The Fly, Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris

The Canadian opera singer Daniel Okulitch as Seth Brundle, a researcher in matter transportation who gets more than he bargains for when a fly enters his teleportation booth. Kurt Neumann's original 1958 movie starred Al Hedison, while Cronenberg's 1986 version starred Jeff Goldblum as Brundle Photograph: Getty

The Romanian mezzosoprano Ruxandra Donose as Veronica Quaife, as played in Cronenberg's film by Geena Davis Photograph: Getty

Cronenberg spoke to the Sydney Morning Herald of his excitement at the staging of the film as an opera: 'It's a magical re-living of a part of my life, this time playing a completely different role in the creation of a very different animal. I can't wait to see what happens' Photograph: Getty

Composer Howard Shore wrote the music for Cronenberg's original film, and went on to win academy awards for scoring the Lord of the Rings trilogy Photograph: Getty

Brundle in his matter transportation booth, where an unseen fly prompts a hideous transformation Photograph: Getty

Brundle and the fly become fused at the molecular level, producing the hideous hybrid 'Brundlefly' Photograph: Getty

Brundlefly emerges. The makeup in Cronenberg's original is still a landmark in cinematic special effects, and won the 1987 Oscar for Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis Photograph: Getty

Cronenberg has been playing with the idea of an opera for several years. 'You could actually write an opera based on The Fly,' he told an interviewer in 1993. 'It could be a sort of a one-set thing, very inexpensive' Photograph: Getty

From left, conductor Placido Domingo, composer Howard Shore, and singers Ruxandra Donose and Daniel Okulitch taking a bow after a performance on 30 June Photograph: Getty

Domingo salutes his composer. The Fly plays in Paris from July 2 to 13, then at the Los Angeles Opera from September 7 to 27 Photograph: Getty