The first film based on the novel "Frankenstein" came in 1915. It was called "Life without soul" and is lost.
Since then, more than 400 films have been made that in some way have drawn inspiration from Mary Shelley's novel. Now comes the next one - directed by the acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro.
But I have changed a lot. If you don't do that, there is no reason to take on a project, says del Toro when TT meets him at the film festival in Venice.
Want to create life
In his film, the basic story remains, about how Victor Frankenstein wants to create life, how he does it with human parts and how he distances himself from his creation. But new characters have been added, the female main character Elizabeth is now married to Victor's brother instead of Victor.
And, not least important, the "monster" (in Jacob Elordi's guise) has to an even higher degree than in previous film versions become a searching creature that wants closeness and friendship.
I have had this story and myth in my DNA since I was a child. I have always felt sympathy for the creature, which is the most human in the whole story, says Guillermo del Toro.
He thinks that there are parts of himself in all the film's characters.
Just like there were parts of Mary Shelley in what she wrote, about loneliness and about longing for community. We are born alone, we die alone, in between we get to experience a few years when we meet other people.
"The dance of the dead"
Jacob Elordi, known not least from the acclaimed TV series "Euphoria", describes the experience of taking on the "monster" role as "fantastic".
It contains pain, hope, joy, all at the same time. The creature's movements are a kind of "dance of the dead", it's hard to talk about how I did it. It was spontaneous, I went after what I felt I could do.
What does it mean to feel something for the first time? Cold, warmth, there are no words that can describe what he feels. His hands are so soft and gentle, I tried to make it as nuanced as possible, I tried to control his story with my movements.
Oscar Isaac, who plays Victor Frankenstein, thinks that there are similarities between Frankenstein and his creation.
"The monster" and its creator are each other's like. Victor was mistreated by his father, the creature is also the child who was abused by its creator.
Age: 60 years.
Family: Wife Kim Morgan, two children.
Lives: In Toronto and Los Angeles.
Occupation: Director.
Previous films in selection: "Cronos", "Mimic", "Blade II", "Pan's Labyrinth", "Crimson Peak", "The Shape of Water", "Pinocchio".
Current with: "Frankenstein" which gets a Swedish cinema premiere on 24/10 and comes to Netflix on 7/11.
