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Credit: HBO/Universal Pictures
Jacob Elordi captured movie lovers’ attention, and their hearts when he made his acting debut in the Kissing Booth movies. It was clear that the heartthrob was full of promise, and he’s truly shined as the unlikeable Nate character in HBO’s Euphoria. This year, he’s taking on a very different kind of role by starring in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein movie as the iconic monster. Now, Elordi is opening up about how he prepared for the role, and the explicit advice del Toro gave him.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the cast of Frankenstein chatted about taking on Mary Shelley’s famous novel, how they shot some of the most technical scenes in the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, and working with such a creative director like del Toro. When it came to Jacob Elordi, he initially thought he would stay away from watching previous iterations of Frankenstein so he wasn’t too influenced by previous portrayals of the monster. However, del Toro steered the 28-year-old in another direction, and dropped a few f-bombs while doing so:
I devoured all of his monsters. At first I thought, I’ll stay away from this. I want to do my own thing.’ And then I asked Guillermo, ‘Should I watch the other Frankensteins?’ And he goes, ‘What the fuck do you mean?’ I was like, ‘Well, I don’t want it to be influenced.’ He says, ‘My friend, it’s a movie, it can’t fucking hurt you.’ I went home, and I just binged them.
Guillermo del Toro has never been a director to mince words, and I just love how brutally honest he was with his leading man. I can understand Elordi not wanting to unconsciously pick anything up from his predecessors’ performances. However, I’d argue that at the same time, he could learn what not to do when developing his own performance.
Credit: Ken Woroner/Netflix
Over the years, Frankenstein’s monster has been played by hundreds of actors on both the stage and screen who have all managed to put their own spin on it, and I’m confident Elordi will as well. While his full look remains under wraps, early stills and footage show that del Toro is planning on bringing his own creativity to the material. As for Elordi, he admitted that rewatching Frankenstein films was a net positive:
Something in his gaze, something in the way that he moves…. The biggest thing was just immersing myself in the world of these creatures.
When it comes to making a Guillermo del Toro movie, there is nothing more imperative than immersing yourself in a world. The filmmaker is known for his worldbuilding, cinematic fantasyscapes, and sympathetic portrayals of monsters on screen. There’s a “Classic Hollywood” that accompanies his style of filmmaking, and it makes the Mexican director perfect to adapt Frankenstein. I also think Elordi is an inspired choice for The Monster for del Toro’s long-gestating flick, as his physical size helps make him more daunting. It also offers a new challenge for the leading man to try a more “character actor” role.
Del Toro’s 2025 movie release screened at the Venice Film Festival this weekend and received a mixed reception. The cast is incredible, with names like Oscar Issac, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz to boost the already alluring subject matter. Jacob Elordi is clearly in good company, and I can’t wait to see his performance amidst such heavy hitters.
Of course, previous actors to take on the role of the monster like Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, and Robert De Niro have raised the bar pretty high, but I’m confident that Elordi is talented enough (and tall enough) to clear it. In the meantime, I also wouldn’t mind actually hearing Guillermo del Toro delightfully drop a few f-bombs.
You can see Frankenstein when it hits theaters for a limited theatrical run on October 17th, and it’ll then become available to stream with a Netflix subscription on November 7th. For more information on other exciting titles heading to the streamer this year, make sure to consult our 2025 Netflix schedule.
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