Andrew Garfield was originally set to take on the role of The Monster in Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but he had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.
He was eventually replaced by Jacob Elordi, and Garfield recently explained that while he is disappointed he had to drop out of the film, he’s “very, very glad” Elordi replaced him.
During an interview with Deadline, Garfield said: “I was just with Jacob Elordi, who ended up playing the character of The Creature, in Marrakech so I was hearing about how amazing and satisfying that was for him. So, I’m very, very glad that it was him doing it.”
He continued: “I’m, of course, disappointed that I didn’t get to do it because I love Guillermo and I love Oscar [Isaac] and everyone that he assembled.
“But meeting Jacob felt really serendipitous so that I could really see and hear that, ‘No, maybe he needed that experience more than me.’ That was cool, to feel that he had a really spectacular time on that job.”
Oscar Isaac plays Dr. Frankenstein, who tampers with the natural order by turning dead tissue into a new being, a monster played by Jacob Elordi.
The story follows Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.
It was previously revealed that “much of the film, including this laboratory scene, takes place within the remnants of once-great structures.”
Del Toro says: “Gothic romance was born partially out of the fascination with ruins. Sometimes they’re more beautiful than the building complete because it’s the clash of creation and destruction.”
Del Toro also said of the project: “It’s a movie I have been wanting to do for 50 years since I saw the first Frankenstein. I had an epiphany, and it’s basically a movie that required a lot of growth and a lot of tools that I couldn’t have done 10 years ago. Now I’m brave or crazy enough or something, and we’re gonna tackle it.”
Producer J. Miles Dale went on to say that it’s going to be a “deeply emotional” movie, and added: “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.”
The movie also stars Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz.
