First Look: Jacob Elordi Transforms into Frankenstein’s Monster in Guillermo del Toro’s Dark Reimagining

Guillermo del Toro is finally making the movie he’s dreamed about for decades. His version of Frankenstein is coming to Netflix in November 2025, and it looks like it’ll be something special.

The first photo of Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster has just been revealed, and it’s already turning heads. Elordi, known for his roles in Euphoria and Saltburn, now steps into the role of the iconic creature. But this isn’t just another monster movie. It’s Guillermo del Toro’s passion project, one he’s waited his whole life to create.

Del Toro, now 60, says he feared he might never get the chance to make this film. “I’ve been doing movies for 30 years. I’m not going to be alive for 30 [more] years, I don’t think,” he says.

He’s been obsessed with Frankenstein for years, but studios kept turning him down. “Everybody said no,” he says, shaking his head. That’s nothing new for him, he’s used to rejection. It’s happened many times before, but he keeps holding on until the right person says yes. Then he makes a film that no one saw coming.

This was the case with Pan’s Labyrinth, which earned him his first Oscar nominations. Then came The Shape of Water, which won him Oscars for both Best Director and Best Picture. More recently, he made Pinocchio, a stop-motion animated film that took home Best Animated Feature. And now, finally, Netflix has said yes to his version of Mary Shelley’s classic.

Del Toro’s Frankenstein isn’t just about horror. It’s a mix of science fiction, drama, and emotion. The story is familiar: a brilliant but proud scientist creates life through a dangerous experiment, and both he and his creation suffer the consequences. Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein. Mia Goth is Elizabeth, his fiancée.

And Jacob Elordi plays the creature, a role that was originally meant for Andrew Garfield before a scheduling conflict led to Elordi taking over. The film also stars Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Charles Dance, Ralph Ineson, and more.

The idea for this film goes back a long way. As early as 2007, del Toro said it was something he would “kill to make.” Over the years, he sketched ideas and jotted down notes. He once said, “What I’m trying to do is take the myth and do something with it, but combining elements of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein.”

He also said that many of the best moments from Shelley’s book have never been shown in movies. He talked about how Christopher Lee captured the “emptiness” of the monster, while Boris Karloff showed the tragedy.

The movie almost happened with Universal Pictures years ago, and Doug Jones was even cast as the monster at one point. But things fell apart when the studio decided to focus on its Dark Universe franchise instead.

Del Toro kept the idea close, even though he was afraid to actually make it. “Part of me wants to do a version of it. Part of me has for more than 25 years chickened out of making it,” he said back in 2016. “You dream you can make the greatest Frankenstein ever, but then if you make it, you’ve made it. You cannot dream about it anymore. That’s the tragedy of a filmmaker.”

Things finally came together in 2023. After his Pinocchio win at the Oscars, Netflix revived the project. The cast fell into place, and filming began in February 2024 in Toronto. It wrapped up in September after shooting in several locations including Edinburgh and Lincolnshire.

The film will premiere at the Venice Film Festival before heading to Netflix later in the year. It will also appear at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Del Toro has made it clear this isn’t just about monsters. “It’s not a horror movie,” he said. “It’s an incredibly emotional story.” Composer Alexandre Desplat added, “Guillermo’s cinema is very lyrical, and my music is rather lyrical too. So I think the music of Frankenstein will be something very lyrical and emotional. I’m not trying to write horrific music.”

This project has taken years, even decades, to come to life. But for Guillermo del Toro, it’s been worth the wait. Now, with a dream cast, a trusted studio, and complete creative control, he’s finally making the Frankenstein movie he’s always imagined. And it’s shaping up to be unforgettable.

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