Del Toro Sets Sights on Phantom of the Opera After Frankenstein
The acclaimed director reveals his ambitious plans to reimagine the classic musical while juggling multiple upcoming projects including a violent crime thriller and stop-motion animation.
Fresh off his latest Gothic masterpiece, director Guillermo del Toro has his eyes on another classic tale. The Oscar-winning filmmaker behind Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water wants to tackle The Phantom of the Opera next.
In a recent conversation with Inverse, del Toro shared his vision for Gaston Leroux's timeless story. "The Phantom of the Opera, because it's such a classic tale, but I would do it differently. I have a couple of ideas but for now, I'm going into crime and stop-motion."
The director's fascination with the 1910 novel stems from his well-known empathy for misunderstood monsters. He plans to bring fresh emotional depth to Erik, the disfigured musical genius who haunts the Paris Opera House.
A New Take on Erik's Tragic Story
Leroux's original tale follows Erik, a brilliant but scarred composer living beneath the opera house. His obsession with young singer Christine Daaé spirals into heartbreak and tragedy. The story gained worldwide fame through Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 stage musical and various film adaptations.
Universal's 1925 silent version featured Lon Chaney's terrifying makeup. More recently, Joel Schumacher directed a 2004 adaptation starring Gerard Butler. Del Toro aims to offer something completely different.
Based on his approach to Frankenstein, expect Erik to be portrayed as a lonely, rejected figure rather than a pure villain. Del Toro excels at finding humanity in monsters. His Gothic visual style, showcased in Crimson Peak and his recent Frankenstein, would transform the opera house into a character itself.
Crime and Animation Fill the Schedule
Before tackling the Phantom, del Toro has two major projects in development. He's currently writing a crime thriller called Fury, which he describes as violent and unsettling.
"I'm writing it right now, and it's called Fury, and essentially it's going back to [the] sort of thriller aspects of Nightmare Alley – very cruel, very violent. Like My Dinner with Andre but [with] killing people after each course."
The director is also returning to stop-motion animation after his Oscar win for Pinocchio. He's developing an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's The Buried Giant for Netflix.
Del Toro's Frankenstein currently streams on Netflix, earning strong reviews with an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score and 7.5/10 on IMDb. The 2 hour 29 minute film stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, and Mia Goth.