Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the classic 1818 novel titled ‘Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus’ written by Mary Shelley, Netflix’s ‘Frankenstein’ is a science fiction drama movie helmed by Guillermo del Toro. An extraordinary and egotistical scientist named Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with creating new life from scratch, with the help of his unmatched wisdom. Unaware that his experiment can go sideways, the titular character ends up creating a monstrous creature.
As the Creature rises, it results in dangerous consequences for everyone around it, including the creator himself. The psychological thriller features a talented ensemble cast comprising Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Christian Convery, Charles Dance, and Christoph Waltz. The tragic story unfolds in a fictitious world that is significantly altered by the creation of the scientist, marked by the constantly changing, eerie, and chilling backdrops.
Frankenstein Filming Locations
‘Frankenstein’ was filmed in various locations, including Ontario, Scotland, and England, specifically in Toronto, Markham, Nipissing, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Glencoe, Lincolnshire, London, Wiltshire, and Surrey. According to reports, principal photography for the Oscar Isaac starrer commenced in February 2024 and went on for about seven months before wrapping up by the end of September of the same year. In order to get into character, Jacob Elordi, who portrays the Creature, reportedly spent nearly 10 hours in the makeup chair each day before shooting began, as there were multiple layers to the costume.
Toronto, Ontario
Many pivotal sequences for ‘Frankenstein’ were lensed in Toronto, the capital city of Ontario. The filming unit set up camp at the Cinespace Studios, utilizing many of the film studio’s amenities. Situated at 777 Kipling Avenue #300 in the district of Etobicoke, the facility’s parking lot was used to portray the “Farthest North” in the movie. The crew members built the gigantic icebergs using a metal base structure and covering it with Styrofoam and silicone. To make it appear realistic, they also covered it with some real snow and ice. During an interview with Motion Pictures, production designer Tamara Deverell explained how they built the ship with artificial icebergs.
She explained, “We built the ship on this big metal truss system and a huge roller gimbal positioned in the parking lot underneath our ship, which was made from period boards, water-blasted, and aged. We also built this little pool with a giant piece of flipping ice at the base of the ship for when the Creature falls into the water.” While shooting scenes on the ship set, they used real torches instead of digital flames. As for the underwater scenes, a “dry-for-wet” illusion was utilized by combining the effects of smoke and constantly moving light projections to replicate the movement of the currents.
The film studio is home to a total of 29 sound stages and production offices spanning three different campuses, making it an ideal production location for all kinds of projects. Several key portions were also recorded on the campus of the University of Toronto at 27 King’s College Circle, primarily around the Medical Sciences Building at 1 King’s College Circle. The administrative district of North York also features in a few scenes.
Other Locations in Ontario
Aside from the aforementioned locations, the cast and crew also traversed through a few other parts of Ontario to create the visual canvas of ‘Frankenstein.’ Located approximately 30 km northeast of downtown Toronto, the ethnically diverse city of Markham in York Region also hosted the filming of some scenes from the movie. The team also moved to the southeastern part of the province, particularly in North Bay, for the purpose of filming. The vibrant and picturesque town is surrounded by lush green forest and situated between two of the largest lakes in the Nipissing district. Per reports, the exteriors of North Bay were utilized as a shooting site.
In conversation with Motion Pictures, Production designer Tamara Deverell shed light on the motivation behind the decision to film in the countryside of the province, highlighting how the natural beauty of the location perfectly complemented the wild spirit of the Creature’s world. “We shot the forest scenes in the countryside of Ontario, and it’s very much related to what we had seen in Scotland. We’re supposed to be somewhere non-specific in Europe, but it just felt right. The conservation area where we filmed is particularly fairytale-like, with the trees coming out of the rocks,” Tamara divulged. While most of the footage was recorded in the lap of nature, for the sequence in which the Creature interacts with the deer, the team utilized visual effects to create the animal. Reportedly, the cast and crew also taped a few scenes in and around the Fortress Mountain in Kananaskis Village, Alberta.
Edinburgh, Scotland
The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, also served as a prominent shooting site for ‘Frankenstein.’ Several pivotal sequences were reportedly shot on the Royal Mile, including Parliament Square. The filming unit also set up camp right outside St. Giles’ Cathedral on High Street, on Wardrop’s Court, Bakehouse Close, Makars’ Court, Lady Stair’s Close, and Canongate. In order to create the building where Victor Frankenstein works, the makers drew some inspiration from St. Stephen’s Church on St. Stephen Street in Edinburgh.
Glasgow, Scotland
‘Frankenstein’ was also filmed in Glasgow, a stunning port city situated on the banks of the River Clyde in the west-central part of Scotland. Specifically, Glasgow Cathedral doubled up as a shooting site for a pivotal sequence in the narrative. Standing tall at Castle Street within The Cathedral Precinct, the 12th-century structure is an iconic landmark and showcases striking Gothic architecture. The medieval stonework, arches, and windows contribute to the dark and moody old-world aesthetic of the film.
While they ultimately settled for the spot, the production team was initially hesitant to shoot at the cathedral. Talking about it with BBC, Tamara added, “We looked in the main space and although it was magnificent, it was just too big for the intimate confessional scene we wanted to shoot. The arches were all too high. You had no sense of the scale of the place. And then I realised Outlander had shot scenes in the lower chapel where the Gothic arches are much closer to the ground.” Accordingly, they eventually recognized the raw essence the site offered and changed their minds.
Other Locations in Scotland
The production team of the Guillermo del Toro directorial also traveled to other locations across Scotland, including Aberdeenshire. To be specific, they utilized the premises of the Dunecht House situated on the Dunecht estate in Aberdeenshire. Norwood Hall Hotel, located on Garthdee Road in the port city of Aberdeen, and the village of Glencoe also seemingly feature in several key portions. Another establishment that served as a filming destination for the movie is Hospitalfield House in the burgh of Arbroath in the council area of Angus.
In order to shoot the scenes involving the luxurious estate where Victor Frankenstein grows up, the filming unit set up camp at Gosford House in East Lothian. Tamara Deverell explained, “Part of Victor’s villa comes from the Gosford House in Scotland, which is an amazing estate, although it’s crumbling. I thought Guillermo would never go for it because it’s too white. Like, ivory white. We couldn’t paint it because it’s a historic building. But the magic of (cinematographer) Dan Laustsen‘s lighting made it work. And also, I just had to show Guillermo that double staircase.”
Lincolnshire, England
In September 2024, a significant chunk of ‘Frankenstein’ was also filmed in and around the 16th-century prodigy house — Burghley House near Stamford, Lincolnshire. The property, alongside its Orangery Restaurant, remained closed during the shooting process. Besides the cast and crew, several trailers, vans, and lorries with film equipment were spotted in the grounds of the English country house. Talking about Jacob Elordi’s dedication on set, del Toro told Variety, “Never once did he come to me and complain. Never once did he come to me and say, ‘I’m tired. I’m hungry. Can I go?’ And he put in 20-hour days.”
London, England
The capital of England and the United Kingdom, London, also hosted the production of ‘Frankenstein.’ The filming unit reportedly utilized a film studio in the area to shoot key portions. Tamara Deverell was asked about the scenes involving the cottage of a family of peasants. She said, “We call it the Mill House and the fencing, the little gateway, the exterior – that was all built on stage months before we shot it. The Mill House just sat there through the winter, which gave it a particular patina. Then we dressed it in two different looks, one for spring-summer and one for fall-winter.”
Other Locations in England
For the purpose of shooting, the cast and crew members of ‘Frankenstein’ also traveled to other locations across England. According to reports, they set up camp at the Wilton House, situated in Wilton near Salisbury in Wiltshire. The production team also utilized the amenities of Shepperton Studios on Studios Road in the village of Shepperton in Surrey. Home to 31 different sound stages, 12 acres of backlot area, 20 cutting rooms, and nine mixing theatres, the film studio served as an ideal filming destination to bring the sci-fi thriller to life.
When asked if Frankenstein’s tower was a physical building or a VFX creation, the production designer revealed, “VFX did the sky and stuff, but we wanted to physically build that water tower as miniatures, which I like to call a ‘maxiture’ because it was 26 feet tall. We used that in the wide shots. Jose Granell of the Magic Camera Company was our key builder at Shepperton Studios. We built the tower base on a field in Canada for all the ins and outs. But having that model of the tower, which Guillermo insisted on, really made a difference because Dan could light it, and on some shots, the real sky is actually there in the background.”
