Jacob Elordi became visibly emotional during the premiere of his latest film, Frankenstein, held at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. The Australian actor, who stars as the creature in the Netflix adaptation, was moved to tears alongside director Guillermo del Toro following a 14-minute standing ovation. The heartfelt response underscored the significance of Elordi Frankenstein Venice Premiere on such a prestigious international stage.
The Film and Its Impact on Cast
The movie is based on Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, with Elordi portraying the iconic monster brought to life by Victor Frankenstein, played by Oscar Isaac. Mia Goth appears as Elizabeth, Victor’s ill-fated childhood love, while Christoph Waltz takes on the role of Harlander, an arms dealer. After the screening, Elordi was seen embracing both Isaac and Goth, highlighting the close bonds formed during production.
In a press conference after the premiere, Elordi expressed the depth of his connection to his character, explaining how the role allowed him to pour every part of himself into the performance.
“It was a vessel that I could put every part of myself into,”
—Jacob Elordi, Actor
He continued, describing the creature as the purest embodiment of himself, saying,
“From the moment that I was born to being here with you today, all of it is in that character. And in so many ways, the creature that’s onscreen in this movie is the sort of purest form of myself. He’s more me than than I am.”
—Jacob Elordi, Actor
Director Guillermo del Toro’s Vision for Frankenstein
Director Guillermo del Toro shared his lifelong connection to the Frankenstein story, explaining his motivation for revisiting the classic tale. Raised in a strict Catholic environment, del Toro found a spiritual resonance in the creature’s narrative, likening it to a messiah figure after seeing Boris Karloff‘s portrayal as a child. He emphasized the need to create the film under the right conditions with a grand enough scope to faithfully reimagine the story.
“It was a religion for me. Since I was a kid — I was raised very Catholic — I never quite understood the saints. And then when I saw Boris Karloff on the screen, I understood what a saint or a messiah looked like. So I’ve been following the creature since I was a kid, and I always waited for the movie to be done in the right conditions, both creatively in terms of achieving the scope that it needed for me to make it different, to make it at a scale that you could reconstruct the whole world.”
—Guillermo del Toro, Director
Preparing to Portray Frankenstein’s Monster
In interviews leading up to the premiere, Elordi revealed the challenges of physically and emotionally embodying the monster. He spent up to 10 hours daily in the makeup chair to create the intricate layered look necessary for the character’s transformation. Elordi described how the creature’s posture evolves with experience and pain—from an open, upright stance at “birth” to a hunched and closed-off demeanor, reflecting human development and emotional growth.
“There’s so many different layers to the costume,”
—Jacob Elordi, Actor
“When he’s born, he’s wearing nearly nothing. His chest is open and his head is high. Then, as he starts to experience pain, as we do as a teenager, he starts to hunch his shoulders. And as an adult, he closes off.”
Upcoming Release Plans and Anticipation
Frankenstein is scheduled to arrive in theaters on October 17, ahead of its release on Netflix on November 7. The film’s warm reception at its world premiere signals strong interest from both critics and audiences, suggesting it will be a notable entry in this year’s cinematic lineup. With the powerful performances and careful direction highlighted at Venice, the movie is expected to generate thoughtful conversations about identity, humanity, and creation.
