Guillermo del Toro has dreamed about making Frankenstein for decades, and this year it’s finally happening. The Oscar-winning director is bringing his passion project to life with the kind of backing very few filmmakers get.
Netflix is releasing the film in theaters on October 17 for a three-week exclusive run, making it one of their biggest theatrical release to date, before it releases on the streaming platform on November 7. That’s a huge move for Netflix, which usually doesn’t go all in on the big screen, greatly preferring to release its movies on its service as soon as possible.
Guillermo del Toro talks authenticity of his Frankenstein
In a recent interview with Variety, del Toro went in-depth regarding various aspects of the movie, saying he sees Frankenstein as “a biography of these characters” and “a story about familial pain.” The movie explores the toxic relationship between Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) and his father (Charles Dance), and how that brokenness carries on when Victor becomes a father figure to his creature (Jacob Elordi).
What makes this release even more important is just how long it took to happen. del Toro has been chasing this film for 30 years. He stated that he pitched it to various studios, almost got it made at Universal, and says the DNA of Frankenstein is even present in movies like Hellboy.
Why Frankenstein looks as stunning as it does
The first teaser for the movie, released in June, showed just how stunning the movie looks. Instead of going all digital like most big-budget movies these days, del Toro made sure the sets, props, and effects were practical and built by hand. He even painted a lot of the props himself.
He stated that he doesn’t want his films to feel artificial or too clean. He wanted the labs, the streets, and even the monster itself to feel like something real that you could almost touch. That’s why he spent months with hundreds of crew members designing everything to make sure it looked and felt real and authentic. That explains the movie's $120 million budget.
The look of the monster is also something del Toro has obsessed over since the '70s. He didn’t want the usual stitched-up scars and bolts in the neck that are most commonly associated with the iconic character. Instead, he imagined a body that looked more like a jigsaw puzzle, almost beautiful in its own strange way. He wanted the scars to have some kind of artistry.
Netflix is hoping that this authenticity pays off. With awards season coming up and the Venice Film Festival premiere around the corner, Frankenstein could end up being a real critical powerhouse.