Guillermo del Toro received a two-minute standing ovation after the screening of his highly anticipated film Frankenstein during its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this Monday. The film, which has been a lifelong project for the renowned director, had already received a 15-minute ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
A movie that takes the world by storm
The event featured the presence of the movie stars, including Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz, as well as producers Scott Stuber and J. Miles Dale. The audience kept applauding standing up after the opening credits, which led to a second round of applause when del Toro and the cast ascended to the stage for a Q&A session.
In the talk, del Toro emphasized that the story should be told on a grand scale, describing it as a modern tale of Prometheus. “The reality is that for years I tried to narrate a story about my father and me as a son,” explained del Toro, who added that, after becoming a father of two children, Frankenstein transformed into a story about parental relationships. The director also mentioned that the film addresses the theme of forgiveness, something that becomes more relevant with age.
Isaac, who plays Victor Frankenstein, confessed that he was moved to tears while reading the script, while Elordi shared his complex physical and emotional approach to portraying the creature, stating that he sought to employ his subconscious in the performance.
Frankenstein, which has achieved an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes after its premiere in Venice, marks del Toro’s return to TIFF since The Shape of Water, a work that earned him the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director in 2018.
