Frankenstein debuts at Venice

Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi headline the world premiere of Guillermo del Toro Frankenstein at the Venice Film Festival.

Guillermo del Toro Frankenstein Debuts at Venice

Guillermo del Toro brings Frankenstein to Venice for the world premiere. Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi is the monster in this new take on Mary Shelley story. Del Toro has talked about the project for years and calls it a dream fulfilled. He describes the film as a gothic banquet of sets and images. Isaac says the film is unusually personal and about outsiders. Elordi says the creature felt like a part of himself. The premiere kicks off a larger awards push, with Netflix planning a wide release later in the year. The plan calls for a theatrical window on October 17 and streaming on November 7. The festival lineup also includes other prestige projects, setting a crowded competition scene.

The premiere at Venice shows how prestige cinema travels with streaming power. Del Toro returns with a project built as a personal statement about outsiders, paired with a strong visual approach. Netflix backs Frankenstein as a potential awards beacon, following Pinocchio and aiming for a Shape of Water level breakthrough. At the same time the event is entangled with real world politics. An anti war march near the red carpet could shift attention to Gaza, testing how festival media covers art and conflict. The balance between cinema as high art and streaming business remains delicate as studios pursue critical acclaim and broad audiences.

Highlights

The festival stage will reveal if this gothic dream becomes next season's talking point.