The Late Show with Stephen Colbert kicked off Thursday night’s episode with a monstrous cold open—starring Oscar-winning drector Guillermo del Toro.
Before the opening titles rolled, viewers were treated to a bigger production than usual for the show’s intro segment: an ad for Frankenstein’s Monster Energy Drink.
The unfortunately fictional product is itself frankensteined from a few disparate elements: Monster Energy drinks and Frankenstein—as in del Toro’s new cinematic take on the Mary Shelley classic.
“Tonight’s episode of The Late Show is brought to you by a special sponsor,” announcer Jen Spyra declared to kick off the ad.
In the faux commercial, del Toro himself hawks the product, “the only beverage guaranteed to make you feel alive.” Standing over Frankenstein’s monster lying on a table, del Toro points to the creature and introduces him as Jacob Elordi—the actor who plays the monster in his new film.
The bit gets meta when Stephen Colbert interrupts, shutting down del Toro’s pitch and calling out the fact that the actor in the monster costume is not, in fact, Jacob Elordi.
Del Toro corrects him: The man is named Jay Cubalordee, his neighbor’s landscaper. In reality, it’s Late Show writer and late-night veteran Brian Stack in the costume—reprising a role he originated just last week, when Frankenstein’s monster took The Colbert Questionnaire. (Colbert was so starstruck by the monster that he made a rare flub, referring to The Late Show as The Colbert Report.)
“You can’t sell your crapping product on The Late Show,” Colbert insisted. “Guillermo, we stand for something.”
“I thought you were canceled,” del Toro shot back—prompting Colbert to pitch a product of his own: The Choco-Late Show Protein Shake.
Del Toro wasn’t a formal interview guest on Thursday’s episode but had been billed for a “special appearance.” The short also wasn’t his first contribution to The Late Show: back in 2015, the director suggested a few signature monsters for Colbert’s program and appeared alongside the stars of his film Crimson Peak.
That was too brilliant! More of that please! 🤣👏🏻👏🏻