Something happened on the set of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein that nobody was supposed to see. Photos leaked from behind the scenes revealing secrets about how they made Jacob Elordi disappear into one of cinema’s most iconic monsters. And once you see them, you’ll never watch the Netflix film the same way again.
We’re not talking about your typical movie magic here. This is 10 hours of daily torture disguised as art. This is prosthetics so elaborate they required their own dedicated crew. This is an actor willingly subjecting himself to physical transformation so extreme that removing the makeup each night needed an inflatable sauna wheeled into his trailer. The photos show what really happened between “action” and “cut,” and it’s simultaneously fascinating and slightly horrifying.
But here’s the twist: the most shocking behind-the-scenes reveals aren’t about the makeup or the monster. They’re about how del Toro created intimacy between a creature made of corpses and an audience that’s seen a thousand Frankenstein adaptations. The secrets hidden in these photos explain why critics are calling this the best version of Mary Shelley’s story ever put to screen. Why Jacob Elordi might earn his first Oscar nomination for a role where his face disappears under layers of latex. Why a film about creating life from death became the most emotionally devastating movie of 2025.
Ready to see what really went into making movie magic? These behind-the-scenes secrets will blow your mind.
The 10-Hour Daily Ordeal That Became Art
Here’s what the behind-the-scenes photos reveal that promotional materials never showed: Jacob Elordi’s transformation into the Creature wasn’t just makeup, it was an endurance test masquerading as performance art. Every single shooting day began in darkness, with Elordi arriving at an ungodly hour to start the application of 42 separate prosthetic pieces that would turn him from heartthrob into patchwork monster.
Ten hours. Not an exaggeration, not Hollywood hyperbole. Ten actual hours of sitting motionless while a team of artists rebuilt his face, neck, hands, and body piece by painstaking piece. Behind-the-scenes photos capture Elordi mid-transformation, looking like a nightmare caught between human and something else entirely. Half his face is covered in grotesque latex while the other half remains recognizable. The cognitive dissonance in those images is genuinely unsettling.
The makeup team, led by award-winning prosthetics supervisor whose previous work includes creatures from Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, developed a system to make the 10-hour ordeal as tolerable as possible. Photos show them working in shifts, multiple artists surrounding Elordi applying different pieces simultaneously to maximize efficiency. But even with perfect coordination, the process couldn’t be rushed without compromising the final result.
And here’s the detail that makes it worse: once filming wrapped each day, removal took another 90 minutes minimum. The prosthetics adhered so securely that ripping them off would damage Elordi’s actual skin. Behind-the-scenes footage shows crew members wheeling an inflatable sauna into his trailer, using heat and moisture to gradually loosen the adhesive before carefully peeling each piece away. Imagine finishing a 14-hour workday and needing to spend another hour and a half in a mobile steam room just to look like yourself again.
Share this with anyone who thinks acting is easy money!
The Costume That Needed Its Own Transportation
One behind-the-scenes photo went viral before Netflix even released the film: Jacob Elordi’s massive coat being transported to set on its own dedicated cart. Not carried by assistants. Not hanging on a normal costume rack. On its own wheeled transport system like it was a piece of equipment rather than clothing.
That image tells you everything about the physicality del Toro demanded from his Creature. The coat, constructed from heavy materials to look authentically period-appropriate and sufficiently monstrous, weighed so much that keeping it on Elordi between takes would’ve exhausted him before cameras rolled. Behind-the-scenes video shows crew members literally dressing Elordi in the coat moments before shooting, then immediately removing it the second del Toro yelled “cut.”
The weight wasn’t accidental. Del Toro wanted the Creature’s movements to look labored, heavy, like someone learning to operate a body that doesn’t quite fit together properly. By making the costume genuinely burdensome, Elordi didn’t have to struggle with his physicality. He actually struggled. Every lumbering step, every awkward gesture, every moment where the Creature seems uncomfortable in his own skin came from Elordi genuinely uncomfortable wearing 50-plus pounds of prosthetics and costume.
Behind-the-scenes photos capture Elordi between takes, still in full makeup but with the coat removed, looking exhausted and overheated. The juxtaposition between those candid moments and the powerful performance visible in the finished film demonstrates the literal suffering that went into creating art. Method acting gets criticized for its excesses, but what Elordi endured was less about emotional preparation and more about physical commitment to embodying a creature assembled from mismatched parts.
Don’t miss out on understanding why physical transformations matter as much as emotional preparation!
Oscar Isaac’s Manic Energy Captured Off-Camera
While Elordi’s transformation dominates behind-the-scenes conversation, photos from the set reveal Oscar Isaac’s process creating Victor Frankenstein’s manic obsession. Candid shots show Isaac between takes, pacing frantically, gesturing wildly to himself, staying in the character’s heightened emotional state even when cameras weren’t rolling.
Del Toro’s direction encouraged Isaac to maintain Victor’s feverish energy throughout shooting rather than turning it on and off for each take. Behind-the-scenes footage shows Isaac delivering the same lines ten different ways in rapid succession, exploring every possible emotional shade from triumphant to terrified to disgusted. That experimental approach created options in editing, allowing del Toro to modulate Victor’s journey through subtle performance shifts rather than broad gestures.
One particularly revealing behind-the-scenes photo captures Isaac and Elordi in full costume during a scene where creator and creation confront each other. Even with cameras not rolling, both actors maintain intense eye contact, staying locked in character dynamics. That commitment to continuous performance rather than just hitting marks for takes creates the unsettling intimacy between Victor and Creature that makes the film so emotionally devastating.
The Gothic Sets That Became Characters
Behind-the-scenes photos reveal production design so elaborate that the Victorian gothic sets became characters themselves. Del Toro, obsessed with practical effects and tangible environments, insisted on building full-scale locations rather than relying on green screen and CGI additions. Photos show massive laboratory sets with functioning equipment, ornate manor interiors with authentic period furnishings, and the infamous Arctic sequences filmed on soundstages transformed into frozen wastelands.
The laboratory where Victor conducts his experiments deserved its own behind-the-scenes documentary. Photos capture the intricate electrical apparatus, the medical instruments arranged with disturbing precision, the vats and tables and equipment that del Toro insisted look functional rather than merely decorative. Cinematographer worked closely with production designers to ensure lighting could create atmosphere without sacrificing the careful details visible in every frame.
One behind-the-scenes photo shows del Toro himself adjusting a prop on set, demonstrating the director’s hands-on approach to every visual element. Unlike directors who delegate such details to department heads, del Toro involved himself in prop placement, lighting decisions, and even minor costume adjustments. That obsessive control created visual cohesion where every element serves the story’s thematic concerns about creation, monstrosity, and the ethics of playing God.
Mia Goth’s Transformation Into Elizabeth
Behind-the-scenes photos of Mia Goth as Elizabeth Lavenza reveal an actress completely inhabiting the period and character. Costume fittings show the elaborate Victorian dresses, each requiring assistance to put on and restricting movement in ways modern actors rarely experience. Those physical constraints informed Goth’s performance, her restricted gestures and careful movements reflecting upper-class women’s limited agency in the era.
Goth’s approach contrasted sharply with Isaac’s manic energy and Elordi’s physical suffering. Behind-the-scenes footage shows her calm and contemplative between takes, using downtime to journal or read rather than maintaining heightened performance state. That measured preparation created Elizabeth’s grounded presence, the still center around which Victor’s chaos and the Creature’s tragedy orbit.
The Director’s Vision Coming to Life
Behind-the-scenes photos capture Guillermo del Toro directing with the enthusiasm of a filmmaker realizing a lifelong dream. Candid shots show him demonstrating blocking to actors, sketching creature designs between takes, and reviewing footage on monitors with the focus of someone who’s waited decades for this opportunity.
Del Toro revealed in interviews that Frankenstein represents his most personal project since Pan’s Labyrinth, drawing on his fascination with monsters as misunderstood outcasts rather than genuine threats. Behind-the-scenes footage shows him explaining those themes to cast members, ensuring everyone understood they were making a tragedy about loneliness and rejection disguised as a horror film.
Your Turn to Experience the Magic
Which behind-the-scenes detail shocked you most? Can you imagine enduring 10 hours of prosthetics daily for months? Drop your reactions in the comments because these production secrets deserve discussion beyond just the finished film.
Share this breakdown with anyone who appreciates the craft and suffering that goes into movie magic. Follow for more behind-the-scenes revelations from major films because understanding how cinema gets made deepens appreciation for the art itself. Frankenstein proves that sometimes the most interesting story isn’t on screen but behind it, in the dedication and sacrifice that transforms scripts into unforgettable experiences.
