Guillermo del Toro says his long-awaited adaptation of Frankenstein feels deeply “autobiographical”.
The 61-year-old filmmaker has connected his experiences to those of the novel’s author, Mary Shelley, and spoke about the links following his new monster movie’s UK premiere at the London Film Festival.
Reflecting on the parallels between his life and Shelley’s story, Guillermo said: “There are large portions of the movie that are autobiographical for me... (Shelley) basically wrote an autobiography of her soul.”
He added his connection to Mary Shelley’s work has always been more than creative inspiration, calling her Frankenstein novel “his Bible” and referring to Boris Karloff’s portrayal of the monster as “Messiah”-like for him.
Guillermo, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind beast movies Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water has long cited Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel as one of his greatest inspirations.
After nearly 20 years of false starts, his version of Frankenstein has finally been realised, backed by Netflix.
The film stars Jacob Elordi as the Creature and Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, with Guillermo bringing his signature Gothic style and emotional intensity to the screen.
For Guillermo, the original Frankenstein novel represents both an artistic influence and a reflection of his own themes – the outsider, the misunderstood and the search for meaning in a hostile world.
He added: “The tyrannical father figure was prevalent in (Shelley’s) life.
“(Her father William) Godwin was not a great dad.”
Jacob Elordi said the film’s emotional weight stems from Guillermo’s connection to Mary Shelley.
He said: “I know Mary Shelley through Guillermo, so I care for her through him. For me, it’s Guillermo as an influence and how she has influenced him, the way he sees the world and his suffering and his pain.
“Because I see the Creature as an extension of that, you know?”
Guillermo’s fascination with Mary Shelley’s tale dates back decades, with his earlier films often exploring similar ideas of monstrosity, beauty and belonging.
He began his career in Mexico as a special effects makeup artist before making his directorial debut with Cronos (1993), a critically acclaimed horror-fantasy.
The director then gained international recognition with The Devil’s Backbone (2001), establishing his distinctive style blending Gothic horror, folklore and sentimental storytelling.
