Guillermo del Toro wants to direct The Phantom of the Opera with a darker twist

Guillermo del Toro says he’d love to direct The Phantom of the Opera but plans to reimagine the story his own way

Guillermo del Toro, the visionary filmmaker behind The Shape of Water and Crimson Peak, has revealed his desire to direct a new adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera — but says he’d “do it differently.”

Known for finding beauty in darkness and compassion in monsters, del Toro told Inverse that the timeless tale of obsession and tragedy has long fascinated him.

“The Phantom of the Opera, because 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.”

First published in 1910 by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera follows a masked figure haunting the Paris Opera House and his tragic love for a young soprano named Christine. The story has been adapted countless times—from Universal’s 1925 silent film to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit 1986 musical. Del Toro’s gothic visual style and emotional storytelling seem like a perfect fit for a fresh cinematic version.

Before tackling Phantom, del Toro is busy developing Fury, a violent crime thriller he describes as “My Dinner with Andre but killing people after each course.” He’s also returning to stop-motion animation for Netflix’s The Buried Giant, following the success of his Oscar-winning Pinocchio.

Fans can currently catch del Toro’s Frankenstein in theaters before its Netflix release on November 7. If his take on The Phantom of the Opera ever materializes, it’s sure to be a haunting and deeply human reimagining of the gothic classic.