The world’s most famous monster has returned and this time through the deeply personal vision of Guillermo Del Toro. The Oscar-winning filmmaker unveiled his long-awaited adaptation of Frankenstein during its Los Angeles premiere Monday night at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, joined by stars Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, and Christian Convery.
Del Toro, who first imagined his take on Mary Shelley’s 1818 classic at age 10, described the project as both a culmination of lifelong fascination and a profoundly emotional undertaking.
Nominally and generically, it is a horror movie. After 30 years of making fantasy films, you know they can be something on top of that. And I think this is a family drama in many ways. It’s about the very Catholic notion of fathers and sons, and the pain that we transmit from one to the next generation.
he said.
After 200 years, for the book and the story to still provoke compassion and fear of crossing a boundary, those are things I think we innovated beautifully.
He added that the story still resonates two centuries later
Jacob Elordi, who portrays the Creature, called the experience “a dream come true.” His co-star Mia Goth, who plays Elizabeth Lavenza, echoed the sentiment, saying it was “such an honor” to step into the role.
I’ve been such a fan of him my whole life, like everyone. But it was also a lot of pressure. And I remember landing in Toronto and feeling very scared. I’ve never been more scared walking into a film.
Goth said of Del Toro
Goth also resisted categorizing Frankenstein strictly as a horror film.
I don’t see Frankenstein as a horror film. And Guillermo said as much… if anything, it’s a family drama. It’s a story about fathers and sons, it’s about forgiveness, it’s about redemption, it’s about understanding. And I think people might be surprised at how incredibly moving it is and how much heart there is.
she said.
Oscar Isaac, who takes on the role of Victor Frankenstein, praised Del Toro’s boundless enthusiasm.
Well, it’s passion. I think passion is everything in this film. [Del Toro’s] a very passionate, joyous, funny, warm person, and mischievous as well. So, that was kind of an infectious energy throughout.
Isaac said.
And it’s this very European story, but told through a very Latin-American, Mexican, Catholic point-of-view. So, it was just high passion all the time.
Isaac added
Following its Venice Film Festival debut in August, Frankenstein opens in select theaters on October 17 before streaming globally on Netflix starting November 7.
Source: Deadline
