Guillermo del Toro has built a monster. Fresh off of his third Oscar win for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, the writer-director has fulfilled a lifelong dream: making his own adaptation of Mary Shelley’s beloved Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. You can watch the movie now on Netflix. 

Del Toro has been working on a Frankenstein film for more than a decade. “My favorite novel in the world is Frankenstein,” he told Collider in 2010. “I’m going to misquote it horribly, but the monster says, ‘I have such love in me, more than you can imagine. But, if I cannot provoke it, I will provoke fear.’ ” It’s an idea that inspired del Toro’s career-spanning love for the monsters inside and outside all of us. Now he’s finally returning to the source.

If making a movie is a bit like piecing together a body — bear with us here — then del Toro is this body’s heart. The monstrously talented cast he’s assembling? We’ll call those the arms and legs. You can get a first peek at Jacob Elordi as the new film’s Creature above, and read on to find out exactly how our Dr. Frankenstein will finally bring his creation to life.  

What is Frankenstein about?

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro (Pinocchio, Cabinet of Curiosities, The Shape of Water) adapts Mary Shelley’s classic tale of Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

See the Frankenstein First Look Photo

Frankenstein, written and directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz. November 2025.

Ken Woroner

Who is in the cast of Frankenstein?

At the center of Frankenstein are Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina, Inside Llewyn Davis), Jacob Elordi (Saltburn, Priscilla), and Mia Goth (X, Emma). 

Joining that main trio are Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front), Lars Mikkelsen (The Witcher, Ahsoka), David Bradley (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, the Harry Potter films), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), with Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, Mank) and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained).

Can I see some photos from the movie?

Yes! Flip through the photos below, for a glimpse of Elordi as the Creature, cloaked in a hood and scarf. You can also check out Isaac as Victor Frankenstein addressing a medical lecture hall, and Goth adorned in peacock feathers and jewels. 

Is Frankenstein based on Mary Shelley’s book?

Yes. Del Toro’s Frankenstein is adapted from Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, which she completed at the age of 19, and which he’s cited for years as an inspiration for his work. In his 2018 acceptance speech after winning the BAFTA Award for Best Director for The Shape of Water, del Toro even made time to thank the British Gothic novelist. 

“The most important figure from English legacy is, incredibly, for me, a teenager by the name of Mary Shelley, and she has remained a figure as important in my life as if she were family,” del Toro said. “And so many times when I want to give up, when I think about giving up, when people tell me that dreaming of the movies and the stories I dream are impossible, I think of her.”

What are the different parts of Frankenstein?

Frankenstein is divided into three sections: an icebound “Prelude” followed by two chapters, “Victor’s Tale” and “The Creature’s Tale.” The structure is inspired by Shelley’s original novel, which opens from the perspective of a ship captain before transitioning to the stories of Victor and his creation. 

Del Toro worked closely with editor Evan Schiff to help the chapters flow seamlessly. “With any movie that involves chapters and voice-over, keeping the momentum of the story up is really one of the greatest challenges that we have to keep an eye on,” Schiff tells Netflix. “We have the opening of the film on the ship to set up the framework of the movie and get you invested. Then we have all of Victor’s story. One of the key points we look at is, ‘When is the Creature created? When do we meet the Creature for the first time?’ Even though the Creature has its own chapter, it exists in Victor’s chapter as well.” 

Can I watch the Frankenstein teaser trailer?

You can check it out above, and head here to read more about it. “Some of what I will tell you is fact, some is not, but it is all true,” Isaac’s Frankenstein intones over the opening moments of the teaser trailer. We then see glimpses of how his vision took shape in his mind, before he brought it to life.

Has Frankenstein been nominated for or won any awards?

Yes! Guillermo del Toro’s epic received 5 Golden Globes nominations, including Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director, Best Score and Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for Oscar Isaac’s turn as Victor Frankenstein, and Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for Jacob Elordi’s transformation into the Creature. 

The film was also nominated for 11 Critics Choice Awards, and at the Jan. 4 ceremony, it won four awards: Best Supporting Actor (Jacob Elordi), Best Costume Design (Kate Hawley), Best Production Design (Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau), and Best Hair and Make-Up (Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey). 

At the 2026 Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA, the film was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture, and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role for Elordi’s turn as the Creature.

On Jan. 22, Frankenstein had a monster showing as the 2026 Academy Award nominations were announced, netting nine nominations: Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role (Jacob Elordi), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Production Design, Original Score, and Sound. 

When will Frankenstein be on Netflix?

Frankenstein is now streaming on Netflix.