Oscar-nominated 'Frankenstein' production designer finds inspiration in rural Cape Breton
CBC
Tamara Deverell was at a party for the New York premiere of the 2021 film Nightmare Alley.
The movie that starred Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett was the production designer’s latest collaboration with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who was on the other side of the room surrounded by actors and Hollywood executives.
Through the chaos and glitz, del Toro noticed Deverell and waved her over.
She pushed through the crowd to get to the director only for him to say one word to her, "Frankenstein."
"Who's not going to say yes to Guillermo on something like that?" Deverell said from her home in the woods near Inverness, N.S.
The latest film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus released worldwide on Netflix on Friday after a short run in theatres last month.
The movie marks the fifth time Deverell has worked with del Toro, who is known for using practical effects to bring to life his fantastical imagination.
It is the perfect challenge for a production designer.
"As a designer … you want to work with somebody who's not only an artist, but he really focuses on the visuals," she said. "When you build a set, he's going to frame every corner of it."
It’s been widely reported that del Toro has wanted to make his version of Frankenstein ever since he was a child.
For Deverell, it was also an opportunity to accomplish a lifelong goal.
"I always wanted to build a ship," said Deverell, who spent some of her youth in Vancouver working for a wooden sailboat manufacturer.
"So, that was one of the first things. And the other thing was the lab, you know, to do the del Toro version of [Frankenstein’s] lab."
In between the production of Nightmare Alley and Frankenstein, Deverell and her husband built a home in rural Cape Breton.
A report by the City of Calgary presented to councillors says blanket rezoning has so far required only "minimal" upgrades to infrastructure.
Changes are coming to residential recycling in Toronto starting in the new year, two councillors announced on Thursday.
Before a bitumen pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia’s northwest coast can be built, there's another box that needs to be checked: a massive investment in carbon capture and storage in central Alberta.
Jeremy Tunraluk, president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), is on leave from his position after he was charged with assault.
The head of Canada's Leaders' Debates Commission says the independent body should stop organizing post-debate news conferences and will make changes to how it decides what leaders to invite after this spring's leadership debate was surrounded by controversy.
The Alberta Health Services CEO who took over after a controversial firing in January is now himself off the job.
Standing inside her non-profit managed rental unit in central Windsor, Ont., Sue Pare points to a crack in her kitchen floor she can’t get fixed.
Five people were sent to hospital, including one person with life-threatening injuries, after a fire broke out at a fraternity house near Western University prompting a police investigation.
A rusting and derelict ship that’s been looming large over the waterfront in Springdale for years will soon be removed and disposed of by the federal government.
Greater Sudbury taxpayers will be paying 3.9 per cent more in property taxes in 2026.
When it comes to wintry weather, the Maritimes has certainly dipped a toe into the water with this week's chilly temperatures and snow.
N.B. Power is warning that the U.S. company it hired to build and run a billion-dollar gas plant could walk away in April — a move that would set the project back years, and possibly lead to power shortages in the province.
After Serge Belloncik suffered a stroke in 2022, he developed aphasia, a communication disorder affecting his ability to speak.