Guillermo del Toro, the master of monster tales, has enchanted audiences with his awe-inspiring collection of creature-filled wonders for decades. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that he now plans to intertwine all these enthralling storylines into a single universe.
In a recent A.frame interview, Frankenstein’s producer, J. Miles Dale spilled the beans on his partner’s intriguing plans for a Monster Universe, saying:
At one time, he was going to do the Monster Universe with Universal — Frankenstein’s Bride, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Invisible Man, The Wolf Man — and he didn’t. We feel like Shape of Water was kind of a version of a creature. So now, here he is doing his own Monster Universe.
The Mexican filmmaker is currently immersed in the long-gestating adaptation of Mary Shelley’s timeless classic, Frankenstein. This iconic novel, published in 1818, narrates the tale of the brilliant scientist Victor Frankenstein and his unconventional experiment that gives birth to a sentient being, commonly misidentified in pop culture as Frankenstein but correctly referred to as Frankenstein’s Monster.
Del Toro has openly expressed his deep affection for Frankenstein, considering it to be the most pivotal book in his life. Dale shared that the upcoming Netflix film will be incredibly heartfelt and emotionally charged, stating:
In the last couple of films, certainly with Nightmare Alley and then with Pinocchio, we’ve dealt with the whole father-son relationship. And Guillermo and I both lost our fathers in the last few years. When you have a strong father figure, it’s a big part of our lives. This version of Frankenstein very much goes down that thematic road. So, I feel like this is the third film in Guillermo’s father trilogy. That’s exciting, and when you read the script, it’s very emotional and, of course, very iconic.
Casting has commenced for the film, with Andrew Garfield, Oscar Isaac, and Mia Goth on board for undisclosed roles. The release date for the project has yet to be announced.
Since inking a multi-year agreement with Netflix in 2020, Del Toro has rolled out four projects on the streaming platform, including Wizards: Tales of Arcadia, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans, Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, and Pinocchio (which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature last year).
