Among the rich lineup of titles that graced the latest edition of the Venice Film Festival, Guillermo del Toro's "Frankenstein" found a worthy spotlight. It premiered on August 30th and impressed audiences with the power of its artistic vision. Born after a long gestation, awaiting the best conditions to ensure the highest quality, the adaptation of Mary Shelley's literary masterpiece once again demonstrates the passion and dedication of the Oscar-winning director, recognized as one of the great innovators of the dark fantasy genre and already recognized for masterpieces such as "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Shape of Water."
Balancing creative freedom and profound respect for the original work, "Frankenstein" blends evocative atmospheres—with settings and sets largely created from real life—with powerful emotional content, in the distinctive style that has made del Toro instantly recognizable. Produced again by Netflix following the success of "Pinocchio" and due in theaters on October 17, the film has already garnered rave reviews, earning a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on eighteen reviews. The sumptuous cast, which includes Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Felix Kammerer, Mia Goth, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz, has also attracted considerable attention.
In addition to the Venice Film Festival, del Toro and the cast recently attended other important events, including the Toronto Film Festival. On that occasion, the director expressed great respect for Jacob Elordi, the young star chosen to play the Creature. He clarified that he wasn't influenced by his physical appearance—having entrusted him with an aesthetically monstrous character—explaining: "It was enough for me to see Saltburn, and in talking to him, I simply saw a magnificent actor, and the depth of his eyes is simply overwhelming. I think actors are 50% their eyes. You want to look and you want to be looked at. And I think it was Billy Friedkin who said that the most interesting landscape is the human being."
Regarding the complex preparation for the role, which required time and reflection, del Toro added: "I told him we would study the stages of a child's development and talk about nothingness from the beginning and how it evolves into a man who makes a decision. And I told him to observe his dog a lot. Because his dog can be peaceful in the sun one moment, in a furious fight with another dog the next, and then calm again in the shade ."
Among the film's central themes is that of forgiveness, as the director revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Del Toro wanted to revisit the traumatic experience of his father Federico's kidnapping in Mexico in 1988, when he was held captive for 72 days before being released thanks to a ransom paid by James Cameron: "My father was kidnapped in 1998, and when he came back, he didn't talk about his experience. Then, before he died, I said, 'We need to sit down and you have to tell me what happened.' That was really important for me in understanding the man."
In this sense, del Toro wanted to emphasize the value of "forgiving someone and forgiving yourself," explaining: "What you realize is that resentment takes two prisoners and forgiveness frees two people. I thought I could make the film, but then I realized: no, thank God that hasn't happened until now."
Finally, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter after the North American premiere of "Frankenstein" at the Royal Alexandra Theater in Toronto, the director revealed his upcoming projects. His new project will be titled "Fury" and will be an ultraviolent film starring Oscar Isaac again: "I'm writing a project that will feature Oscar Isaac. I'm writing it right now, it's called Fury, and it essentially takes on the thriller aspects of Nightmare Alley: very cruel, very violent. Like My Dinner with Andre, but with people killed after every course."
