Guillermo del Toro has shared a new photo from the set of Frankenstein, and it eases a huge concern about his version of the novel. Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein is one of the most influential literary works in horror and sci-fi, and as such, it has been the source of inspiration for many artists. Frankenstein has also been adapted to other media for decades, most of them with significant changes to the characters and story. Frankenstein is now getting new film adaptations, one of them by the master of horror Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo del Toro is known for taking various projects and having to drop out of some, and among them was Frankenstein. However, the Mexican filmmaker has now picked the project up again, and it’s finally becoming a reality in alliance with Netflix. Starring in Del Toro’s Frankenstein are Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the monster, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Lars Mikkelsen. While no more details about Del Toro’s Frankenstein have been revealed, it’s expected that it will be a faithful adaptation of the novel, and the most recent update should ease those concerns.

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Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein Hints At Captain Walton & His Part Of The Story

Captain Walton Is An Important Part Of The Novel

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein began production in February 2024, and throughout the filming process, he has shared a couple of looks on his social media, though without giving anything away. The latest Frankenstein update is a photo from the set with Del Toro, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, and cinematographer Dan Laustsen with a ship structure behind them. Kaas is wearing what seems to be a captain’s uniform with snow on it and on his beard, and while these details might not seem relevant, they hint at Del Toro covering one of the most important parts of the novel in his movie.

Shelley’s Frankenstein is written in epistolary form, documenting the correspondence between Captain Robert Walton and his sister. During an expedition to explore the North Pole and expand scientific knowledge, Captain Walton and his crew rescue a nearly frozen and emaciated Victor Frankenstein, who is going after the gigantic man they saw in a dog sled not long before. It’s Walton to whom Frankenstein tells his story, and who, at the end of the novel, proves to the audience that the creature is real as he finds him on his ship, mourning over Frankenstein’s body after his death.

In the universe of Frankenstein, Captain Walton is the reason why Victor Frankenstein’s story is known, as he shared it with his sister in his letters. Walton also serves as the audience’s eyes and ears in the story, as he’s an outsider who has no links of any type to Frankenstein and the monster, and thanks to his experience, the audience gets confirmation that Frankenstein wasn’t lying, and the creature was real.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein Is On Its Way To Being The Most Loyal Adaptation of The Novel

Guillermo del Toro Has Talked About His Love For Frankenstein

The presence of Captain Walton, his ship, and his crew point to Del Toro’s Frankenstein staying true to the novel, at least in that part of Victor Frankenstein’s story. Victor and the creature have been repeatedly misunderstood in film, and there hasn’t been a film adaptation that’s loyal to the book, with the closest being Kenneth Branagh’s Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but it didn’t get the most important elements right. Del Toro’s passion for Frankenstein gives fans faith that his take will do justice to the novel, more so as the project was in development for too long.

Del Toro’s Frankenstein has been in development since 2007, but by 2009, the project had been shelved. The film was revived by Netflix in 2023 after Del Toro signed a multi-year deal with the streaming giant to produce different projects. Del Toro has been quite open about his love for Frankenstein, naming the creature among his favorite movie monsters and the novel as “the most important book of my life” (via /Film). Del Toro is also aware that no Frankenstein movie has gotten the novel right, and with the Captain Walton hint, his adaptation is on its way to being the most loyal version of the novel to date.

Source: Guillermo del Toro, /Film.