replied, "No." He went on to describe Elordi's appearance as "staggeringly beautiful, in an otherworldly way," explaining that he "didn't want the feeling that you were seeing an accident victim that has been haphazardly patched [together]" by Victor Frankenstein.
The visionary filmmaker behind "Pan's Labyrinth" elaborated, "Victor is as much an artist as he is a surgeon, and if he's been dreaming about this creature for all his life, he's going to nail it." He painted a vivid picture of the monster as "a newborn, alabaster creature," with scars that are "beautiful and almost aerodynamic." He further described how the creature's skin, "sourced from different bodies, displays a variety of colors. The hues are pale yet almost translucent, evoking the essence of a newborn soul."
Del Toro also shared Elordi's insights into playing the creature. He revealed that the actor, known for his role in "Wuthering Heights," felt a profound connection to the character, which added a layer of depth to his performance. "One of the things I thought required the most emotional intelligence was tracking the evolution of the creature," del Toro remarked. "[Elordi] said something to me that was both touching and genuine: 'This creature is more me than me, and people don't know that. Through this, I'll be able to truly be myself,'" the director recounted. "He brought a level of authenticity to this performance that is truly remarkable."
"Frankenstein" is set to premiere in a limited theatrical release on October 17 before making its debut on Netflix on November 7.
