Despite Wuthering Heights controversy, Jacob Elordie truly becomes Frankenstein's Monster in Guillermo del Toro’s "Frankenstein"

Frankenstein is where the noise meets the work. Jacob Elordi’s Wuthering Heights casting stirred a messy online dispute over how Heathcliff is described and how old Cathy is in the book. Inside Frankenstein, the focus is different. Elordi stepped in after Andrew Garfield exited, and the team had only weeks to rethink the Creature for a much taller actor. The preparation was steep. Long makeup calls, physical retraining, and unusual movement and voice drills created a body that reads as wounded before it reads as frightening.

Venice Film Festival responded with a prolonged ovation, and early reactions framed Frankenstein as emotional rather than pure horror. The article maps the Wuthering Heights controversy, how Elordi built the Creature with Guillermo del Toro. Frankenstein reaches theaters on October 17 and then on Netflix on November 7.

What is the Wuthering Heights controversy actually about, and who is in it

Emerald Fennell directs and writes the new Wuthering Heights. Margot Robbie plays Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi plays Heathcliff, with supporting roles reported for Hong Chau, Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, Martin Clunes, and Ewan Mitchell. The United States release is dated for February 13, 2026, positioned on Valentine’s weekend.

The backlash centers on two points. First are claims that casting Elordi disregards how Heathcliff’s appearance is described in the novel. Second are concerns about Robbie’s age relative to the character’s younger years in the book.

The dispute centers on how the novel describes Heathcliff’s background and appearance. Some readers view him as coded as a person of color or Romani and say casting a white actor erases that reading. Others argue Emily Brontë left his origins deliberately vague and that screen versions have long differed in race depiction.

Fennell has spoken publicly about both. As per The Guardian report dated September 30, 2025, Emerald Fennell said,

“(Jacob Elordi) looked exactly like the illustration of Heathcliff on the first book that I read.”

Fennell also described why Robbie fits the intent. As per The Guardian report dated September 30, 2025, Emerald Fennell said,

“It needed somebody like Margot … somebody who has a power, an otherworldly power, a godlike power, that means people lose their minds.”

That context matters for the headline because the argument over how Wuthering Heights should look runs alongside Elordi’s complete disappearance into Frankenstein. One project is being judged on fidelity to a text. The other is being judged on performance choices, craft, and reception in a room full of viewers. The cast and producers for Wuthering Heights place it as a studio-scale event.

How Jacob Elordi became the Creature in del Toro’s Frankenstein

Andrew Garfield left during the run-up to production. Guillermo del Toro and his team then reworked the Creature’s design for Elordi on a compressed clock. As per The Independent report dated July 31, 2025, Guillermo del Toro said,

“We recast, and we had nine weeks – you can’t be under more pressure than that.....Andrew Garfield stepping out and Jacob coming in – I mean, it was like Jacob is the most perfect actor for the creature,”

The performance was built from the outside in and the inside out. Reporting has detailed up to ten hours in the chair on heavy days, plus long shoots. Notes also point to body and voice training that helped Elordi move like something newly built. Butoh practice and throat singing shaped posture, breath, and tone. Del Toro’s guide rails were clear. As per a Variety report dated May 19, 2025, Guillermo del Toro said,

“I’m not doing a horror movie — ever. I’m not trying to do that.”

That line explains why the Creature reads as a person first. In Venice, the director also played down tech metaphors and emphasized feeling. Elordi has framed the part as deeply personal. As per a People.com report dated August 31, 2025, Jacob Elordi said,

“And in so many ways, the creature that’s on screen in this movie is the sort of purest form of myself. He’s more me than I am.”

The result is a performance that matches del Toro’s stated aim for Frankenstein to play as a human tragedy.

What to know about Frankenstein cast, dates, and first reactions

Oscar Isaac is Victor Frankenstein. Jacob Elordi is the Creature. Mia Goth is Elizabeth. The ensemble features Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, Charles Dance, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, and others. The release pathway is two-step. Frankenstein premiered in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival on August 30, 2025. It plays a limited theatrical run beginning October 17. Netflix streams the film globally on November 7. Early reactions out of Venice flagged craft and feeling. The ovation length made headlines and placed the film squarely in awards-season conversation.

Stay tuned for more updates.