So far, we've only seen a couple of promo stills and a few seconds of footage from Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, but the fan-favorite filmmaker has now confirmed that the first trailer for his long-awaited take on the classic novel will be released online this Saturday during Netflix's annual Tudum event.
The Hellboy and Blade II director announced the news over on Bluesky with a brief promo, but we'll have to wait until Saturday to see something new from the film, as it's the same footage of Oscar Isaac's Victor Frankenstein from the previous clip.
We expect Del Toro to stick pretty close to Mary Shelley's original tale, but those hoping to see the filmmaker return to his horror roots might be disappointed.
"Somebody asked me the other day, does it have really scary scenes?" Del Toro said during an interview at the Cannes Film Festival last week. "For the first time, I considered that. It’s an emotional story for me. It’s as personal as anything. I’m asking a question about being a father, being a son… I’m not doing a horror movie — ever. I’m not trying to do that."
Del Toro screened the first teaser for the movie to members of the press back in January, and we have some descriptions of the footage - including what to expect from Jacob Elordi as The Monster.
According to Variety, the teaser "saw Isaac’s Victor Frankenstein facing off with Mia Goth as a seemingly well-to-do aristocrat. It also provided a brief glimpse at Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster, towering over Isaac’s bed with long black hair, stitched-up gray skin and a glint of red in his eyes."
Gizmodo shared a more detailed description of the creature design.
"He’s tall, he’s lanky, and despite being pieced together from various body parts, you can very clearly see that it’s Elordi under all the makeup. His movie star good looks clash with the horrific makeup in a way that just works. Even the signature cut across the head, a staple of every Frankenstein’s monster, is a little cooler than usual as it starts on the upper right side of his head and then swoops down closer to above his left eye."
It’s a movie I have been wanting to do for 50 years since I saw the first Frankenstein," Del Toro said back when the project was first confirmed. "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.”
Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man) was originally cast as the Monster, but was forced to drop out due to a scheduling conflict, with Elordi stepping in to replace him.
Goth is believed to have been cast as Victor's wife, Elizabeth, who may also become the Monster's Bride, depending on which route Del Toro - who also penned the script - decides to take the story.
Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front), Lars Mikkelsen (The Witcher), David Bradley (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio) and Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth) have also signed on in undisclosed roles.
First published in 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has been adapted numerous times for the stage and screen, but there have been very few fully faithful takes on the story (the creature's appearance in the novel, for example, has never been accurately depicted).
Just in case you're somehow unaware of the premise of the novel, you'll find a brief synopsis below.
"A young scientist, Victor Frankenstein, driven by vanity and thirst for knowledge, manages to give life to a creature whom he assembled from dead material. The creature turns out very ugly, and Victor abandons him in horror. Rejected by his creator and hated by mankind in general, the Monster devotes himself to destruction and revenge."
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