Guillermo del Toro is working on his own adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Deadline reports today that Jacob Elordi (Saltburn, The Mortuary Collection) will takeover the role of Frankenstein’s iconic monster for actor Andrew Garfield.
Elordi joins previously announced cast members Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Oscar Isaac, who will play Victor Frankenstein.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein follows brilliant scientist Victor Frankenstein, who brings his monster to life in an experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation. It feels safe to assume that del Toro will bring heightened emotions and sympathy for Frankenstein’s creation.
The acclaimed filmmaker previously said of his Frankenstein at the 10th-anniversary screening of Pacific Rim, “I’m doing Frankenstein. We’re working on it. We start shooting in February, and it’s a movie I have been wanting to do for 50 years since I saw the first Frankenstein. I had an epiphany, and it’s basically a movie that required a lot of growth and a lot of tools that I couldn’t have done 10 years ago. Now I’m brave or crazy enough or something, and we’re gonna tackle it. It’s Oscar Isaac, Andrew Garfield, Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth, and we’re working on it.”
Scheduling conflicts led to Garfield’s departure.
The news of Elordi’s casting also comes with the announcement that Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley and Christian Convery (“Sweet Tooth,” Cocaine Bear) are set to be a part of the ensemble.
Del Toro is producing, writing and directing Frankenstein for Netflix, with his specific approach completely under wraps at this time. Del Toro is collaborating with producer J. Miles Dale, who served as a producer on del Toro’s “Cabinet Of Curiosities” anthology series for Netflix.
Guillermo del Toro won four Academy Awards for The Shape of Water in 2018, essentially giving his unique, romantic spin on the Creature from the Black Lagoon. With Frankenstein up next, he’s building his very own army of Universal Monsters. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more about the project.