Javier Bardem confirms he's discussed playing Frankenstein with Universal in their monster universe reboot. When it comes to the category of most enduring cinematic monsters, few outrank Frankenstein, as the lumbering makeshift zombie has been a staple of film since the medium began. While many are often quick to point out that the creature should technically be called Frankenstein's monster - having been created by Dr. Victor Frankenstein in most versions - for better or worse, just plain Frankenstein is how most tend to refer to the character most closely associated with actor Boris Karloff.
Thanks mostly to Frankenstein's status as a public domain story, the monster has been played on-screen by literally dozens of actors since the Karloff days, including notable names as varied as Robert De Niro, Peter Boyle, and Tom Noonan. Last summer, it was widely reported that Universal Pictures had tapped Oscar-winner Javier Bardem to portray Frankenstein in the studio's burgeoning monster universe. Said universe officially kicks off with The Mummy, starring Tom Cruise.
That said, neither Bardem or Universal has ever seen fit to officially announce that he had accepted the Frankenstein role, leading some to wonder whether it was really happening. However, when questioned recently on the matter by Cinema Blend, Bardem finally confirmed that talks concerning him playing Frankenstein are indeed happening, although he stopped short of saying that anything had been finalized.
Yeah, well, there are talks. And I would love to be part of it. Because it's an iconic... speaking of an iconic character! I have the size of the head. [Laughs] That's for sure. They're not going to waste a lot of money in makeup, that's for sure.
Bardem's self-deprecating jokes aside, he'd certainly come into the Frankenstein's monster role with experience under heavy make-up, as he plays the villainous ghost pirate Captain Salazar in the soon to debut sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Even when not heavily altered by special effects, Bardem has also exhibited a chameleon-like ability to disappear into his roles, such as with Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men or Silva in Skyfall. This trait would surely serve him well as Frankenstein.
One wonders if Bardem might be holding out on signing up until after the box office receipts come in for The Mummy, which as mentioned above, is meant to kick off Universal's new monster universe. Some projections have The Mummy opening rather soft, and it'll be interesting to see if that affects Universal's willingness to rush into a Frankenstein project that would tie into it. Either way, Bardem will be fine, as the man never seems to be at a loss for high-profile projects to work on.
Next: Can Non-Superhero Cinematic Universes Work?
Source: Cinema Blend