Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro's adaption of Mary Shelley’s beloved novel Frankenstein for Netflix is to film in Scotland this summer, The Herald can reveal.

Del Toro confirmed in October last year that the big-screen adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein would be his next project.

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 (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained), David Bradley (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, the Harry Potter films), and Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth). 

READ MORE: Jason Statham heading to Scotland for new action thriller

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

Speaking during a 10th-anniversary screening of Pacific Rim in Los Angeles, del Toro said: “I’m doing Frankenstein. We’re working on it. We start shooting in February, and it’s a movie I have been wanting to do for 50 years since I saw the first Frankenstein.

"I had an epiphany, and it’s basically a movie that required a lot of growth and a lot of tools that I couldn’t have done 10 years ago.

"Now I’m brave or crazy enough or something, and we’re gonna tackle it. It’s Oscar Isaac, Andrew Garfield, Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth, and we’re working on it.”

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 forty years before–in order to continue the experiments of Dr. Frankenstein.”

The Herald has learned that filming will take place in Edinburgh and Glasgow this summer. 

It comes after Guillermo del Toro paid visit to both cities to scout locations for the movie.

In November, the director shared an image of himself in Glasgow's Blythswood Square on Wednesday outside the home of Glasgow socialite Madeleine Smith.

Smith was the accused in a sensational murder trial in Scotland in 1857, to her lover Pierre Emile L'Angelier.

Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, del Toro wrote: “Here I stand in front of the Madelaine Smith home in Glasgow. Which was meticulously recreated by David Lean in his “wedding gift”  eponymous film for Ann Todd."

READ MORE: Guillermo del Toro in Glasgow 'to scout locations' for Frankenstein adaptation

It followed a location scouting trip to Edinburgh in April last year. 

The visit to the capital came to light after he shared an image of himself on X near the Scott Monument, adding that he was on his fourth day of "scouting for locations".

The Mexican filmmaker also shared a picture on X with artist Guy Davis, who has collaborated with del Toro on previous projects such as the 2022 Pinocchio.

Commenting on news of del Toro’s visit to Edinburgh back in April last year, Cllr Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener at City of Edinburgh Council, told The Herald: “It’s very exciting to hear that Guillermo Del Toro is considering Edinburgh as a potential location for a future project. 

“We welcome filming in the city for the economic benefit, employment opportunities and the on-screen promotion it brings. It is a source of real pride that the beauty of Edinburgh attracts these kinds of projects. Our commitment to facilitating and supporting filming in the city is set out in our Filming Charter.”

Ken Massie, VisitScotland Head of Industry Development, added: “We know that screen tourism expenditure results in £55 million GVA (Gross Value Added) to the Scottish economy. And research shows that one in five international visitors have visited a film or TV location whilst on holiday abroad. 

“We have already seen from films and TV shows such as Outlander and Harry Potter, that people want to visit real life places as part of their travel plans, and this can have a positive impact on visitors numbers and encourage a wider spread of visitors across the country, throughout the year.”