Del Toro's Frankenstein Survived Brutal Hollywood Feedback Before Netflix

Guillermo del Toro's latest gothic masterpiece went through a gauntlet of criticism from Hollywood's biggest names before landing on Netflix. The Mexican filmmaker's long-awaited take on Mary Shelley's classic monster tale features Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as his creation, supported by Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth, David Bradley, and Charles Dance.

Industry Titans Shape the Final Cut

Del Toro doesn't rely on traditional test screenings. Instead, he turns to an exclusive circle of filmmaking legends for feedback. "What I do – because we don't test the movies – I show it to the 14, 16 most brilliant friends I know, and I'm blessed with good friendships," he revealed at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. "Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro Iñárritu, Jim Cameron, Rian Johnson, Steven [Spielberg]. A lot of people see the movie, they tell me what they think, and we have the agreement to be brutal."

James Cameron delivered one of the harshest cuts. "Jim came in and he said, 'Look, there's this section' – which is not in the movie anymore – 'This is beautiful, but you gotta take it out.' And it was about seven minutes. When someone gives me a note that is in that circle, I do it. I don't argue." The Avatar director's advice trimmed seven minutes from what became a 2 hour 30 minute epic.

Elordi's Breakthrough Moment

The Australian actor landed the coveted Creature role after Andrew Garfield's unexpected exit. Del Toro knew instantly he'd found his monster. "When I spoke with Jacob the first time on Zoom, I texted Oscar, timestamped, and I said, 'I found him. We found him.' You can talk about range, you can talk about this, but it's essence. If the character's essence is perfect for the actor, or the actor's to the character, you don't have to think again."

Creating the Creature's voice became a collaborative evolution. "While we were filming, [del Toro would] come back from the edit the next morning, and he'd say to me, 'There's a gravel that needs to be there,' because I was developing with the Creature as the Creature developed in the film," Elordi explained. The voice drew inspiration from Tibetan throat chanting techniques, adapting to each scene's emotional demands.

Technical Achievement

Shooting mostly in chronological order allowed Elordi to develop his performance organically. "I think the voice really comes from every incision, every memory, every different bit of flesh, every life lived – you have to build something that sounds like that," he said. The approach created layers of meaning behind every growl and whisper.

The film represents years of passion for del Toro, who previously brought Hellboy to life twice. With J. Miles Dale and Scott Stuber producing alongside him, this adaptation promises to deliver the director's signature blend of horror and humanity when it reaches audiences.