Redesigning Frankenstein's Monster for Netflix Film

Mike Hill and the Challenge of Reinventing an Icon

Designing the Icon: Mike Hill, the creature designer for the new "Frankenstein" film on Netflix, spoke about the challenges he faced in redesigning an iconic monster with a deep-seated place in popular culture, especially with Boris Karloff's famous 1931 film design.

The distinguished professional relationship between Mike Hill, sculptor and special effects artist, and director Guillermo del Toro began many years ago. Hill's artistic creations caught del Toro's eye at an exhibition, prompting him to reach out and commission a piece of art. Their first collaboration was a sculpture of Boris Karloff as he was having his makeup applied for the iconic Frankenstein character from the 1931 film, a sculpture later displayed at del Toro's home, known as "Bleak House."

Evolution of the Relationship: The professional relationship continued and deepened, with Hill contributing to creature design for del Toro's films such as "Nightmare Alley" and "The Shape of Water," as well as the Netflix series "Cabinet of Curiosities." When Hill learned that del Toro was working on his anticipated version of "Frankenstein," he felt a pang of worry because del Toro had not contacted him about the project. However, it later became clear that Hill was an integral part of this massive undertaking.

Del Toro told Hill in a morning meeting: "We're making Frankenstein. If you're not part of it, I'm not making it. It's up to you now. Eat your eggs and tell me at the end if we're making the movie." Naturally, Hill immediately accepted this artistic challenge.

Del Toro's version of "Frankenstein" had a brief theatrical release and will be available for streaming on Netflix on November 7. Designing the creature was a particular challenge for Hill given the widespread recognition of Frankenstein's Monster and its entrenched place in the collective consciousness. Karloff's interpretation from the 1931 film, designed by legendary Universal makeup artist Jack Pierce, became an integral part of popular culture, and since then, hundreds of adaptations have appeared on stage and screen. "It was very difficult to try to create something no one had seen before," says Hill.

Depth in the Original Frankenstein Monster Design by Jack Pierce (1931)

Jack Pierce's Design: Legendary makeup artist Jack Pierce's design for Frankenstein's Monster in the 1931 film is a landmark in cinematic and horror history, becoming the iconic image of the monster in popular culture. This design was not just makeup; it was a precise and complex construction that required intense effort and collaboration between Pierce, director James Whale, and actor Boris Karloff.

The design process began with initial drawings from director James Whale, which Pierce used as a starting point. After that, Pierce and Karloff worked together for over three weeks, outside of regular working hours, to develop the final makeup. The goal was to maintain a "sympathetic humanity" for the monster while adding a terrifying touch.

Pierce used a mixture of spirit gum, cotton, and collodion (a liquid plastic with a high percentage of ether and alcohol) to build the prominent brow and the flat, square head. He also used a roll of cotton at the top of the head to maintain the distinctive square shape. The large scar on the forehead, which became an iconic part of the design, was created using collodion and gauze. To add darker details, black shoe polish was used to color Karloff's fingers, while metal clips were reportedly used to pull Karloff's lips back to give the mouth a more rigid appearance, a process that was extremely painful.

The "bolts" protruding from the monster's neck were electrodes representing the entry point for the electricity that reanimated the creature, and according to Jack Pierce himself, they resembled "the plugs we use for our lamps or irons." These electrodes were attached daily with strong spirit gum, and their removal was so painful that they left permanent scars on Karloff's neck for the rest of his life. Credit for the idea of neck electrodes is given to Karoly Grosz, Universal's Hungarian poster artist at the time.

To embody the monster's "dead eyes," Pierce created drooping eyelids using mortician's wax or a special paste. He also asked Karloff to remove his partial dentures to create the appearance of sunken cheeks. To emphasize the corpse-like appearance, black lipstick was used, and then Pierce covered everything with a gray-green greasepaint to give the monster pale, lifeless skin on black and white screens.

Makeup Application: The makeup application process took about three and a half hours each morning, and its removal required between one and two hours using various oils and acids. Given how exhausting the process was, Karloff sometimes slept in his makeup to ease the daily burden.

For the costume, credit for its design is given to Jack Pierce. During his research, Pierce read about ancient Egyptian bodies found with elongated limbs, and decided to incorporate this idea into the monster's design. He shortened the jacket sleeves to make the arms and fingers appear longer, used an all-black color scheme to visually increase height, and added padding to make the monster appear eight feet tall. Karloff wore modified asphalt-paving boots, each weighing 13 pounds, in addition to steel rods in his pant legs and back to give the monster his shuffling gait and rigid, upright posture. The entire costume weighed 48 pounds, and Boris Karloff lost 25 pounds during the filming due to the physical exertion.

Head Design: Pierce based the flat, square head design on his studies in anatomy, surgery, and criminal history, believing that Frankenstein, as a scientist and not a professional surgeon, would have chosen the simplest way to open the skull: cutting the top straight "like a pot lid" to insert the brain and then securing it with metal clamps. This combination of scientific and artistic research is what made Jack Pierce's Frankenstein Monster design timeless and influential.

Creating the New Monster: Challenges and Details

Collaborative Approach: The design process for the new "Frankenstein's Monster" was collaborative and open between the director and the artist. Del Toro did not provide explicit instructions, but rather clarified what he did not want in the design. For example, he emphasized that the creature should not be purely ugly, which ruled out the idea of heavy, gruesome stitches. From this starting point, Hill created multiple options and spent time researching 18th-century surgical techniques before arriving at the final version. "I just wanted to make it of that period, as if it was built in the 19th century. I wanted it to look like a human had done this to it with precision and care," says Hill.

Features of the New Design: This new version of the creature is distinguished by its striking height and slenderness, with scars covering its entire body to form a precise geometric pattern. This design aligns perfectly with the film's story, which delves into the quasi-scientific process Victor Frankenstein undergoes to construct and ultimately reanimate this creature. This contrast between beauty and horror is a fundamental part of the monster's character, according to Hill. He says, "There was a certain beauty Victor was after. He tried to make a beautiful stained-glass window, but it ended up broken and smeared."

In the initial stages of the project, Hill faced significant challenges due to the scarcity of information available. There was no complete script, and no actor had yet been chosen to embody the creature. Later, he spent eight months designing prosthetics for an initially chosen actor, who ultimately left the project due to scheduling conflicts. At that point, del Toro sent Hill a list of potential actors he was considering for the role, and one stood out in particular: Jacob Elordi, who ultimately took on the role.

Hill points to "Jacob Elordi's demeanor, agility, long limbs, and deer-like eyes" as reasons that made him the ideal choice for the creature's character. It also helped that the "Euphoria" star is 6 feet 5 inches tall, and according to Hill, has the kind of face makeup artists dream of. "Jacob's bone structure made things much easier. He has a very strong jaw, a very strong chin. And as a prosthetic artist, the chin is a big problem," he says. The final design included 42 different prosthetic pieces, and when Elordi had to wear the full body suit, it required about 10 hours in the makeup chair every day.

The Monster's Evolution in the Film: One of the most important aspects of the final design is how it evolves throughout the film's events. Initially, the creature appears bald and almost naked, hinting at its childlike innocence. But after being abandoned by its creator, it takes on a harsher, more menacing appearance, and its hair eventually grows, and it wears a long cloak. Elordi's behavior also changes dramatically; he initially retreats fearfully and shrinks back, before transforming into a more threatening and terrifying entity. From a design perspective, all that fundamentally changes is the hair and clothing; however, the transformation in appearance and behavior becomes profound and impactful.

A Dream Come True: Ultimately, Netflix's "Frankenstein" proved to be a perfect and successful collaboration between Mike Hill and Guillermo del Toro. The artist says he has been making monsters since he was a child, collecting clay from a nearby riverbank to sculpt them, and from those early days, Mary Shelley's influential story has been a source of inspiration for him. He has continued to create multiple versions of the creature as a professional artist, and is currently working on a short film based on a decade-old sculpture. Just like del Toro, the idea of tackling "Frankenstein" in his own way has been a long-held goal for Hill. So, although it perhaps involved some tension waiting for del Toro's call, it was ultimately worth it. "I've always dreamed of making it," says Hill.