Netflix crews descend on Glasgow Cathedral for Frankenstein reboot

The medieval cathedral, which welcomes over 500,000 visitors a year, has closed its doors to the public to accommodate the major production.

The historic city landmark, which has witnessed countless pivotal moments in Scotland's narrative, is to play host to filming for Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro's reboot of Mary Shelley’s beloved novel.

The Mexican filmmaker is writing and directing the film, which is being developed under the working title of Prodigal Father.

At the centre of Frankenstein are Jacob Elordi (Saltburn, Priscilla), Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina, Inside Llewyn Davis), and Mia Goth (X, Emma). Joining that main trio are Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front), Lars Mikkelsen (The Witcher, Ahsoka), Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained), David Bradley (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), and Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth). 

Principal photography began in February in Toronto and is expected to wrap later this year.

The classic Mary Shelley novel follows Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

What’s On Netflix has reported that del Toro's Frankenstein will be “set in Eastern Europe in the 19th Century, the story of Dr. Pretorious, who needs to track down Frankenstein’s monster- who is believed to have died in a fire 40 years before–in order to continue the experiments of Dr. Frankenstein.”

Production crews prepare for filming at Glasgow Cathedral (Image: Gordon Terris)

A Church of Scotland spokesman previously said: "The building has previously been used as a location for a number of different films.

"The current Church of Scotland congregation within the Cathedral is always mindful of its importance as a sacred space to a number of Christian traditions and will ensure that all filming within the building is sensitive to its continuing role as a place of worship and spiritual reflection.

“Glasgow Cathedral remains a place of pilgrimage, as well as of great historical importance as the only Scottish medieval cathedral to have survived the Reformation largely intact.

"As such, it attracts between 500,000 and 600,000 visitors annually, but we welcome opportunities such as this to help raise the Cathedral’s profile internationally and attract more people to share the experience of a visit to this very special place.”

Glasgow Cathedral is closed to the public amid filming (Image: Gordon Terris)

Filming on the Netflix production will also take place in Edinburgh in September.

Letters sent to residents in the capital in early June indicate that filming will see parts of the city such as Canongate, Bakehouse Close and Makars' Court "transformed into 1850s Edinburgh" featuring carriages, carts and cast in period costume.

It comes as scenes for the movie are being shot on location in north-east Scotland. Earlier this week, director Del Toro revealed he has been staying in the “most haunted” room of his hotel in Aberdeen.

He posted a selfie on X of himself, wearing sunglasses and tweed cap, standing against a backdrop of mountains and heather.

He wrote: “location shooting “F“ in Scotland. Not far from Stonehaven (home of the deep-fried MARS bar)”.