Burghley House Hosts Filming for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

Staff at Burghley House, an Elizabethan mansion near Peterborough on the Cambridgeshire-Lincolnshire border, expressed hope that its use as a filming location for Netflix’s new Frankenstein adaptation will attract a new generation of visitors. The film, directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the monster, transformed several rooms into gothic sets. Crews used the Bow Room for bedroom and birth scenes, praising its lavish paintings and mystical atmosphere that suited the production’s needs despite the mansion’s Tudor origins. Preparation involved clearing rooms, building a custom four-poster bed, and adding props like a large archangel statue, with nearby spaces used for lighting equipment. Philip Gompertz, the director of commercial visitor operations, noted the financial benefits for maintaining the historic site and the publicity boost expected from ‘film tourism.’ He highlighted past filming experiences and the crew’s care in handling the building. Jacob Elordi’s brief visit for an interview in the Heaven Room surprised staff, kept secret by the production. Gompertz emphasized pride in seeing Burghley on screen and anticipated increased visitors post-release, underscoring the growing importance of film tourism for such estates.