How Andrew Garfield’s exit turned Jacob Elordi’s Frankenstein role into a race against time

The director of Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro, recently discussed the impact of the film's last-minute recasting in an interview with Vanity Fair. It all began when Andrew Garfield had to leave the project, and eventually Jacob Elordi replaced him.

Garfield was cast in the role of Frankenstein's monster in the film. However, due to scheduling conflicts, The Social Network star had to exit the film. His departure posed a challenge for the makers, since Andrew Garfield left just nine weeks before the production began.

Soon after, Jacob Elordi was brought on board for the role.

Keep reading to know more about what the Frankenstein director has to say about the last-minute casting change.

"Jacob is the most perfect actor for the creature", says Frankenstein director about Jacob Elordi

While speaking to Vanity Fair, Guillermo del Toro discussed how, after Garfield's exit, they managed to recast the role of Frankenstein's monster. In just nine weeks, the team shaped Jacob Elordi into the character.

In the interview, Guillermo del Toro talks about how challenging the whole process was, especially when time was ticking away:

“We recast, and we had nine weeks,”

Adding:

“You can’t be under more pressure than that.”

Makeup artist Mike Hill, who has previously worked with del Toro on films including The Shape of Water (2017) and Nightmare Alley (2021), worked with Andrew Garfield for nine months to create the look of the monster. However, after the actor's exit, it went all in vain. So as soon as Jacob Elordi was brought on board, changes had to be made accordingly.

Guillermo del Toro expressed how he felt when Jacob entered the project by saying:

“Andrew Garfield stepping out and Jacob coming in. I mean, it was like Jacob is the most perfect actor for the creature.”

Del Toro also talked about his experience of working with Elordi, as he further added:

“And we have a supernaturally good connection. It’s like, very few words. Very few things I have to say, and he does it.”

Furthermore, the director mentioned how apt Jacob is for the character of Frankenstein's monster, as he said:

“The thing about Jacob is, he just has everything rolled into one.”

Guillermo del Toro also mentioned which particular aspects of the actor drew him to cast him into the role, as he explained:

“What attracted me to him was his gangliness and his wrists. It was this looseness.”

He also added that Jacob Elordi's body language convinced him the actor was right for the role.

"Then he has these real somber moments where he watches you really deftly, and his eyelids are low, with the long lashes like Karloff. I was like, ‘I don't know who else you could get with a physicality like this.’ His demeanor is innocent, but it’s encompassed in a six-foot-five frame. He could really do a lot of damage if this man really wanted to be a bad guy,” he said.

It seems that, despite the last-minute challenges and anxiety, the whole recasting has turned out to be a boon for the helmer. Jacob Elordi seems to fit perfectly with the vision that del Toro had for the character in Frankenstein.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Deadline, Andrew Garfield also discussed his exit from the film. Even though he expressed disappointment about not being able to continue with the project, he praised Jacob Elordi, saying:

"It was disappointing to have to drop out of ‘Frankenstein’, but meeting Jacob felt really serendipitous so that I could really see and hear that, ‘No, maybe he needed that experience more than me.’ That was cool, to feel that he had a really spectacular time on that job."

Frankenstein is set to be released in November 2025.