We finally have our first posters for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and they are exactly what you’d expect from the maestro of monster melancholy. One poster features the scientist, the other his creation, both sporting the tagline: “Only monsters play God.” The film is set to premiere at Venice next week, with a screening at TIFF in September. No Telluride, no NYFF, but Netflix is making sure everyone notices this one.
The movie hits theaters October 17, then lands on Netflix November 7. That timing screams Oscar eligibility, at least for below-the-line categories. Del Toro has been chasing this dream project for over a decade, and now it’s happening. Back in the Universal days, Doug Jones was set to play Frankenstein’s monster, and Jones even got a bust inspired by Bernie Wrightson’s illustrations. That project fizzled, but Netflix picked it up, and del Toro has spent the last 18 months bringing his vision to life.
The cast reads like a cinephile’s wish list. Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight) is Victor Frankenstein, Mia Goth (Pearl) plays Elizabeth, Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) takes on the Monster, Christoph Waltz is Harlander, and Charles Dance has a mysterious role. Ralph Ineson pops in for a pivotal cameo. At one point, Andrew Garfield was cast as the Monster but dropped out, making way for Elordi.
Set in 19th-century Eastern Europe, the story follows Dr. Pretorius as he tracks down Frankenstein’s monster, thought dead for forty years, to continue Frankenstein’s experiments. It’s described as “an incredibly emotional movie,” not a horror film. Del Toro told composer Alexandre Desplat at Cannes (via Variety), “I’m asking a question about being a father, being a son… I’m not doing a horror movie… ever. I’m not trying to do that.”
Yet Netflix’s first trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein makes that claim hard to take seriously. We get Arctic landscapes straight out of a Jack London nightmare, labs buzzing with electricity, and Isaac murmuring, “In seeking life, I created death.” Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Charles Dance, Ralph Ineson, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Burn Gorman, and Jacob Elordi are glimpsed in shadowy frames, and the Monster’s full reveal remains under wraps. The lighting, the set design, and the sound mix all scream gothic horror.
Reddit is losing it. One fan wrote, “Del Toro is great at weaving horror elements into full stories. Crimson Peak is a romance that has ghosts in it, but I wouldn’t call it a horror movie.” Fair, but also, there were ghosts.
Del Toro has a knack for turning old tales into something fresh. He gave Pinocchio heartbreak and The Shape of Water emotional depth, and now he’s putting that touch on Mary Shelley’s classic. Frankenstein has been adapted countless times—Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing, even Robert De Niro—but few filmmakers bring this level of craft and emotion.
So, will Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein be horror, drama, or something in between? Calling it “not horror” feels a little like labeling Annabelle a Barbie movie. Whatever label you use, we’ll be watching with the lights on. October 17 is your first chance in theaters, November 7 on Netflix will make sure you don’t miss it.
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