The Venice Film Festival witnessed a cinematic moment that will go down in the festival's history. 'Frankenstein,' the eagerly awaited new film by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro, received a 13-minute standing ovation after its screening, the longest ever recorded at the festival, which moved its star, Oscar Isaac, and Jacob Elordi to tears.

Emotion filled the festival's Sala Grande. Isaac, who plays the tormented scientist Victor Frankenstein, and Elordi, who plays his creature, were reduced to tears by the audience's prolonged and effusive reaction.

During the standing ovation, del Toro shared multiple hugs with his actors, in a moment of pure collective catharsis that included a loving kiss on the cheek from Isaac to Elordi.

Behind the epic adaptation

This 149-minute, $120 million gothic epic adaptation is competing for the Golden Lion and is shaping up to be a strong contender for Netflix's awards season.

The film is the realization of a personal dream for del Toro. "I've followed the creature since I was a child," the director confessed during the film's press conference. After wrapping the project, he even joked, “I’m having postpartum depression.”

The film is a remake of Mary Shelley’s 1818 horror classic, which tells the story of a brilliant scientist who, after giving life to a creature, sees both of them descending toward their doom.

A Monstrous TransformationIn an interview with Variety, Jacob Elordi detailed the exhaustive process of up to 10 hours a day in the makeup chair to achieve his transformation into the creature.

The actor described the costume as “so many layers” and explained the physical evolution of the character: “When he was born, he was wearing almost nothing… Then, when he started feeling pain, like we do in adolescence, his shoulders started to round. And as an adult, he shrank.”

The cast that walked the premiere's red carpet was as stellar as the standing ovation itself. Joining Isaac and Elordi were co-stars Mia Goth (Elizabeth Lavenza), Christoph Waltz (the arms dealer Harlander), and Felix Kammerer (William, Frankenstein's brother).

The event also featured celebrities such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jessica Williams, and Sofia Carson.

The connection with fans was immediate. Outside the theater, Isaac and Elordi excitedly stopped to sign autographs and take selfies. The affection was reciprocated, and from inside the theater, a shout of "We love you, Jacob!" was answered by the actor with a genuine, "Me too!" according to Variety.