Guillermo del Toro Wants to Adapt “The Phantom of the Opera”

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) has announced his interest in adapting Gaston Leroux’s novel The Phantom of the Opera for the big screen.

“It’s a classic tale, but I’d approach it in a different way. I have a couple of ideas, though for now I plan to concentrate on crime and puppet animation,” del Toro told Inverse.

Leroux’s original novel follows Christine, a chorus singer who becomes the object of obsession for a mysterious Phantom residing in the Paris Opera House. The book has been filmed dozens of times; the most recent major feature is the 2004 version starring Gerard Butler. Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov also worked on a miniseries inspired by The Phantom.

In November, del Toro will release his Netflix adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.