Jacob Elordi Will Be the Monster of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

After transforming from the domineering Elvis in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla to the angelic Felix in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn last year, Jacob Elordi will take a new shape in Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming Frankenstein adaptation. The Euphoria star will take on the role of Frankenstein’s Monster, joining the ranks of Boris Karloff, Robert De Niro and many other actors who have portrayed the famed creature in various retellings of Mary Shelley’s classic novel. 

Oscar Isaac will star as Dr. Frankenstein, alongside Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley and Christian Convery. Elordi will replace Andrew Garfield, who dropped out of the project due to post-strike scheduling conflicts, according to Deadline. 

Frankenstein chronicles Dr. Frankenstein’s attempt to create life, only to meet his demise at the hands of his own creation. Guillermo del Toro, who was announced to direct the Netflix project last March, will also write and produce. In a 2012 Sight & Sound poll, the fantasy virtuoso behind Crimson Peak and Nightmare Alley said, “Frankenstein is a film — and a tale — that touches the very essence of what I am and all that I believe in.”

This marks the Oscar-winner’s latest Netflix project, following 2022’s Pinocchio, which took home Best Animated Film at last year’s Academy Awards — the first animated feature Oscar win for a streaming platform. Del Toro also partnered with Netflix for his anthology series Cabinet of Curiosities, as well as the animated films Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans and Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia.

While del Toro has not yet announced Frankenstein’s release date, it’s certain that del Toro will put his own spin on the classic story, and that Elordi’s transformation into one of literature’s most famous monsters will be more freakish than any role we’ve seen from him yet.

Sage Dunlap is a journalist based in Austin, TX. She currently contributes to Paste as a movies section intern, covering the latest in film news.