Jacob Elordi’s Portrayal of Frankenstein’s Monster Will ‘Explore What It Means to Be a Monster and a Human’ And ‘Won’t Be a Horror Movie’

Jacob Elordi is portraying Frankenstein’s monster in Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming Frankenstein movie, based on Mary Shelley’s gothic novel of the same name. The book has been adapted for film many times, notably James Whale’s 1931 version which inspired del Toro to become a filmmaker. But unlike other iterations of the Frankenstein story, this one isn’t a horror movie. At least, according to del Toro.

Instead, del Toro says he sees his Frankenstein as a family drama. He told Variety: I see it as a biography of these characters… In my movie, it is about the lineage of familial pain.” It’s not clear whether the director means Frankenstein won’t have any horrifying elements at all, or whether the horrifying elements aren’t what he was primarily interested in while creating the movie. A movie about family drama can certainly also be terrifying, as anyone who has seen Hereditary (2018) knows.

Frankenstein, which will be distributed by Netflix, has been getting major buzz. The $120 million dollar movie is the life’s work of del Toro, who was first inspired to become a filmmaker by the story of Frankenstein. It’s something he has been thinking about since he was a child. As Netflix’s chief content officer said, “He wants to explore what it means to be a monster and a human being.”

It took 30 years. It’s a movie I wanted to make before I even had a camera. There’s the DNA of “Frankenstein” on “Chronos,” on “Blade Two,” on “Hellboy.” And we were developing it at Universal before they passed. I pitched it everywhere. It’s been my Mount Everest to climb.

Guillermo del Toro, Guillermo del Toro Unpacks ‘Frankenstein’: The 30-Year Journey to Make It, Getting a Netflix Theatrical Release and Why He Axed the Plan for Two Movies

Frankenstein will release in theaters on October 17 and stream on Netflix on November 7, 2025.