The highly anticipated Guillermo del Toro adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is scheduled to make its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 30, 2025, before a limited theatrical release begins on October 17, 2025, and concluding with a global streaming debut on Netflix set for November 7, 2025.
Frankenstein, directed and co-written by del Toro, revisits Shelley’s classic as a Gothic horror and science fiction film featuring Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the titular creature. Sources confirm a runtime of 2 hours and 29 minutes with an R rating for bloody violence and grisly images. The initial premiere in Venice will be followed shortly by the North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, emphasizing the film’s festival circuit strategy ahead of its theatrical and streaming release.
The theatrical engagement will be a limited run, consistent with Netflix’s approach for some of del Toro’s prior projects, such as Pinocchio and The Killer, designed primarily to qualify for awards consideration. According to industry insiders, the theatrical release will span approximately three weeks and include select theaters starting mid-October, with some international markets following from October 24.
Del Toro’s personal connection to Frankenstein is notable; spending over 25 years nurturing the project, he describes the story as intertwined with his cinematic career and artistic vision. The film explores the complex relationships between creator and creation, humanity and monstrosity, themes that have pervaded del Toro’s oeuvre. The production also stars Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Charles Dance among others, with filming locations reported in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Netflix will make Frankenstein available for streaming worldwide starting November 7, 2025, supporting both the theatrical experience and broader accessibility across their global platform. Viewers interested in del Toro’s evolving work can also look forward to his other upcoming Netflix projects, including a stop-motion adaptation of The Buried Giant and a vampire-themed series.