Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” Preparing for an Electric Fall
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is one of the most highly anticipated fall releases. The visionary director reteamed with some of his most trusted collaborators to bring to life the movie he had been dreaming of making for over two decades, including production designer Tamara Deverell, cinematographer Dan Laustsen, and composer Alexandre Desplat. Frankenstein has already electrified audiences, first at the Venice Film Festival, where it received a 13-minute standing ovation (one of the most sustained ovations in the festival’s history), and later at the Toronto Film Festival, where it prompted another lengthy ovation from the audience.
The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney writes that it’s “One of del Toro’s finest, this is epic-scale storytelling of uncommon beauty, feeling and artistry.” Steve Pond at TheWrap says, “it’s a filmmaker returning to his roots at a time when he has the skills to make those roots grow into something huge and singular. And Slant Magazine’s Marshall Shaffer pinpoints del Toro’s decision to follow the impact of Frankenstein’s mad science on his monster, played by Jacob Elordi, writing, “As the perspective of Frankenstein shifts to that of the creature cast out by its maker, del Toro’s concerns evolve from the cerebral to the emotional.”
Now, del Toro’s soulful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s iconic book is getting a book of its own—Insight Editions is set to publish “The Art & Making of Frankenstein: Written & Directed by Guillermo del Toro.” Written by Sheila O’Malley, “The Art & Making of Frankenstein” promises to give readers a deep-dive behind-the-scenes look at del Toro’s filmmaking process, along with the work of his cast and crew, which includes the aforementioned Elordi as, officially, the Creature, Oscar Isaac as Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Mia Goth as Elizabeth Lavenza, Christoph Waltz as Harlander (a new character created for the film), Christian Convery as a young Viktor Frankenstein, Ralph Ineson as Professor Krempe, and Charles Dance as Victor’s father, Leopold Frankenstein. The book will feature the work of the crew, including concept art, props, costumes designed by Kate Hawley, and more.
The book also features an introduction from del Toro and Isaac, and will go on sale on October 28. Further limited editions, “Frankenstein: Portfolio Edition,” and “Frankenstein: Artifact Edition” will go on sale later in the year.
Del Toro has made no secret of how long he’s wanted to make Frankenstein, and how many times he shied away. In fact, nearly a decade ago, he told Den of Geek that adapting Shelley’s book was one of his abiding dreams:
“To this day, nobody has made the book, but the book became my bible, because what Mary Shelley wrote was the quintessential sense of isolation you have as a kid,” he told Den of Geek. “So, Frankenstein to me is the pinnacle of everything, and part of me wants to do a version of it, part of me has for more than 25 years chickened out of making it. I dream I can make the greatest Frankenstein ever, but then if you make it, you’ve made it. Whether it’s great or not, it’s done. You cannot dream about it anymore. That’s the tragedy of a filmmaker. You can dream of something, but once you’ve made it, you’ve made it.”
The dream has been had for del Toro, and now the rest of us get our shot at seeing what he and his cast and crew have conjured. Frankenstein will bow in a limited theatrical release on October 7 before streaming on Netflix on November 7.
For more on Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, check out these stories:
The Trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” Electrifies Millions
Featured image: Frankenstein. Jacob Elordi as The Creature in Frankenstein . Cr. Ken Woroner/Netflix © 2025.
