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Jacob Elordi cast as Frankenstein’s monster in Guillermo del Toro’s reimagining: ‘Have a supernaturally good connection’
Euphoria star Jacob Elordi replaces Andrew Garfield and brings a haunting, Karloff-like stillness to the iconic role of Frankenstein’s monster
Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited Frankenstein is finally taking shape, but not without a dramatic twist behind the scenes. The Oscar-winning director, known for turning monsters into mythic poetry, has recast the film’s iconic creature — and the result may be even better than what he first imagined.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, del Toro revealed that he had just nine weeks to completely reimagine the look and essence of Frankenstein’s monster after original star Andrew Garfield exited the film due to scheduling conflicts following the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Garfield’s departure was no small setback since the director and his trusted makeup artist Mike Hill had already spent nine months carefully crafting Garfield’s version of the creature.
“I mean, it was like Jacob is the most perfect actor for the creature,” del Toro said of Jacob Elordi, who stepped into the role last-minute. “And we have a supernaturally good connection. It’s like, very few words. Very few things I have to say, and he does it.” Towering at 6’5”, Elordi brings an entirely new physicality to the role, a stark contrast to Garfield’s 5’10” frame. His height, gangly elegance, and sombre intensity helped reframe the creature not just as a monster, but as something tragically human.
“What attracted me to him was his gangliness and his wrists. It was this looseness,” said Hill. “Then he has these real sombre moments where he watches you really deftly, and his eyelids are low, with the long lashes like Karloff. I was like, ‘I don’t know who else you could get with a physicality like this.’”
Del Toro echoed that sentiment, likening the moment to director Richard Donner’s legendary casting of Christopher Reeve in Superman. “He said, ‘I eventually had to pray to God to bring me Superman with Christopher Reeve,’” Hill recalled. “When Guillermo suggested Jacob, his own prayers were answered.”
Although the last-minute change forced the team to rebuild their monster in just nine weeks, the pressure seems to have led to unexpected magic. “We recast, and we had nine weeks,” del Toro said. “You can’t be under more pressure than that.”
Elordi’s monster is expected to be both tender and terrifying. “His demeanour is innocent,” Hill noted, “but it’s encompassed in a six-foot-five frame. He could really do a lot of damage if this man really wanted to be a bad guy.”
Also starring Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Charles Dance, Frankenstein promises to be a haunting and deeply human take on Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. As del Toro continues shaping his most ambitious gothic vision yet, it’s clear he’s found not just a creature — but a muse — in Elordi.
