Del Toro's Frankenstein Challenge: Say Adios to Garfield and Hello to Elordi

Master filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has revealed a spicy backstage drama about his upcoming “Frankenstein” flick. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, he shared that when Andrew Garfield's schedule got too tangled to continue, Jacob Elordi was pinged to assume the monstrous mantle in a mere nine weeks.

In a glam instance of artistic improvisation, del Toro and makeup maestro Mike Hill quickly scrapped the meticulously constructed nine-month make-over designed for Garfield. The show, as they say, had to go on.

The game of musical chairs started with Garfield making an exit, making way for Elordi's entrance. Del Toro was all praise for Elordi expressing, "It felt like Jacob was just the right creature for the role and our connection was magical". Their synergy didn't require many words or detailed instructions. With a clock ticking down, the duo swiftly redesigned the iconic look. “There’s nothing like a little pressure to get the creative juices flowing,” added Del Toro.

Talking about the casting coup, Hill was more than thrilled with the Monster makeover telling Vanity Fair, “I loved his gangliness and his wrists, it had a certain fluidity. And with those piercing looks, I could see another Karloff in him. I seriously doubt if anyone else could bring such unique physicality to this role. He has this innocent demeanor wrapped in a six-foot-five frame. You know, he could just flip the bad guy switch anytime,” he gushed.

Andrew Garfield, the original Monster-to-be, did express his disappointment to Deadline about having to let go of “Frankenstein”, but meeting Jacob opened up a fresh perspective for him. He said, “It felt quite serendipitous meeting Jacob. I could feel that, maybe, this was an opportunity he needed more than I did”.

So when can we see the fruits of this imaginative blend of old and new? “Frankenstein” is set to debut at the Venice Film Festival where it competes for the Golden Lion. Del Toro fans will remember that he previously bagged the same for “The Shape of Water.” And for those of us not jetting off to Italy, “Frankenstein” arrives on Netflix in November just after a limited theater outing. Stay tuned for this Gothic treat!