Guillermo del Toro holds a special place in the hearts of the film world. Thanks to his work on films like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, as well as just his delightful demeanor, he has an impact that is, at times, indescribable.
As Del Toro just confirmed when responding to a viral tweet a few days ago, one of the best ways to describe that energy might be “a woman who spends her time maladaptive daydreaming in her bedroom about meeting her soulmate in the most gothic situation imaginable.” And now, he just named a beloved story that I desperately want to see that energy applied to.
In a recent interview with Inverse, Del Toro named The Phantom of the Opera as a story that he would love to take a crack at. While most people probably know the tale from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical of the same name, it originated from Gaston Leroux’s 1909 novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra.
“It’s such a classic tale but I would do it differently,” Del Toro explained. “I have a couple of ideas but for now, I’m going into crime and stop-motion,” referencing his upcoming work on the films Fury and Buried Giant.
GDT’s Angel of Music?!
The revelation that Del Toro wants to take a crack at The Phantom of the Opera has sent the Internet into a frenzy. Horror fans are intrigued by the prospect of more opulent costumes and spooky vibes from the director, as evidenced by his aesthetic in Crimson Peak and his adaptation of Frankenstein, which is currently playing in select theaters before debuting on Netflix next month. There’s also the web of possibilities surrounding who he would cast, whether they be his long-running collaborators, actors who have more recently joined his roster, or new faces entirely. I’m going to be honest, the fact that he mentioned stop-motion in the same anecdote immediately led me to imagine a stop-motion Phantom adaptation, which I would pay so much money to see.
Meanwhile, musical fans are activating like a sleeper cell at the mention of any new version of Phantom. It doesn’t feel like an understatement to say that the musical version of the story is notorious, thanks in part to its lengthy run on Broadway. Joel Schumacher’s movie adaptation, which starred Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler as the central protagonists, has also dovetailed around to being something of a cult classic since it debuted in 2004.
I don’t know if Del Toro would do it, but honestly… it would be fun to see his adaptation of Phantom also be a musical. It might redeem the fact that Webber’s work hasn’t always translated well to the screen (thanks, 2019’s Cats). And Del Toro’s quirks could very well lend themselves to musical numbers, while also creatively stretching a new muscle for the director. Plus, some of his more recent collaborators have shown off their singing abilities. If Oscar Isaac can lead a ska band, maybe he can commit to the energy needed for The Phantom.
(featured image: Kate Green/Getty Images for BFI)
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
