Guillermo del Toro has always had an affinity for monsters – even the most cursory glance at his filmography will tell you that. Whether it’s the sympathetic supernatural BPRD team in the Hellboy films, the romantic fish-man of The Shape Of Water, or the gorgeous ghostliness of Crimson Peak, he’s never afraid to relate to imbue the least obviously-human creatures with the most humanity in his films. And so, it’s no mistake that his take on Frankenstein – a long-gestating passion-project for the director – sees the Creature rendered less as a nuts-and-bolts body-horror terror, than a morbid work of beauty.
“I couldn’t have asked for better make-up. You can really see the human being in it, but it’s also so shockingly beautiful,” Jacob Elordi, who plays the Creature in del Toro’s film, tells Empire. While Mary Shelley’s description of Frankenstein’s creation was always somewhat vague, there was always an element of beauty amid the horror. Donning the prosthetics every day became an important part of Elordi’s character work. “On our first phone call, Guillermo said, ‘It’s not a make-up process, it’s not hours in the chair. It’s your time to pass over into the creature,’” explains the actor. “And I took that really seriously.”
For the filmmaker, making Frankenstein has been a hugely personal affair – not just for his longstanding obsession with the source material. “My own journey, as a human being, is of a prodigal father,” del Toro explains. “Film is a very jealous profession with personal life. It takes you away, and it takes a toll. That toll weighed heavily on me as a human being, and I wanted to make the movie about that.” As such, he sees him reflected in various elements of the story. “It’s about seeing yourself as both a father and a son,” he says. “I am a little bit of Victor. I’m a little bit of the Creature.” We’re in for a Gothic treat.
Read Empire’s full Frankenstein feature – going on set of Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation – in the Wicked: For Good issue, on sale Thursday 25 September. Pre-order a copy online now. Frankenstein is in cinemas from 17 October, and on Netflix from 7 November.