It took more than five decades to Guillermo del Toro to bring the project of his dreams, Frankensteinto life, a film that has lived in his imagination since he was seven years old.
Now, after years of waiting, the director’s long-gestating vision is finally coming to the big screen, thanks to Netflix, and it looks like this will be the director’s most personal story del Toro has ever told.
At the Hollywood premiere, del Toro reflected on why Frankenstein it matters now more than ever. “For me, [the message] it’s emotionally reconnecting to the idea of the power of forgiveness and acceptance – which is absolutely… very scarce material right now,” he told Variety.
“It’s not a blockbuster, a preconceived concept. It’s not a franchise. It’s something that speaks very directly and autobiographically, unfortunately to me and to many in the past.”
The director’s fascination with misunderstood monsters has always been at the center of his storytelling, since The shape of water TO Pinocchio AND Alley of nightmares. Composer Alexandre Desplat he described del Toro’s latest creation as an extension of that idea.
“It’s all about respect and love for each other,” he said. “In Greek they say ‘xenophilia’, which means ‘love the stranger’. Because when you love the stranger, the stranger loves you. It makes a big difference.”
Giacobbe Elordiwho plays the monster, shared that the film holds a powerful sense of hope. “I think it requires hope,” he said. “I think this movie requires us to be confident, to be emotional, and to see beauty.”
For My GothicStepping into the role of Elizabeth Lavenza was as thrilling as it was terrifying. “I’ve never been so scared going into a movie. Really,” Goth admitted.
“It was a lot for me, and it was always in my head. I kept thinking to myself, ‘Guillermo del Toro is making Frankenstein, the movie you always wanted him to make, and I’m going to be a part of it.’ And I was so scared that I would be the only bad thing and that I would ruin everything.
Eventually, Goth found her way through nerves and self-doubt. “I decided to feel that moment when you open your eyes, you have that calmness and just a little more wisdom. That’s where Elizabeth was.”
Oscar Isaacwho plays Dr. Frankenstein, said del Toro encouraged his cast to make the story deeply personal. “He said it very quickly: ‘You can’t fail. I tailor-made it for you.’
“He approached this the same way Mary approached writing Frankensteinwhich makes it a very personal expression of what their experience was, and that’s what he asked us to do. So as long as we did it honestly and passionately, there were no failures and there were no obligations.”
To complete the cast there is Felix Kammererwho plays Victor’s brother. His journey to the project was unexpected, starting with an encounter in a bathroom at the Oscars.
“I went to the bathroom, and he came up to me, and pulled me aside, ‘When are we going to work together, kid?’ And then I explained to him my agency and how to contact him, and I thought, ‘He’ll never call,'” Kammerer recalled. “Two weeks later, my agent calls me and says, ‘So Guillermo del Toro wants to talk to you.’”
According to the manufacturer Scott StuberFrankenstein was del Toro’s “white whale,” the story he wanted to tell but never felt ready to tackle until now. “It was the right time. We tried a couple of times before, but [del Toro’s] like, ‘This was the right time for me to understand the themes and the mythology and what I want to say about the story.'”
After decades of dreams and creations, Frankenstein is finally here and released in select theaters on October 17th and begins streaming on Netflix on November 7th.
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
