Not all filmmakers are eager to hit up social media with film and TV recommendations, as I'm sure there's some value in keeping one's pleasures hidden, guilty or otherwise. Guillermo del Toro has thankfully never been so shy about sharing his opinions to influence his followers, and he has shared some downright glowing praise for a new streaming show hitting the 2026 TV schedule that's kept him hooked recently: the spooky and highly amusing Widow's Bay.

As someone who's been keeping up with episodes weekly since its premiere, I am definitely on the same page as the Frankenstein director when it comes to loving this Matthew Rhys-starring show. Del Toro took to X to share those thoughts, as seen below:

For those unaware, Widow's Bay is the somewhat rare horror-leaning original streaming via Apple TV subscription. The platform definitely goes all in on genre fare, skewing more science-fiction than anything else, but the critically acclaimed new series will hopefully inspire the Powers That Be to go harder on bringing more Apple originals to the list of upcoming horror TV shows.

Created by Katie Dippold, who spent years honing the concept while writing for Parks and Rec and scripting Paul Feig movies, Widow’s Bay stars Rhys as Tom Loftis, the island town’s bumbling if optimistic mayor who would love nothing more than to turn the area into a bustling tourist destination. The only thing stopping him, however, are the longheld rumors that unexplainable things are bubbling beneath the town’s surface. Of course, it doesn’t exactly help when he realizes they aren’t merely rumors.

In some ways, Widow’s Bay follows in the footsteps of past genre projects set in creepy towns, but instead of just one direct issue plaguing things, this town’s history is immersed in all kinds of weirdness. Which also definitely helps make it stand out as one of the funniest and silliest horror projects on TV. Having the all-time great Stephen Root play the biggest believer in the Bay only helps. That guy can make anything seem believable.

Guillermo del Toro also shared some love for Matthew Rhys' previous small-screen hit, The Americans, by sharing the following post.

Anyone wanting to catch that show can find it with a Disney+ subscription, but head straight to Apple TV to find all the chilling whimsy that Widow's Bay provides in droves.

In the mood for some classic Guillermo del Toro? After you finish catching up with Widow’s Bay, throw on the director’s feature debut from 1992, Cronos, streaming via HBO Max subscription.

Guillermo del Toro’s take on the classic Frankenstein is already one of the best interpretations of what’s called the first science fiction novel. The movie has received an Oscar nomination this year for Best Picture, and Jacob Elordi has a Best Supporting Actor nod for his role as the creature. Del Toro clearly chose the right actor for that part, and he says he knew he had as soon as he saw the actor in the make up.

Jacob Elordi certainly looks the part in Frankenstein, available with a Netflix subscription. He’s a big guy at 6’ 5”, and the filming of the movie makes him look even bigger, but that’s not why he was right to play the Creature. In a recent Frankensein Q&A attended by SFX Magazine, Guillermo del Toro spoke about Elordi’s performance. Though he indicated it may not have been as much of a performance as we thought, as Elordi’s portrayal was quite “real” in the eyes of his director. Del Toro explained…

If Elordi was the right one for the role that means quite a bit, considering he wasn't originally going to play the part. Elordi took over the role from Andrew Garfield after the Spider-Man star had scheduling conflicts.

Del Toro is certainly right that Jacob Elordi, like most professional actors, has something of a reputation. People judge him by the way he looks, whether or not that’s accurate to the person that he is. Elordi himself seemingly felt that the disconnect between the appearance and the reality of the Creature wasn’t that different from the way he felt about himself. The physical transformation into the “monster” gave him the ability to embody that.

Elordi also put a lot of work in to get his performance ready for the screen. Del Toro says the actor was working for weeks before filming began, and that he used the process of being in a makeup chair for 10 hours a day to mentally prepare. The filmmaker continued...

The work certainly appears worth it, considering he now has an Oscar nomination under his belt for the performance. The Best Supporting Actor category is stacked with talent, so it won’t be easy to win, but it’s a safe bet that everybody will see Jacob Elordi a little differently now, no matter how it goes.

Guillermo del Toro is one of our greatest living film directors. I don’t think that’s a particularly hot take. However, just because he’s great doesn’t mean that he is perfect or cannot take criticism. In fact, it turns out he knows just who to call to help make his movies ever better: all the other greatest living directors.

Speaking with Variety, del Toro was asked how he handled the final cut of his films, or if making some of the film's edits was difficult for him. Oftentimes, editing decisions come from the response of test audiences, but the Frankenstein director revealed that he doesn’t test his movies. Instead, he shows his films to his friends. As he put it:

One might think that you’d only hear what you want if you show your movie to your friends. However, in this case, Guillermo del Toro’s “friends” are other great directors. Del Toro's friendship with James Cameron is well known, and there has been discussion of the "Secret Film Club" before, though it's apparently bigger than we thought. It also turns out that a particular part of Frankenstein is missing on the word of the Avatar filmmaker. Del Toro explained…

I already wanted to be Guillermo del Toro’s friend, but now that desire has exploded because sitting in a room full of some of the greatest filmmakers ever and hearing them debate the finer points of their own films sounds like absolute heaven. The fact that these men are allowed to be brutal with each other’s work, but can be professional about it isn’t easy, but it must lead to incredible conversations about filmmaking.

Apparently all James Cameron had to say was that a few minutes of the Frankenstein story didn’t work or weren’t necessary, and the seven minutes of film, which was still beautiful, were gone. While I certainly want to know more about these seven minutes, I also can't argue that Frankenstein ever felt like anything was missing.

Guillermo del Toro says he doesn’t second-guess his friends. When they tell him to do something with a movie, he does it. He figures if he’s going to ask the question, he needs to listen to the answer. The director said…

Considering that all of these directors combined have made far more great movies than poor ones, and there are plenty of Oscars between them to prove it, it seems this process of working together to improve their work really accomplishes its goals.

In 2013, Idris Elba and Guillermo del Toro teamed up for their first, and so far only, movie, Pacific Rim. Elba played Stacker Pentecost in del Toro’s story about a future where giant robots called Jaegers are piloted to battle the Kaiju that keep attacking Earth (we’ll revisit this world in an upcoming Amazon show). Nearly a decade and a half later, the filmmaker has revealed what the actor does when he doesn’t know his lines, and this has me wanting to be on the lookout for this tell when watching Elba’s movies.

This came up when Guillermo del Toro was participating in a THR roundtable with Bradley Cooper, Clint Bentley, Hikari, Noah Oppenheim and Will Tracy. All six wrote movies released in 2025 that have been getting awards buzz; in del Toro’s case, that was his film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. During the get-together, he inquired with Oppenheim, who wrote A House of Dynamite, about his experience working with Idris Elba, as he played the President of the United States in the fellow Netflix subscription-exclusive movie. But before asking his question, del Toro recounted:

Guillermo del Toro wanted to know if Idris Elba did this same squinting movie on A House of Dynamite. Noah Oppenheim answered that the actor did learn his lines on this feature, but there was also “some improvisation around the margins of it.” I suppose going back to A House of Dynamite to check if there is indeed none of this squinting would be as good of a reason as any to rewatch it, along with seeing if my opinion has changed about the movie’s polarizing ending.

The squinting is definitely noticeable in Pacific Rim, however, with the screenshot at the top of this article being one of the many examples. So if Idris Elba wasn’t learning his lines, or at least not learning them as well as you expect from actors of his caliber, was the squinting just to mask the fact that he was reading off cue cards being held offscreen? Or was he just memorizing his lines piecemeal throughout each day, and then started to squint when he couldn’t remember them?

Whatever the answers are, maybe I’ll carve out some time to rewatch the Thor movies, Star Trek Beyond and The Suicide Squad, perhaps along with others, to see if I spot this trademark squinting. Not that this will change my opinion about his acting, as he remains one of Hollywood’s best talents nowadays. Among his accolades are a Golden Globe win and being nominated five other times, as well as seven Emmy nominations. My fingers are crossed that he’ll eventually get Academy Award recognition too.

Idris Elba will be back on the big screen when he’s seen playing Man-At-Arms in Masters of the Universe, which arrives to the 2026 movies schedule on June 5. Then he’ll be seen in the fantasy movie Children of Blood and Bone in early 2027, while his survival thriller Above the Below still doesn’t have a release date.

Guillermo del Toro has so many movies that he never made that the topic literally has its own Wikipedia page. We nearly had a Guillermo del Toro version of Beauty and the Beast, and the story of his attempt to adapt H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness is legendary. But del Toro also has multiple “almost" superhero movies, including, it turns out, Man of Steel.

Guillermo del Toro has spoken openly about many of the movies he’s wanted to make, but never done, but one movie that he hasn’t talked about is Man of Steel. In a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, del Toro is asked about the project, and while technically he doesn’t confirm or deny ever being attached, he does explain why he wouldn’t make a Superman movie, saying…

Guillermo del Toro saying “my vibe is dark” is possibly the most obvious statement ever uttered by a director, but the guy isn’t wrong. To be fair, Man of Steel was certainly a darker take on the character than James Gunn’s Superman, but it sounds like del Toro thinks Gunn’s version is the way the character should be portrayed, and the filmmaker knows he’s not the right guy for that sort of movie.

Guillermo del Toro’s praise for Superman seems to be specifically because he knows he wouldn’t make that sort of movie himself. He knows the sort of director he is, and what he can do. He appreciates what a filmmaker like James Gunn did with Superman specifically because he couldn’t have done that. He seems to feel Gunn’s version is what Superman should be. Here he looks elsewhere. Del Toro continued…

Del Toro’s attempt to make a Justice League Dark movie is a bit more well known than this Superman story. The project was confirmed around the same time Man of Steel was released and the then new DCEU was getting going. It's possible that del Toro's talks for Superman eventually shifted into Justice League Dark specifically because he knew that would be more in his wheelhouse.

Of course, del Toro doesn’t technically admit that was ever involved in Man of Steel, but if you look at the way he reacts physically to the question, there’s really no doubt. Check it out.

As an intellectual exercise, I would still love to see a Guillermo del Toro version of a Superman movie, but I completely understand why he would ultimately walk away from it. Now how do we get him and James Gunn together to make a Gotham by Gaslight movie because that needs to happen like yesterday.

In the 2010s, there were various efforts to feature the Justice League Dark in live action, be in a movie or TV show. Regarding the film version, Guillermo del Toro wrote a screenplay focused on this team of magical and supernatural DC Comics characters, and for a while this movie was slated to be part of the DC Extended Universe franchise. Now that del Toro has revealed new details about his Justice League Dark, including how Batman fit into the story, I hope that James Gunn decides to revive it for the DC Universe slate of upcoming DC movies.

Justice League Dark, also known for a time as Dark Universe, came up while Guillermo del Toro appeared on Happy Sad Confused to talk about his latest movie, the Netflix subscription-exclusive and critically-acclaimed Frankenstein. When host Josh Horowitz asked the filmmaker to confirm if Colin Farrell had indeed been cast to play John Constantine in the DC movie, he started off by saying:

Doug Jones playing Deadman in Justice League Dark makes all the sense in the world, both because his lanky physique his a great fit for the spectral Boston Brand, as well as how often these two work together. They even had prior comic book movie experience as a duo from Jones playing Abe Sapien in del Toro’s Hellboy movies. In addition to Deadman and Constantine, Swamp Thing, Zatanna and Black Orchid were confirmed to appear in Justice League Dark.

Josh Horowitz followed that up by asking who among in these ensemble would have been considered Justice League Dark’s main protagonist, and that’s how Guillermo del Toro brought Batman into the conversation. In his words:

While Batman isn’t a member of the Justice League Dark in the comics given that he’s as far from magical and supernatural as they come, he did team up with these heroes in the DC Animated Movie Universe flicks Justice League Dark and Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. It also sounds like this would have just been a cameo, perhaps with Bruce Wayne not even wearing the Batsuit when Constantine and the gang went to collect that plane.

Guillermo del Toro wrapped up this portion of the conversation by sharing how Justice League Dark would have shown off Deadman’s ability to possess other people, which would be amazing to see in live action:

Justice League Dark may not have worked out for the DCEU, but after hearing these new details from Guillermo del Toro, it would be great if DC Studios co-head James Gunn could dust off that screenplay and make it work within the DCU continuity. Since we already have James Mangold’s Swamp Thing on the DCU slate, it’d be easy enough to have that movie pave the way for the Avatar of The Green to team up with those other superheroes who are mystically gifted. And if for some reason del Toro can’t direct Justice League Dark, ideally he could just closely collaborate for whomever is available for the job, like what was going to happen in the DCEU era when Doug Liman took over helming duties for a time.

Maybe this is all too much to ask for, but it’d be a shame if Guillermo del Toro’s Justice League Dark script continued to just sit on a shelf somewhere to never be made. I’ll keep my hopes up nonetheless, and in the meantime, Supergirl will fly onto the 2026 movies schedule on June 26, followed by Clayface on September 11 of the same year.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein only hit the 2025 movie schedule a few weeks ago, but the reaction has been loud, and for some, this might be one of the filmmaker’s best movies yet. The book-to-screen adaptation, now streaming on Netflix, has quickly turned into the monster-movie conversation of the season, and for many viewers, Jacob Elordi’s performance as the Creature is the film’s emotional center of gravity. But if you can believe it, the actor claims he landed the role because of a “rude” tweet a few years ago.

Now that the Euphoria star has brought the role alive, an old story about how he ended up in the film has resurfaced—and it’s even better knowing how things turned out. Thanks to a TikTok posted by user @peytoninc, recorded during a post-screening Q&A with Del Toro, Elordi, and Oscar Isaac, fans finally heard the actor explain exactly how he “inserted” himself into the movie long before he was cast. And yes, it all started with one very rude tweet. As he tells it:

Talk about turning lemons into lemonade. Hearing this now, after seeing Elordi’s deeply physical, almost mythic turn as the Creature, makes the story feel like fate. And ironically, Frankenstein is precisely the kind of film that proves why the young actor may be entering his strongest era yet. Critics and fans alike have noted that Del Toro’s approach reframes Mary Shelley’s novel as a mournful, operatic tragedy, and the Kissing Booth actor’s performance is a major reason the adaptation resonates the way it does.

It’s also fitting that a throwaway insult would spark something bigger for an actor starring in a Guillermo del Toro film. As Frankenstein viewers have already pointed out, del Toro’s monsters are never just monsters, because they’re almost always metaphors, or stand-ins for reflections, and often the most sympathetic figures in the story. The Creature, in this new adaptation, feels “real” in a way audiences haven’t seen before. He may be a patchwork of beautiful and broken parts, but he’s navigating the horror of being alive much like we all are. What’s more human than that?

It also explains why some viewers who initially side-eyed the casting (especially those who grew up with Andrew Garfield’s long-rumored version of the film) have come around. As one writer recently argued, Frankenstein might genuinely be del Toro’s best movie, and not because it’s the flashiest or the most prestigious, but because it distills everything he does well: gothic romance, tragic horror, compassion for the grotesque, and a deep devotion to Mary Shelley’s original text.

Many viewers who were initially skeptical of Jacob Elordi’s casting have largely come around. I know I have. Now that Frankenstein has had a few weeks to seep into the cultural bloodstream, stories like the Australian star’s only make the film feel richer. A throwaway insult turning into a career-defining role isn’t just poetic, but is an unmistakably 2020s twist on a 19th-century classic.

Viewers can check out Frankenstein, now streaming with a Netflix subscription.

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein is currently available to stream with a Netflix subscription, and after watching it, I'd say it's easily his best work yet. I say this as someone who believes Pacific Rim should be a. major IP, loved Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy, and was admittedly creeped out by The Shape Of Water.

Be that as it may, I'm here with the scorching hot take that decades from now, the filmmaking community will get together and decide that Frankenstein will be Guillermo del Toro's best film. It may sound like a wild take given it's a movie primarily made for streaming and he's had award-winning feature films, but hear me out on this one.

Guillermo Del Toro Has The Perfect Style That Compliments Classic Monster Stories

I've always felt that Guillermo del Toro is a master of horror, but perhaps one who was born in the wrong era for the genre. The best horror movies of the day lean into gore and disturbing visuals that make you want to look away. It's not the del Toro style, which tends to take the ugly and find a way to romanticize it and make it beautiful.

Case in point, The Shape of Water is one of GDT's best-reviewed movies. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and yet it still draws a healthy amount of debate when viewers discuss if it's a movie that's centered around bestiality. I'm not here to get into that argument, but if you're not familiar, just do a quick search and read into the discourse.

To speak to the different strengths Guillermo del Toro has as a director, a lot of Frankenstein reminded me of what I loved about Crimson Peak. I remember being disappointed when I saw it because the movie wasn't remotely as scary as the trailer made it seem. However, I also couldn't get over just how hauntingly beautiful the visuals are. It's eerie and sometimes grotesque, but he finds a way to make the viewer see the beauty in objectively upsetting things.

His Vision Of Frankenstein Results In A Creature That Feels More Real Than The Original

Maybe it's unfair of me to compare the modern Frankenstein to the 1931 classic starring Boris Karloff since filmmaking has evolved so much since then, but there hasn't been a version of the character more prevalent in pop culture. For decades, we as a society have accepted the flat top head with neck bolts and green skin as what Victor Frankenstein created, and I know I never once thought about how bizarre that is.

What I love most about the new Frankenstein is that Jacob Elordi's character feels like a better representation of what a re-animated corpse would look like. This is especially coming from a surgeon believed to be as skilled as Victor Frankenstein, who would want more than just any corpse when it came to "defeating death," as he put it. Of course, his creation would be a mixture of the best parts of multiple bodies, rather than just one of a single cadaver.

I will say that I've heard the jokes likening the Engineer from Prometheus to Jacob Elordi's take on the character, and I love it. I always felt the Engineer was a creature that was crafted in the ideal human physique, so it totally tracks that if a human were to try and manufacture another human, they would only use the best parts imaginable, and it would come out looking more or less the same. Hell, maybe the Prometheus comparisons will encourage those who like Frankenstein to go back to that movie and appreciate what an underrated classic that was!

It Took Nearly A Century, But Mary Shelley's Book Finally Has The Film Adaptation it Deserves

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was published in 1818, and the beloved Universal adaptation came out over a century later. It's a classic, but more so because of what it did for Hollywood and sparked a major movement for monster movies, not so much because it's a great adaptation of the novel it was based on. Again, it was made at a time when feature filmmaking was arguably still in its infancy, so it's completely understandable that it feels a little choppy by modern standards.

That aside, Hollywood has had close to another century to make another Frankenstein that tops the attempt by Universal, and it took until now to make it happen. Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein may be the first adaptation in decades that was long overdue and almost completely necessary.

Frankenstein is an iconic book, and in an ideal world, everyone would read Mary Shelley's classic. That said, not everyone is going to get around to it, so if putting an adaptation of it on one of the largest streaming platforms on the planet is enough to get it in front of audiences, than that'll be enough to protect the character's legacy and keep it relevant for many other decades to come.

I'll also add that in a world where new technology is growing rapidly and there are growing questions about the human consciousness and what it really means to be alive, a story like Frankenstein can show the price paid for conquering death. Eternal life rewards the recipient with the ability to never fear death, but based on what we see in this latest film from Guillermo del Toro, it can also lead the person who receives it to wish for it after decades in isolation. This movie needed to be remade for multiple reasons, which is precisely why I'll defend to the death that it is GDT's most important and best movie he's made in his career.

Frankenstein is available to stream on Netflix, along with many other upcoming movies on the platform. I'm always thrilled to find new, underrated movies on the platform, especially with the holiday season on the way. There's no better way to avoid talking about uncomfortable subjects than by bringing up movies and television!

Big spoilers from Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein ahead!

I had a few takeaways after watching Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, which is now streaming with a Netflix subscription. Not only was the new 2025 movie visually stunning and beautifully scored, but it also left me thinking about the ambitions of man, and one specific quote from Jurassic Park (the movie, but also kind of the book). No, not "life finds a way," though that one might be applicable in its own way. I'm talking about when Jeff Goldblum's character, Dr. Ian Malcolm ,expressed his alarm and disapproval at the enormous feat that had been achieved – bringing dinosaurs back – by saying:

The line in Steven Spielberg's beloved 1993 movie was summed up more succinctly (presumably by screenwriters David Koepp and Michael Crichton), than it is in Crichton's novel. But Dr. Malcolm does make that point in the book too, going on to discuss the shortsightedness of some scientists and engineers, which he refers to as "thintelligence," or thinking too narrowly about the mission. Essentially, some people are too driven by their goal to consider the ramifications of what they might be creating.

Watching Victor Frankenstein's reaction to his monster being alive, and then seeing him fall out of love with the person he'd created soon after, had my mind returning to Ian Malcolm's words. He wanted to make life, to see if he could, but what exactly was his plan when he achieved his goal? He never seemed to think that far ahead, and when his creation wasn’t what he expected him to be, he rejected him.

Science is important. I just want to make it clear that I believe that, and am not here to make a case against innovation. While I won't pretend it was ever a subject I excelled at, I appreciate the importance of understanding the natural world and am grateful for the people with the knowledge and drive to continue to unlock its secrets. But I do find the moral dilemmas that can arise interesting and relevant, particularly as it relates to what the fruits of innovation become, depending on the people involved.

I've always found myself drawn toward understanding human nature, which might be why I was so appreciative of Guillermo del Toro's approach to adapting Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as both the book-to-screen adaptation and the original story have things to ponder on the subject. In the case of the movie, I'm as fascinated by Victor Frankenstein's motivations, expectations and reactions, as I am by Elizabeth's response to the Creature, and how drawn she was to his pain, intelligence and purity. Though it's all presented in a fantastical way, it was impossible for me not to think about Jurassic Park, or to use a more recent (and non-fiction) example, Oppenheimer, in how scientific achievements can come with huge responsibility, particularly once you start factoring in the influence of other people.

If you're familiar with Mary Shelley's book, then you likely know that del Toro took several liberties with the story. I was apprehensive about that at first, but in the end, I loved his approach, particularly in the way it explored Victor Frankenstein's determination to achieve his goal, and the harsh lessons he had to learn from his actions once he did. Rather than embracing his creation for who he was, he rejected and tried to destroy him, and it came at a huge cost (Victor’s life, not to mention several other people’s). Maybe if he’d realized the major influence he still had over his creation after he created it, things would’ve gone differently.

I'll close this out by bringing up Sarah El-Mahmoud's article about the ending of the movie. I like the way she breaks down her interpretation of the relationship between Frankenstein and his creation, and the more hopeful message the movie has from how the book ended. CinemaBlend contributor Jerrica Tisdale discusses the topic of generational trauma in her reaction to the movie, which is also worth a read. I definitely need to think more about those aspects of the story.

There’s obviously a lot to unpack from the film. But I very much appreciated the way the story wrapped up, with the captain making a major decision. Would reaching the North Pole be a true victory if it came at the cost of his and his crew's lives? He seemed to have learned a lesson from Frankenstein and his creation's tales, as–once the Creature freed them from the ice–he decided to turn the ship around and try to get everyone home safely.

We all react to fear differently. At least, that’s how I’m choosing to explain Oscar Isaac’s first reaction to seeing his Frankenstein co-star Jacob Elordi in full creature makeup. While I thought the Creature’s design in the 2025 movie release was hauntingly beautiful and strikingly macabre, Isaac’s response was… less poetic. The Moon Knight actor couldn’t help himself and completely burst out laughing, and there's a video of him playfully roasting Elordi.

Isaac recently joined Elordi and director Guillermo del Toro to reflect on that first on-set moment. During the trio's interview with Discussing Film (which was posted to its TikTok account), it was revealed that the laughter came fast the first time Isaac laid eyes on the fully transformed Creature. As you can see in the video below, the Doctor Frankenstein performer couldn’t help but jab his castmate:

Guillermo del Toro is quite the joker himself, and even he had to get in on the story. Del Toro, pretending to scribble, interrupted with a smirk:

Isaac always the constant professional, leaned right into the bit. Mimicking del Toro’s voice, he said:

Then the laughter gave way to something much deeper as the Dune alur shared what he’d captured in his journal. He continued:

It’s a contrast that defines the film: terrifying visuals paired with an emotional core that sneaks up on you. Guillermo del Toro’s beautiful Frankenstein adaptation doesn’t just reanimate a literary classic, but digs deep into grief, rage, love, and abandonment, using monster makeup that somehow makes you feel more, not less.

There has been plenty of debate about how much del Toro’s new book-to-screen adaptation strays from Mary Shelley’s original novel. And, yes, there are major changes. However, what stands out most to me is how much it gets right, and those are elements that, until now, no adaptation has fully captured on screen.

As a lifelong Frankenstein fan, not just of the novel (which happens to be my favorite book of all time), but of nearly every film version. I’ve seen it all. From James Whale’s 1930s classic to the Hammer horrors of the ’70s, and yes, even the De Niro-led version from the ’90s, (which has its moments). But what Guillermo del Toro nails here is giving Jacob Elordi the space to be terrifying when needed, while still revealing the Creature as something beautifully broken, achingly lonely in the quiet between the violence. And, most importantly, hauntingly human.

So, sure, Oscar Isaac might’ve laughed the first time he saw the Creature in full makeup, and the clip above is indeed funny. But, for a number of viewers like myself, I think Jacob Elordi’s portrayal is going to stay with them for a long, long time.

You can make up your own mind on whether the monster is laughable or terrifying by cueing up Frankenstein with your Netflix subscription and giving it a watch.

Spoiler Warning: This article contains major plot details from Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. If you haven’t seen the film yet, proceed with caution.

Guillermo del Toro has never been one to compromise on the heart of his stories, especially when it comes to his enduring movie monsters. In his long-awaited adaptation of Frankenstein, the acclaimed director puts his signature spin on Mary Shelley’s classic tale. Leaning into themes of pain, abandonment, and ultimately forgiveness, the director builds to an emotional climax centered on a pivotal act of humanity by the Creature, portrayed by Jacob Elordi. It's a story beat choice del Toro had to fight to keep in, and I'm glad he did.

The Pan's Labyrinth director revealed that one of the film’s most moving moments, a quiet beat of compassion in the final act, almost didn’t make the cut. This had to do with the film's ending, which Del Toro discussed with Entertainment Weekly:

In the scene, the Creature chooses not vengeance, but compassion by helping the Danish crew that attacked him earlier in the film free their ship from ice. So, after being brutalized and rejected by the world, the Creature still decides to save those who tried to destroy him. But it’s what happens next that del Toro fought hard to include. He revealed:

That pause, the Creature briefly watching the ship sail away, is the emotional core of del Toro’s interpretation. Unlike Shelley’s more despairing conclusion, the Hellboy filmmaker gives his version a faint but crucial flicker of hope. And, as the film closes, audiences watch the sun rises on the Creature, and a tear falls. It’s a choice that elevates the character beyond victimhood, beyond vengeance, into something profoundly human.

That emotional authenticity was central to Elordi’s performance, which evolved organically on set, both in physicality and voice. By working closely with del Toro and voice coach Gerry Grennell, Elordi developed a voice that changed with the Creature’s emotional state. As he explained to the outlet:

For the Mexican-born filmmaker, whose monsters have always been metaphors for the wounded and misunderstood, Frankenstein is personal. He described directing this film as emotionally overwhelming—“the first time I’ve method-directed”—and he deeply identified with both the Creature and Victor. That investment shows in every frame, especially in the scene he fought to preserve. In the end, del Toro didn’t just reimagine Frankenstein—he reclaimed it with empathy, conviction and just enough light to cut through the darkness.

Guillermo del Toro’s beautiful passion project, Frankenstein, is now streaming with a Netflix subscription.

I am a huge fan of Guillermo del Toro. Therefore, naturally, I was ecstatic to watch Frankenstein. He does gothic films very well. One of his best, and one of my favorites, is Crimson Peak. It’s a romantic gothic that I expected to have similar attributes to Frankenstein.

I got to see del Toro’s latest film at the 61st Chicago International Film Festival and enjoyed it. However, I noticed it's not a completely faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic. I read the novel in college, so my plot details are a bit hazy, but I remember enough to notice changes.

However, I think fans of the novel will be pleased. It’s a highly anticipated book adaptation for a reason and delivers. It gets the soul of the novel right. That’s what matters the most.

Warning: Frankenstein spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

I Love How Frankenstein Really Drives Home That Victor Is The Monster

From memory, I remember Victor kind of being remorseful and guilt-ridden by the creature he created. It tormented and haunted him. However, in Guillermo del Toro’s version, Victor Frankenstein is the full antagonist. It's more complicated than a simple one-dimensional villain, but Victor is definitely portrayed that way more in the Netflix Frankenstein than in some other versions. He’s not even a villain with justifiable motives. It’s all daddy issues, god complex, and ego fueling his ambition and actions.

You grow to despise Victor. He becomes deplorable and someone who’s more fun to root against. By the end of Frankenstein, I was fully on the Creature's side. If he wants to terrorize Victor for eternity, let him. It is earned and deserved. I never felt that way reading the novel. Victor felt like a man who had lost control of his creation and suffered from it. Movie Victor felt like a man who earned his suffering.

It Also Showed How The World Makes The Creature A Villain, But Also A Man

Victor and the creature become monstrous throughout Frankenstein. Victor’s villainy develops due to his ambition and desire to cheat death. His upbringing also plays a major role in his development and turning into a monster. The creature becomes one out of necessity. He must survive, and that includes destruction. He’s also burdened by his inability to die.

Though the Creature may look hideous and monstrous, he’s the gentler of the two. In fact, the Creature is kind-hearted for most of the movie. It’s only when provoked that he transforms into this combative, violent figure. The world continues to harm him, so he harms it back. It showcases how people can be beaten down by life so much that they turn into the worst versions of themselves. Some even go full monster and start hurting others just to survive.

Frankenstein also shows the Creature learning and becoming more human. This demonstrates how development plays a key role in shaping someone’s identity, but whether they choose light or darkness depends on how they process and interpret things.

I Think Elizabeth And The Creature's Connection Also Helps Drive Home How Men Bring Destruction

Elizabeth (Mia Goth) makes one of the most powerful statements of the movie. She addresses how choice is so important, but women didn’t have much of it during that time. Additionally, Elizabeth also often connects with caged creatures, including Frankenstein’s Creature. They connect because there is an instant kinship. She recognizes a soul lost in a world not made for or kind to him. This is also likely because Elizabeth exists in a time and place not kind and favorable to her.

There is a hint of romance between Elizabeth and the Creature. Though that may be somewhat true, I felt it was more like soulmates meeting and finally finding each other. It doesn’t have to necessarily signify romance, but a deep and powerful understanding like no other. This is why Elizabeth and the Creature thrive when together but feel even more lost when apart. There is a love story between them, but it doesn't necessarily have to be romantic. They are two creatures burdened and bruised by this world made for and destroyed by men, and they are not men.

I Thought The Parallels Between Victor And His Father, And Victor And The Creature Show Generational Trauma In A Very Interesting Way

Guillermo del Toro doesn’t see Frankenstein as a horror movie as much as a family drama. I think it’s both, because family drama can be as terrifying and as damaging as any monster tale. Victor’s father, Leopold (Charles Dance), starts the traumatic cycle of abuse. Then Victor carries it to his Creature. The cycle of abuse likely ends with the Creature, but it displays how parents can scar and corrupt their children. This level of trauma lives on for generations.

Frankenstein is such a must-watch upcoming horror film because it tackles some of the real-life horrors of life. Parents sometimes are the true monsters and villains in their children’s lives. They scar them in ways that sometimes take generations to repair. After all, aren’t all children just creations of their parents? Frankenstein, at its core, is the tale of parents and children and all the ways they can harm them, especially if they don’t fix the scars left by their own parents.

Despite Everything, I Liked That The Frankenstein Ending Offers Slight Hope

Frankenstein ends in a way that’s not bleak. It shows that humans can forgive one another. They can change, learn, and apologize. It doesn’t have to be mutual destruction. It can be compassion, kindness, accountability, and love. Man and his creatures don’t have to destroy everything that enters their lives. Victor apologizes to his Creature and even calls him his son.

For most of the movie, he doesn’t even acknowledge him as more than a thing. It shows growth. He also encourages the Creature to use his time well. He tells him to live. I think Frankenstein shows that the Creature will find peace, but also that there can be peace amongst men. They just have to accept the need for change. It’s a positive ending to a complex story on the monsters we create and become.

Stream Frankenstein on Netflix

SPOILERS are ahead for the ending of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, now streaming with a Netflix subscription.

Making any one of the upcoming book-to-screen adaptations has to be a nail-biting process, because when you convert a piece of literature into a different medium, there’s always something lost along the way. But, once in a while, a creative team knocks it out of the park, and it feels like you actually got something new from a book. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is one of those rare movies to do so. Not only because it nails the spirit of Mary Shelley’s classic work, but in the way it builds on it, too.

Frankenstein is one of those books that will be adapted over and over for every generation. So while you can certainly try to nail it word-for-word, I’m overjoyed that Guillermo del Toro, a true master of horror and fantasy, found a poignant way to share his own reading of the iconic monster story by making some changes to the ending of the story. Let’s break it down.

What Happens At The End Of The Frankenstein Book

I’ll never forget the first time I read Frankenstein in high school. At the time, I had no idea one of the most famous monsters in pop culture started as a novel that was written by a 19-year-old woman in 1818. I was floored by the novel, and it has remained one of my favorite books of all time since.

In the book, Frankenstein ends with the death of Victor Frankenstein after his wife, Elizabeth, who was his childhood friend-turned-lover, is killed at the hands of the monster he created. A few days later, his father, whom he’s only just reunited with, dies as well, seemingly as a reaction to the horror of his son's tragedies. Victor is vengeful and decides not to rest until he’s killed his murderous creation. This leads Victor to the snowy North, where he meets a man named Walton, who captains a North Pole-bound ship. Victor tells him the story of how he created a monster out of the various limbs of cadavers stunned by electricity.

Victor dies not long after telling Walton his story. Several days later, Walton finds the monster on the ship crying over the dead body of Victor, before he laments about the regrets in his life. The book ends with the monster leaving Walton’s ship hopeless and fully intending to commit suicide because he has nothing left, and is truly alone in the world. The ending really drives home Shelley’s message that companionship is absolutely key to our survival, and how, when both Victor and the monster were cast out (in their ways) from society, they each met melancholic ends.

What Happens At The End Of Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein

Writer/director Guillermo del Toro's version frames the whole story around Victor in his final days, telling his story to Walton on his ship up North, like the book. However, before we get to Victor’s death, there are a few major changes to note. For one, in the movie, Elizabeth is the fiancée of his younger brother, William, and pretty much hates Victor’s guts from the beginning. The movie gives Elizabeth more to do because she actually bonds with the monster and wants to love and protect him. In Del Toro’s reading, I think she sees herself in the monster and wishes for them both to be free, rather than the possessions that they are treated like by Victor.

Jacob Elordi’s monster, who was originally going to be played by Andrew Garfield, is a much gentler creature than the monster in the book, with a much smaller kill count. In the movie, it’s Victor who actually kills Elizabeth by accident on her wedding night while trying to shoot his creation, and his brother dies soon after in the commotion. Following this incident, Victor is vengeful of the monster, but because he has nothing left to live for, he feels he must kill him. (But this version of the creature seems invincible). His creation is equally as angry at him and stalks him to the North.

When Victor and the monster reunite on the ship, Victor is not yet dead, and when they are together, he asks his creation for forgiveness. As Victor says in the movie:

The movie concludes with the creature forgiving Victor as he takes his last breath. He kisses him on the head, and leaves the ship, not without helping the crew get unstuck from an iceberg they’ve run into, and reveling in watching a sunrise as the score gorgeously wells (and I know I started tearing up).

Why I Think I Like The Movie's Ending Better

Obviously, between the two, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is a lot more hopeful and perhaps not as realistic. But I absolutely love the sentiment behind it, because it frames Victor and his creation as father and son, and the message there is beautiful. By the end of the movie, we see Victor as this flawed father, who was traumatized by his own father’s inability to save his beloved mother (as shown at the beginning of the movie), and then took his trauma into his own “fatherhood” of sorts and created the creature. But, rather than holding the anger he had toward Victor for putting him into the world and treating him poorly, he’s able to set himself free by forgiving him in the end, and taking his advice to “live.”

Obviously, Mary Shelley’s original story is absolutely perfect –no notes, and I would never want to change the original vision she had for the story. But, when it comes to this adaptation by del Toro, I’m so happy he ended the movie at this place of optimism and the creature earning this sense of gratitude for what it means to be human from Victor. It made me think differently about Frankenstein’s themes about humanity in terms of family dynamics I’d never gathered before. This is one of those 2025 movie releases I won’t forget anytime soon.

This week, Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited adaptation of Mary Shelly’s classic Frankenstein will be added to your Netflix subscription, but if you can’t wait to see it or want to simply experience it on a big screen, you can see the film in select theaters right now.

I decided to do just that, and I have to recommend it to any movie fan who's a fan of the visual storytelling of del Toro. The film is visually stunning on a massive screen, and del Toro’s take on the source material, while largely faithful, also includes some intriguing changes. One of the director’s major additions to the story actually reminded me not of Frankenstein but of another classic story del Toro once wanted to make.

Before Frankenstein, Guillermo Del Toro Wanted To Remake Another Classic Story

While Guillermo del Toro has created some truly memorable original films, like his Oscar-winning The Shape of Water and his visually stunning Pan’s Labyrinth, he’s also a fan of classic stories. Before he remade Frankenstein, he gave his take on the classic Pinocchio, but before either of those, there was another classic story the director was interested in taking on: Beauty and the Beast.

Before Disney made its live-action version of Beauty and the Beast, Guillermo del Toro had his sights set on the French story of a woman who allows herself to be held prisoner in a castle by a monstrous-looking man. Ironically, Emma Watson was attached to star in the film before she took the equivalent role from Disney. Channing Tatum recently revealed he turned down the part of the Beast in the movie.

The movie would ultimately join At the Mountains of Madness as an unmade Guillermo del Toro movie. It’s unclear exactly why the project didn’t move forward, but one gets the distinct impression that del Toro really wanted to make that movie, because a piece of it feels like it was used in Frankenstein.

There Are Strong Beauty And The Beast Vibes In Frankenstein

In many ways, the new Frankenstein is one of the adaptations of Mary Shelly’s work that is most true to the novel. However, del Toro’s version does make some changes. One character who is quite different is the primary female character, Elizabeth, played by Mia Goth.

The single image above shows Elizabeth and The Creature looking into each other's eyes in a nearly romantic way. This is a scene that did not appear in Shelly’s work and is fully the creation of del Toro. Without diving into spoilers, the relationship between Elizabeth and the Creature, while not a major focus of the film, is important, and it gives on very powerful Beauty & the Beast vibes.

While I have issues with slime of the ways that del Toro diverged from the source material, I did find the visual elements of Elizabeth and the Creature compelling, and as such it made me wish that del Toro had made Beauty and the Beast, as his taste for gothic romance would have almost certainly made it a treat for the eyes at the very least.

The first full week of November brings a wide variety of movies and series to streaming. If you’re still in the mood for something spooky post-Halloween, Netflix has you covered. Disney+, however, is looking forward to a documentary look at what is sure to be one of the biggest movies of the year. And that’s just the beginning. Here’s a look at new movies streaming this week and new series worth checking out this week on streaming.

Frankenstein - November 7 (Netflix)

Following a brief theatrical run, one of the most anticipated movies of the year becomes available with your Netflix subscription. Sci-fi and fantasy maestro Guillermo del Toro puts his own touch on what’s called the original science fiction story, Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Oscar Issac plays the doctor and Jacob Elordi the monster in this tale of a man who attempts to control life and pays the price.

Fire And Water: Making The Avatar Films - November 7 (Disney+)

After waiting a decade for the second film in the Avatar franchise, the third movie will be here practically overnight by comparison. There are certainly a lot of people excited for Avatar: Fire and Ash, and those fans who can’t wait for the film’s December release will get a sneak peek via a behind-the-scenes documentary available this week with your Disney+ subscription.

Materialists HBO - November 7 (HBO Max)

The sexiest love triangle in a long time hit screens earlier this year with Celine Song’s Materialists. Dakota Johnson is torn between the rich and suave Pedro Pascal and the poor and suave Chris Evans. Everybody involved got solid reviews, but since the movie wasn’t a runaway hit at the box office, you likely haven’t seen it. So get your HBO Max subscription ready to check it out.

Pluribus - November 7 (Apple TV+)

Sometimes it may feel like you’re the only unhappy person in the world. In the new series Pluribus, available with your Apple TV+ subscription, from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, Rhea Seehorn plays Carol, an author who is literally the only unhappy person in the world, which makes it clear there is something wrong with the rest of the world. Carol has to figure out what it is.

Maxton Hall — The World Between Us Season 2 -November 7 (Prime Video)

Making a hit TV show is hard enough, but making one that resonates with fans around the world is more difficult still. Maxton Hall: The World Between Us was a massive hit even among fans who don’t speak German. The series returns with its second season if you’ve got a Prime Video subscription, and fans need not worry as Season 3 is already on the way.

2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - November 8 (Disney+)

Disney+ is a great place to go for music fans with numerous documentaries and live concert performances to watch, from both classic and contemporary artists. For the second year in a row, Disney+ will also be the home for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. This year's inductees include such diverse talents as Chubby Checker, Cyndi Lauper, and Soundgarden, and will almost certainly make for a fantastic show.

November has great material still on the way. Most notably, the final season of Stranger Things finally arrives later this month, but there’s so much more coming in November.

If you’re a fan of Guillermo del Toro like I am, you know how magnificent it was when news was announced that the Oscar-winning filmmaker was making his own adaptation of Frankenstein – which he has been talking about making for nearly twenty years. The director has always had a really tender approach to portraying monsters in movies, from Pan’s Labyrinth to The Shape of Water. Despite my massive excitement for the movie, there was one change made during production that had me less interested. Now that I’ve seen the movie – coming to those with a Netflix subscription on November 7, I need to talk about it.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein officially became part of upcoming horror movies when it was picked up by Netflix in 2023. But, right before production started in early 2024, it was announced that Andrew Garfield had dropped out of the movie due to “scheduling conflicts,” and Jacob Elordi would be taking over. I want to talk about that change, and my thoughts on it after experiencing the film itself.

No Shade To Jacob Elordi, I Just Really Wanted To See Andrew Garfield In Frankenstein When He Was Cast

Now, it’s not like I think Jacob Elordi isn’t talented. I found him to be especially haunting in Euphoria, and was impressed by his performance as Elvis Presley in Priscilla. But, Andrew Garfield is one of my favorite actors of all time. I remember seeing him in The Amazing Spider-Man, and feeling like he brought so much depth to Peter Parker, and following many of his performances since – with one of my other highlights from his career being in 2021’s Tick, Tick… Boom!

But, the actor has never really done a horror-leaning genre film. The idea of him playing The Creature in Frankenstein (which is one of my top books ever) and being directed by the master of horror and fantasy, and one of the filmmakers I most respect working today just made me feel like I was living in a simulation in the best way, and I know I wasn’t the only one. It felt like it could be a really special role for the actor, and when he was replaced, I was disappointed.

Now That I've Seen Frankenstein, I Wouldn't Want Anyone Else In The Role

I decided to see Frankenstein in theaters earlier this week, despite the difficulty I found just to find a showing, and I can honestly say, it’s going to be one of my top movies of the year. The movie itself took me back to reading the novel for the first time in high school, and falling in love with Mary Shelley’s gothic classic that has a lot to say about the nature of humanity through its often horrific plotline.

One of the pivotal reasons why I loved Frankenstein is because of Elordi specifically. The actor’s specific stature of 6 '5, and his innocent yet chiseled features is exactly the kind of creature that I never knew I wanted to see, but instantly clicked for me as the perfect casting choice for del Toro’s movie. Elordi, who has been called “hot Frankenstein,” brings some really beautiful emotion and gentleness to the role of the creature, while also having moments where I completely feared him and what he might do. By the end of the movie, I was nearly in tears having gone through the journey, and so much has to do with Elordi’s performance.

If you were disappointed like me about the recasting, I implore you to move that aside, and check out Frankenstein – coming to Netflix on November 7. Now, I actually think Elordi was the better choice than Garfield, even though I will always wonder how the actor would have played the role.

When it comes to upcoming horror movies on the way, I’ve been ecstatic for Guillermo Del Toro’s take on Frankenstein all year. So much so that the idea of buying a ticket to see it on the big screen is a lot more interesting to me than watching it with my Netflix subscription. But, when it came time to purchase my movie tickets to see the new film, I was sorely disappointed with how difficult it was to nab seats to a showing. Let’s talk about it.

Whoa, Finding Tickets To See Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein Is Rough

Now, I’m speaking as someone who lives in the movie capital of the world, Los Angeles, California, which often makes it easier to get tickets to movies not playing as widely in other markets, and I had a rough time. Right now, the movie is only playing at four theaters within ten miles of me, all of which are independent / arthouse cinemas. While I initially tried to get tickets for the first few days it was released (this past weekend), of course, many of the showings were already packed. I settled on getting tickets for this Monday evening.

I took a quick peek at a variety of locations across the United States, and it was confirmed to me how limited the engagement this movie is having in Cineplexes for the next few weeks before arriving on streaming on November 7. Whether you live in a city or a suburb, you’re probably going to have to get out of your way to a degree to see the latest book adaptation based on Mary Shelley’s masterpiece.

This is wild to me, not only because Del Toro is one of the most celebrated filmmakers of our time, but because it stars so many big-name actors and a beloved title that would be very marketable to wider audiences.

Why It’s So Hard To Get Tickets To See It Before It Hits Netflix

Now, this is not completely surprising. Netflix and movie theater exhibitors have had a pretty tumultuous history in recent years, since the streaming service won’t give them the 30 to 90-day exclusivity that theaters insist on. Most Netflix movies are lucky to get very small theatrical windows, and usually only do so if the studio is doing an awards season push.

Netflix’s own CEO, Ted Sarandos, called theatrical movie releases an “outdated concept” earlier this year, and the studio’s co-CEO, Reed Hastings, famously said the company left “lots” of money on the table when they put Knives Out sequel Glass Onion in cineplexes for just a week to great success. Recently, Netflix also put KPop Demon Hunters in a lot more theaters than Frankenstein is getting for a single weekend after its viral success, and it opened at No. 1.

It all seems to come down to the fact that Netflix wants its movies to drive up subscriber numbers and is not that interested in the theatrical experience. But, when it comes to a release like Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, I simply wish that it were available to more audiences to catch it on the big screen.

Few 2025 movie releases have me as pumped as Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. The upcoming Netflix film has drawn mixed reactions from critics, but that hasn’t dampened my anticipation. One reason I’m especially excited is Jacob Elordi’s take on the Creature. Ironically, the Saltburn actor may owe one of his most transformative roles to a ruthless internet comment. According to the Australian native, a brutal early review inspired him to play one of cinema’s most tragic monsters.

In a Los Angeles Times interview, Elordi reflected on his early years in Hollywood and the impact of that single cutting comment. When he was just starting out, the actor can admit he spent too much time reading what people online had to say about him, until one remark unexpectedly stuck. The 28-year-old actor said:

It’s the kind of insult that might crush most young actors, but for the Euphoria veteran, it planted a seed that would later bloom into his most physically and emotionally demanding performance yet. In Frankenstein, directed by Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro, Elordi steps into the role of the Creature opposite Oscar Isaac’s Victor Frankenstein, and in a role that was initially offered to Andrew Garfield. Beneath layers of intricate prosthetics and makeup, he portrays a being newly aware of existence, and unaware that being assembled from corpses doesn't inspire comfort.

One person who clearly has faith in the young star to pull off del Toro’s “emotional” retelling is the movie's director, who told The Times that Elordi’s portrayal carries an “innocence” that sets this version apart, describing his Creature as “heartbreakingly uncanny but hypnotically human.” Makeup designer Mike Hill echoed that sentiment, praising the performer’s ability to channel both animalistic rage and fragile vulnerability, often in the same scene.

For The Kissing Booth actor, the connection to the role wasn’t just on a professional level, but also deeply personal. The pull to play the Creature felt almost fated. As he put it:

When production began, the actor spent as long as ten hours in the makeup chair, enduring the physical transformation with what he described as a “religious excitement.” His performance comes at a pivotal time in his career, following breakout turns in Euphoria, Priscilla, and the previously mentioned Saltburn. But Frankenstein, with its themes of isolation, identity, and creation, seems to have hit closer to home. “At that time in my life, I really wanted to hide,” Elordi said, adding:

It’s a poetic full circle for the young actor who was once dismissed as lifeless, now embodying one of cinema’s most soulful monsters. That cruel comment from years ago may have been meant as an insult, but for Elordi, it became the spark that brought Frankenstein’s Creature and a new chapter of his career to life.

Jacob Elordi stars alongside Mia Goth and Oscar Isaac in Frankenstein, which began its limited theatrical run on October 17 before arriving on streaming via Netflix subscription on November 7.

Now that fall is fully here, headlines about the latest Ghostface installment and other ominous foes have audiences ready to watch some slashers. Among this season’s class of upcoming horror movies stands the highly anticipated and long awaited Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. His take on the book to screen adaptation of the Mary Shelley classic has been labeled–for some–as the must see thriller. But according to one of the movie’s stars, it may subvert expectations.

After the release of the epic Frankenstein trailer, the hype for the Academy Award winner’s interpretation has only heightened. Mia Goth, who plays Elizabeth Lavenza, shared a bit more about Toro’s vision during the LA red carpet premiere with Deadline. The rising scream queen revealed she nor Toro sees his Frankenstein as a scary movie. Unlike many other modern-day versions, she equated it to a complicated familial piece with layers and has been a lifelong project for him:

I may be an oddball here, but I’m incredibly more motivated to seek this coming monster remake since it has a unique and reflective take on the original literature. With the 1818 story more focused on the social commentary of an outcast than the killings, I can only imagine where his goes. So overall, I guess hearing that Guillermo Del Toro’s adaptation of the creature strays from the status quo shouldn’t be that surprising.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a little thrown off, too, especially to hear it advertised as a father/son story. But many present entries to the iconic ghastly gang’s catalogue do generally boast the more dynamic liberties whether its gore or relationship dynamics. Clearly, it’ll be an interesting watch in how he sets this classic stage. Truthfully I’ll be seeing this either way just because I’ve always adored Frankenstein and co.

Regardless of where all of us stand in our assumptions, we’ll have to wait and see just how we feel about this non-horror "family drama." Frankenstein is headed to select theaters October 17 and will have a subsequent release on the 2025 Netflix movie and TV schedule November 7. So, make sure to have a Netflix subscription ready later this fall for the Guillermo del Toro interpretation if you can’t catch it on the big screen.

When it comes to cinematic transformations, few things test an actor’s patience like hours in the makeup chair. But for Jacob Elordi, becoming Frankenstein’s monster for his latest role wasn’t just a physical transformation, but also a cathartic one. And if you’ve seen the epic full Frankenstein trailer for the forthcoming 2025 movie release, you know the change is nothing short of astonishing, or as Guillermo del Toro put it, a beautiful creature transformation.

During a red carpet interview, captured in a Deadline TikTok video, Elordi opened up about the experience of spending a full 10 hours in makeup to embody the iconic character. Far from being grueling, the process had a strangely freeing effect on the actor. He shared:

That wasn’t an exaggeration. According to Frankenstein director Guillermo del Toro, the Euphoria star underwent an extensive transformation each day of filming, involving more than 42 individual prosthetic pieces. Speaking with E! News at the film’s October 6 premiere, del Toro said, “He did it all with grace and patience and love.”

The Oscar-winning filmmaker added that he encouraged the young actor to see the process as sacred, like a ritual, which the actor took very seriously. The Pan's Labyrinth visionary added:

But Elordi’s commitment didn’t stop at makeup. Per E!’s reporting, the 28-year-old performer also took Japanese butoh dance classes to physically ground the Creature’s movements and studied the Book of Job to emotionally anchor the performance. The result, del Toro says, is a portrayal that’s “emotionally so close to innocence it breaks your heart.” This comment from the filmmaker tracks with what he’s said before about the upcoming horror movie and how it would be a genre blend of "tragedy, romance, and a philosophical reflection" of what it means to be human.

Elordi, who stars alongside a stellar cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and Charles Dance, wasn’t always sure how to approach such an iconic role. He initially hesitated to watch previous iterations of Frankenstein’s monster, and there’s no shortage of actors to look to, from Boris Karloff to Robert De Niro, until del Toro convinced him otherwise with a perfectly blunt response:

With that, Jacob Elordi went home and binge-watched every version of the monster he could find, but ultimately made the character entirely his own.

Countless actors have portrayed Frankenstein’s monster over the years, but the Wuthering Heights star’s own words and unwavering dedication signal to me a fresh and likely more emotionally complex take on the iconic creature. And personally, I can’t wait to see it.

Frankenstein will debut in select theaters on October 17 before becoming available to stream for everyone with a Netflix subscription on November 7.

Guillermo del Toro's best movies have a supernatural element to them, often featuring bright colors and fascinating creatures. That includes The Shape of Water, which won the Oscar for Best Picture back in 2018. Next is the upcoming book to screen adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The full trailer is here, including Jacob Elordi's transformation into The Creature. Well, sort of.

The public was previously treated to Frankenstein's teaser, but the clip shown above is the first full-length trailer. Guillermo del Toro called Elordi's creature beautiful, but one can't see why. Although we see him being stitched together and showing great feats of strength, his full appearance is being kept under wraps. Let's break down exactly what this footage is teasing for the upcoming horror movie, which will be heading to home in November for those with a Netflix subscription.

This trailer opens on narration from Elordi's Creature. While we still haven't seen a full look at his appearance, at least we can understand some of his POV. As we hear his voice, we're shown the ways in which Oscar Isaac's Victor Frankenstein put him together. There's a room full of cadavers, and we watch as he selects an eye ball and adds its to the being he's creating. He also watches in horror as it seemingly comes to life.

We're also introduced to Mia Goth's Elizabeth Lavenza, another famous character from Mary Shelley's beloved novel. The actress is a scream queen in her own right, and it should be interesting to see what she brings to this character. We can already see the soft spot she seemingly has for The Creature, as well as her stunning costumes.

There are some truly captivating shots in this trailer, including one where a fiery (alive) skeleton is shown. It looks like Victor might burn down his home in an attempt to kill The Creature. But I doubt that's going to work.

Speaking of Jacob Elordi's nameless character, he looks wildly powerful. While we'll have to wait to see more of his appearance, a clip shows him getting an action sequence, and even pushing a giant ship by hand. He's definitely not someone I'd like to meet in a dark alley.

This trailer arrived just in time for spooky season, and should help folks get into the spirit. Of course, I have to assume that I'm not the only one who expected to see a clearer version of Jacob Elordi's Creature in it. Alas, it looks like del Toro and the marketing team at Netflix are going to keep this under wraps until we get closer to Frankenstein's release. Hey, that's one way to help buoy excitement for the forthcoming horror flick.

All will be revealed when Frankenstein hits select theaters on October 17th, before coming to Netflix on November 7th as part of the 2025 movie release list.

Few characters in literature have seen as many book-to-screen adaptations as the monster from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. From the 1910 Edison Studios version to Universal Pictures' iconic 1930s take, the Creature has been a fixture of cinema for over a century. But when you think of the monster, “beautiful” probably isn’t the first word that comes to mind—until now. With Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming adaptation, Jacob Elordi shares the note the director gave him about the hours-long makeup process it would require for the 2025 movie schedule release.

Jacob Elordi opened up about playing the Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s long-gestating gothic passion project while speaking with Empire. For the Oscar-winning director of The Shape of Water, Frankenstein is more than just horror, as it focuses on humanity. And, for the breakout actor, becoming the Creature wasn’t just a physical transformation, but a deeply personal one. Reflecting on the director’s guidance, he shared:

You can already sense that level of commitment radiating from the actor. This isn’t the classic nuts-and-bolts creature stitched together for screams. In the Mexican filmmaker’s hands, the monster is something more ethereal. He’s a beautiful, tragic, and human monster. The makeup might take hours to apply but, for the Euphoria alum, it was part of the performance. The transformation didn’t start when the camera rolled. It started in the chair.

The notion of leaning into the beautifully macabre makes perfect sense. If you’ve seen the best of Guillermo del Toro’s movies, you know he’s always had a soft spot for monsters. From Hellboy to the ghostly figures of Crimson Peak, the haunting faun in his astounding dark fantasy Pan’s Labyrinth, or the fish-man romance in The Shape of Water, his creatures are never just background. They feel pain, carry emotional weight and—most importantly—demand empathy. Del Toro's take on Frankenstein seems to be no different.

The story has clearly resonated with the filmmaker. He explained to Empire:

When it comes to Frankenstein, the genre master says he identifies with both roles, the reckless creator and the abandoned child. He continued:

Aren’t we all? That’s what I love about the Oscar-winning filmmaker and the heart that runs through his body of work. Frankenstein won’t be just another monster movie—it’s shaping up to be a genre-bending story about loneliness, identity and being seen, both as a creation and a creator. If that’s not beauty, I don’t know what is.

It’s no wonder Jacob Elordi took the “passing over” note so seriously. Evidently, del Toro had given the transformation deep thought, wanting the Australian-born performer to have the space and intention to fully inhabit a creature defined by dark beauty and emotional complexity—hallmarks of del Toro’s films.

The upcoming Netflix release has been in the works for years, but it’s arriving at a perfect time. Between Elordi’s rising star and del Toro’s streak of emotionally charged creature features, this could be the most emotionally resonant adaptation of Mary Shelley’s novel to date, and I cannot wait to catch it in theaters, as it hits theaters on October 17 and will be available with a Netflix subscription globally on November 7.

In the history of cinema, there have been countless stories of stars turning down roles they later regretted. Will Smith has spoken often about his decision to turn down The Matrix. However, we may have a new champion in the competition for the worst decision ever, as it turns out, Channing Tatum once said no to Guillermo del Toro.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the star of the upcoming movie Roofman reveals that he was once asked to star in Del Toro’s planned live-action version of Beauty & the Beast, years before Disney would turn its animated hit into a live-action musical. Unfortunately, it seems the offer just came along at the worst possible time, leading the actor to pass on the project. Tatum said:

While Channing Tatum regrets turning down the part, the circumstances surrounding it explain a lot. Sometimes you get opportunities you dream of, but at times they simply don't work out. That seems to be what happened here. Had the actor been in a different place in life in that moment, he clearly would have said yes. It doesn't sound like he regrets turning down the role so much as he regrets having to do so.

For those who were unaware, or simply forgot, back in 2012, it was announced that Del Toro was working on a Beauty & the Beast adaptation, which coincidentally would have starred Emma Watson in the Beauty role years before she took the part for Disney. By 2014, Del Toro had stepped away as a director, but the project was still set to move forward. Eventually, like other Del Toro projects, such as At The Mountains of Madness, it would simply fade away unmade.

It’s unclear exactly what the reasons were behind the movie not happening, so it’s equally unclear if the movie would have even happened had Channing Tatum said yes. However, there were never any names officially attached to the role of the Beast, so it’s possible that an inability to find somebody was part of the problem. Perhaps if Tatum had said yes, the movie would have happened.

Del Toro would go on to make an Oscar-winning version of Pinocchio, and his new adaptation of the classic Frankenstein is getting strong buzz following its premiere. One has to think his version of Beauty and the Beast would have been, at worst, unique, and at best, something truly special.

And who knows. Projects that once seemed dead have been resurrected in the past, so maybe Del Toro’s Beauty & the Beast could still happen one day. If Channing Tatum gets the offer, it seems quite clear he’ll take it.

Guillermo del Toro doesn’t just craft creatures willy nilly–he pours his heart and soul into his monsters. The Oscar-winning filmmaker has spent more than 30 years chasing his vision for Frankenstein (a 2025 movie schedule release) and if his recent comments are anything to go by, he isn’t stitching a nightmare so much as shaping a poem. He says Jacob Elordi’s take on the Creature in the upcoming Netflix release is “staggeringly beautiful,” a choice that flips the usual script on what to expect with new horror movies and hints at a gothic tragedy built on empathy, not revulsion.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly ahead of the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation of Mary Shelly’s classic, Toronto premiere, the Pan's Labyrinth filmmaker laid out a design philosophy that reframes the myth. He didn’t want an “accident victim” patched together by Victor Frankenstein (played by Oscar Isaac); he wanted a vision made with intention, elegance, and care. As del Toro puts it:

The Mexico-born filmmaker’s color choices only sharpen the sort of monster he’s trying to create. He continued:

The word "newborn" really packs a punch. That pale, see-through skin hints at a fragile nature, with emotions almost visible just beneath the surface. It encourages us to take a closer look, to see this being as something starting out, not just a collection of parts. This is one of del Toro’s strengths—like he did with the Oscar-winning flick The Shape of Water, the filmmaker knows how to make you connect with something you’re supposed to be afraid of and then shows you how the world reacts to it.

Jacob Elordi being cast feels like a no-brainer. He’s tall and good-looking, but he’s also observant and has this unexpected, delicate side. His presence really shows a mix of awe and vulnerability. Even though some fans aren’t thrilled about him playing Heathcliff, it’s probably his physicality that he's clearly bringing to Frankenstein that caught the casting director's attention for the new version of Wuthering Heights.

Del Toro mentioned that the actor connected profoundly with the character. He added:

The mastermind behind Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army gave a shout-out to Elordi for his fantastic work with his body and voice, saying it was so polished that they were able to film a lot of scenes in just one or two takes. Based on this description, the character is really figuring out his movements and voice as he goes, which is precisely the kind of take I was hoping to see.

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein hits select theaters on October 17 before it drops on streaming for those with a Netflix subscription on November 7. With its cool "newborn, alabaster" look and those "aerodynamic" scars, it seems way more like a living piece of art than just another monster movie. I’m really excited for it to come out!

Jacob Elordi captured movie lovers' attention, and their hearts when he made his acting debut in the Kissing Booth movies. It was clear that the heartthrob was full of promise, and he's truly shined as the unlikeable Nate character in HBO’s Euphoria. This year, he’s taking on a very different kind of role by starring in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein movie as the iconic monster. Now, Elordi is opening up about how he prepared for the role, and the explicit advice del Toro gave him.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the cast of Frankenstein chatted about taking on Mary Shelley’s famous novel, how they shot some of the most technical scenes in the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, and working with such a creative director like del Toro. When it came to Jacob Elordi, he initially thought he would stay away from watching previous iterations of Frankenstein so he wasn’t too influenced by previous portrayals of the monster. However, del Toro steered the 28-year-old in another direction, and dropped a few f-bombs while doing so:

Guillermo del Toro has never been a director to mince words, and I just love how brutally honest he was with his leading man. I can understand Elordi not wanting to unconsciously pick anything up from his predecessors' performances. However, I'd argue that at the same time, he could learn what not to do when developing his own performance.

Over the years, Frankenstein's monster has been played by hundreds of actors on both the stage and screen who have all managed to put their own spin on it, and I’m confident Elordi will as well. While his full look remains under wraps, early stills and footage show that del Toro is planning on bringing his own creativity to the material. As for Elordi, he admitted that rewatching Frankenstein films was a net positive:

When it comes to making a Guillermo del Toro movie, there is nothing more imperative than immersing yourself in a world. The filmmaker is known for his worldbuilding, cinematic fantasyscapes, and sympathetic portrayals of monsters on screen. There's a “Classic Hollywood” that accompanies his style of filmmaking, and it makes the Mexican director perfect to adapt Frankenstein. I also think Elordi is an inspired choice for The Monster for del Toro's long-gestating flick, as his physical size helps make him more daunting. It also offers a new challenge for the leading man to try a more “character actor” role.

Del Toro's 2025 movie release screened at the Venice Film Festival this weekend and received a mixed reception. The cast is incredible, with names like Oscar Issac, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz to boost the already alluring subject matter. Jacob Elordi is clearly in good company, and I can’t wait to see his performance amidst such heavy hitters.

Of course, previous actors to take on the role of the monster like Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, and Robert De Niro have raised the bar pretty high, but I’m confident that Elordi is talented enough (and tall enough) to clear it. In the meantime, I also wouldn't mind actually hearing Guillermo del Toro delightfully drop a few f-bombs.

You can see Frankenstein when it hits theaters for a limited theatrical run on October 17th, and it'll then become available to stream with a Netflix subscription on November 7th. For more information on other exciting titles heading to the streamer this year, make sure to consult our 2025 Netflix schedule.

With August coming to a close, we are now well past the midpoint of 2025, but there remain two big seasons ahead for Hollywood: spooky season and award season. Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein is a film that is widely expected to have its feet in both worlds, and it has thusly inspired a great deal of anticipation from cinephiles. Audiences still have a little while to wait before it will be widely released, with Netflix planning on launching the feature in theaters in mid-October, but early buzz is now online thanks to the upcoming horror movie's premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Adapting Mary Shelley's iconic novel has long been a dream and a passion for Guillermo del Toro, and his cinematic vision is a faithful take on the source material that puts a spotlight on the incredible complexity of the being known in pop culture as The Monster or The Creature. One of the most effusive early reactions to Frankenstein comes from critic David Rooney, who writes for The Hollywood Reporter that the genre film is a blend of "tragedy, romance and a philosophical reflection on what it means to be human" that is "breathtaking" at times to look at. He says of the new Netflix film,

In a festival write-up for The Wrap, Steve Pond describes the Netflix-produced epic as "monstrously moving" in his headline and notes that the two-and-a-half hour runtime allows Guillermo del Toro to fully explore the distinct sections of Mary Shelley's classic story. He too notes the focus of the movie on the emotional creation, brought to life (if you'll pardon the pun) on screen by Jacob Elordi. Pond writes,

Adding some ballast to the buzz for Frankenstein following its premiere is the commentary from The Independent, which offers a more mixed take on the work from critic Geoffrey Macnab. In the piece, there is criticism for the way in which Guillermo del Toro makes bold swings with tone – "[lurching] between scenes of lush romantic melodrama and moments of Grand Guignol bloodletting" – and the preference for romanticism over horror. Still, the reaction offers plenty of love for the presentation:

In his piece for IndieWire, Ryan Lattanzio also isn't totally sold on Guillermo del Toro's approach to the story, questioning its passionate adherence to the source material, but one aspect of the feature that gets a great deal of love is the performance by Jacob Elordi. Effusively praising the work of the Saltburn star, Lattanzio says,

In the early wave of reactions out of the Venice Film Festival, one of the most negative comes from Variety's Peter Debruge, who ponders if Guillermo del Toro may have overcooked the movie as a long-developing passion project. In addition to questioning narrative choices and dedication to Mary Shelley's novel, the critic also isn't at all impressed by the aesthetics – which he attributes to the project being produced by Netflix:

It would seem that Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein is inspiring a lot of mixed takes following its premiere – and that should hopefully only inspire more curiosity as we get closer to the release and people everywhere have the chance to form their own opinions.

Featuring an excellent ensemble cast including the aforementioned Jacob Elordi in addition to Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz, Frankenstein will be a rare streaming original that will get a theatrical release (set to arrive in cinemas on October 17), and it will be made available for Netflix subscribers starting on November 7.

Guillermo del Toro has never been one to think small. The Oscar-winning filmmaker has spent over 30 years chasing his vision for the 2025 movie schedule release Frankenstein, a film he calls his cinematic “Mount Everest.” From his earliest sketches in the late 1970s to the Gothic imagery woven into Crimson Peak, Cronos and Hellboy, del Toro has long seen Shelley’s story as the centerpiece of his artistic DNA. Now the auteur filmmaker is revealing that his original plan for the upcoming Netflix release was to split the film into two parts, and honestly, I think he made the right choice not to do that.

Del Toro’s Original Frankenstein Plans

In a new interview with Variety, the Pan’s Labrynth visionary revealed that his original plan for the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation was to tell the tale from two different perspectives: one from Victor Frankenstein and the other from the Creature. Instead, he condensed the idea into a single feature with a “hinge moment” shortly after the monster’s creation, where the story shifts its focus from creator to creation. For a project this long in the making, that’s a bold revision, but one that ultimately feels right to me.

Why Frankenstein Works Best As A Single Film

The classic 1818 novel works as a single, sweeping narrative, mirroring the symbiotic bond between Victor and his “monster.” Stretching it across two films might have diluted the intensity of their tragic relationship. Shelley’s novel is concise, but devastating, as it’s a story about lineage, pain and generational failure. The genius behind The Shape of Water himself frames it as much a family drama as a creature feature. He explained:

By treating the flick as almost a biography of these characters as opposed to a straightforward horror film and keeping it contained, the Blade 2 filmmaker honors that intimacy.

It’s not like del Toro is cutting corners. From the first Frankenstein trailer and descriptions we’ve seen so far, this version of the story is packed with sprawling sets, operatic design and the director’s trademark devotion to practical effects. Del Toro described the monster’s creation sequence not as a horror vignette, but as something far cooler. He continued with Variety:

A rock-concert-like montage of the creature's animation sounds wildly different than anything we’ve gotten before. That sense of operatic momentum could easily stall if split into multiple films. A single feature ensures the story flows like one long, feverish symphony.

Even The Casting Lends Itself To A Single Film

The casting also underscores why one film is the right choice. Oscar Isaac’s Victor is envisioned as a Byronic rock star—seductive, swaggering and brimming with hubris—while Jacob Elordi’s Creature channels innocence, grief and rage. Their dynamic doesn’t need two separate films to land, as it instead thrives on a single, searing arc that burns bright and fast, like lightning hitting a lab tower.

Netflix is betting big on Frankenstein, with a three-week theatrical run beginning October 17 before the film arrives on streaming November 7. And given the streamer’s first theatrical hit, KPop Demon Hunters, and the Nightmare Alley director’s track record (The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, even his Oscar-winning Pinocchio), there’s reason to believe Frankenstein could resonate with both genre fans and awards voters. But more importantly, the choice to keep it one film means the story won’t be bogged down by the franchise mentality that dominates so much of Hollywood. Which, for my money, explains the recent summer box office disappointment.

Instead of a half-finished story or obvious sequel bait, horror fans will get Guillermo del Toro’s complete vision in one raw, unbroken piece. I, for one, can’t wait.

So if you know me, you know I’m a big Guillermo del Toro fan. I have been for many years. I have watched all of Guillermo del Toro’s movies at length, have talked about any new film of his coming out as part of the 2025 movie schedule, and have essentially become a fangirl for a man who has been making movies long before I was born.

But honestly, it’s been a bit since I’ve watched every single one of Guillermo del Toro’s movies in succession. Like, a long time. I have watched his new releases and occasionally revisited all the old ones, but it has been ages since I did an entire Guillermo del Toro marathon. So, I decided to check it out over the last few weeks. And I’m honestly shocked at the movie I ended up loving the most.

A Lot Of His Earlier Films Are Great

It’s rare that we talk about a famous director and say that his most recent work is his best work. I feel as if we always relate to the classics. For any of the Christopher Nolan movies, people will often cite The Dark Knight as his best, or Inception, or maybe even Interstellar. Some might say Oppenheimer which is good, but I still think some of his past work is the best.

Maybe for the best Steven Spielberg movies, they’ll talk about Jurassic Park or Schindler’s List. But for Guillermo del Toro? I actually think his movies got much better as he kept making them. I don’t think his past work is his best.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s still good. He wouldn’t have become a master of horror and fantasy if it weren’t. His two Hellboy films are still some great superhero movies that have nothing to do with any modern superhero universes. Blade II is still iconic. Pan’s Labyrinth is fantastic as well. If anything, I would say that it is the film that made Guillermo del Toro. And for a long time, it was my favorite one he had done. But there’s one movie that surpassed all of that – one I have to talk about.

However, Nightmare Alley Became My Favorite By Far, And Is Even Better A Second Time Around

I bet you weren’t expecting that, but yeah, Nightmare Alley is legit one of Guillermo del Toro’s best films – and one that I actually ended up loving so much.

You’d think by the name it would end up becoming one of the best horror movies out there, but Nightmare Alley isn’t really a horror film. In fact, it’s a neo-noir psychological thriller. It’s the type of film that not a lot of people would connect del Toro to because he’s mainly known for fantasy and horror (as well as some dips into heroes). But this movie, based on the 1946 novel of the same name, hits.

The premise of Nightmare Alley, if you haven’t seen it (like many others haven’t), is simply surrounding a carnival worker who takes some dangerous risks in order to make a buck and boost his career to a higher status, but as time goes on, these jobs turn more sinister, and his life is turned upside down.

This movie takes the thriller genre and turns it on its head. It’s not like a David Fincher film, where you’ll be scratching your head by the end of it, wondering what was right and what was wrong. This film is essentially the definition of “thriller.” It is thrilling because you truly never know what you are going to see next.

I Still Love Pinocchio, But Nightmare Alley Is So Creative

I once wrote an entire article back in 2022 when Pinocchio was released about the feelings I had watching that film and how it surpassed every other del Toro film. That movie came out after Nightmare Alley, and I think, because it had been some time since I saw Nightmare Alley, I didn’t appreciate it as much. That being said, Pinocchio is still one of my favorite del Toro films, and it made me so emotional.

But when I watched Nightmare Alley, I realized that a lot of the emotions I felt during Pinocchio were carried over into Nightmare Alley. They are two very different films, for two very different audiences (unless you’re like me, a pure cinephile), but I often found myself feeling the same amount of thrilling pleasure and intensity watching Nightmare Alley as I did Pinocchio, because del Toro was able to craft what happened in the film in such a way that I was on the edge of my seat.

It was then that I realized Nightmare Alley had surpassed my top spot. To create a good thriller, you have to dive deep into the mental state of the viewer. You, as a writer and director, must discover what makes the brain tick. And when I realized I was feeling a lot of the same feelings I felt during Pinocchio as I watched this film, it really did shift my perspective.

The Nightmare Alley cast was a big reason as to why. They did such a good job portraying these characters that now, I find it almost hard to separate them from their real-life counterparts. The story hooked me instantly, and the feelings were everywhere. Just an utter amount of craft poured into this film. I might be crazy comparing it to Pinocchio, but hey, it’s what I felt.

It's A Shame That It Came Out During A Time Where Not As Many People Saw The Film In Theaters

This is the biggest tragedy of them all. This film came out during a time when hardly anyone was going to the theaters, back in December 2021. The only thing that really came out during that time that made a serious splash was Spider-Man: No Way Home and all its fan service.

Nightmare Alley was part of a slew of Academy Award-winning features that came out, which were not as widely seen because they were in theaters. This included Steve Spielberg’s West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, and more. Some great ones were released on streaming that earned a lot of praise, but it makes me sad that Nightmare Alley never got that same amount back then, due to the theater situation post-COVID-19 pandemic.

Either way, at least now it’s available to watch online, and it’s one of those films that I must recommend you watch. It’s really not scary, and features some incredible moments of cinematography and acting that I really think deserve way more love and attention.

Honestly, del Toro has another film releasing in 2025, Frankenstein, so you might as well check out his last live-action film in the meantime. I’m going to go and rewatch it for fun, if you don’t mind me.

The force was strong with San Diego Comic-Con this morning! George Lucas' hold over popular culture remains as we anticipate more and more upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows and Sunday morning at Hall H George Lucas himself just took Hall H. We just attended the Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts panel set to start at 11 a.m. PST and update you on everything that happened during Lucas' first time at SDCC.

CinemaBlend has been covering the con throughout the weekend, talking to everyone from the Percy Jackson cast about their advice to the new Harry Potter kids or seeing the first footage of Coyote v. Acme. This was our last panel of the con, and we were so happy to witness this moment in SDCC history. Check out all the updates from the panel below:

We're seated and waiting for the panel to begin in about 20 minutes. Hall H is packed with fans of Star Wars movies and other Lucasfilm creations, as they have packed their lightsabers and brought their best cosplays to the con for Lucas' debut to SDCC. Check back here throughout the next hour for updates on what happens.

Fans are cheering and chanting "LUCAS" as we continue to wait for the panel to begin. The energy is going to be high on this one for sure!

OK, we're getting started with Queen Latifah, who is moderating, Star Wars production designer Doug Chiang, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and George Lucas all on stage. Lucas got a huge standing ovation from the crowd upon his arrival.

We just saw a preview of the the museum, which looks amazing, and so futuristic and sleek. In a video, Lucas called it a "dedication to cultural fantasy" as we saw a sneak peek of just a handful of 40,000 works at the museum. There's going to be everything from comic book art from Jack Kirby to art from Frida Kahlo. Oh, and loads of Star Wars props and ships, of course.

George Lucas said he's been collecting art for decades, starting with comic book art and such. I'm paraphrasing her, but Lucas says that art is anything that means something to you, and if it doesn't than you can simply move on to the next piece. His comments can't help but remind one of how his work on Star Wars has received mixed praise over the years (such as with the prequels).

Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who is on the museum's board, and set to release his take on Frankenstein later this year, calls the Lucas museum more so a "lineage of images that have been spoken" rather than simply one man's collection. He also brought up how important it is in this moment in time to look at art over the years not only as a way to express one's self, but make sure dark times in history don't repeat themselves.

Del Toro is speaking about how these days, there are ideas that A.I. can create art, but what's important about art doesn't come "in a fucking app." That got massive applause from the crowd.

Queen Latifah named off some of the special pieces from one display at the museum, which are important to culture. If you visit the museum, you'll be able to see artwork for Flash Gordon, Peanuts, Iron Man and Black Panther originals from 1968.

She asked Lucas to to speak about a group of pieces from Norman Rockwell called the Four Freedoms, which will be on display. He described one depicting a family during Thanksgiving, which he finds especially evocative because "most families are dysfunctional" but they are important because they "keep society together."

Lucas leads "from the heart", according to Chiang. The production designer also says the museum will be a great education for kids and hopes it will inspire the next Norman Rockwell or other great artists.

Latifah has also pointed out how there's no right angles in the museum, and asked George Lucas to talk about the vision of the museum's design. Lucas says that early on he actually wanted to be an architect until he realized there'd be a lot of math involved.

He's talking about how "stories" makes one feel connection to people, and perhaps help one feel better about the unknowns about life. He says: "Humans think they know everything, even though they don't know anything."

Del Toro adds that he and Lucas are both collectors but in his mind he says "I don't own anything", but a brief holder of things that can live on after us. And hopes to share his collection with the world while it's in his possession to do so.

The panel ended at 12 p.m. without any audience questions, nor a date for the opening of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts. However, it was such a solid first introduction to the upcoming Los Angeles attraction, and we can't wait to see it. That's a wrap on SDCC 2025, and what an epic way to do so.

Warning: spoilers for Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning are in play.

The mission may be out in the open on the 2025 movie schedule, but as we look back on Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, there's till plenty to learn. Just as co-writer/director Christopher McQuarrie revealed thoughts of killing off Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt, the creative talent behind the latter half of this franchise's run has revealed a suggestion that he actually turned down. And that note came from none other than Academy Award winner/fan of all things weird, Guillermo del Toro.

Guillermo del Toro’s Wild Note For Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning Is Pretty Out There

I’m all for going to extremes with your big franchise finale, provided it makes sense. And that’s the key condition that I think prevented Mr. del Toro’s big note for the prelude to Mission: Impossible 8’s definitive ending from happening. As revealed by Christopher McQuarrie to the Empire Spoiler Special Podcast, the director of Netflix’s upcoming Frankenstein adaptation suggested this wild change:

Ok, before we go any further, I truly do appreciate this note. Of course Guillermo del Toro would want The Entity to have somewhat of a soul. So I can definitely see the boldness of personifying The Entity. I understand it even more based on some whispers I’d heard about how that concept was executed in earlier cuts of the film. So if that cut of the movie was what inspired Guillermo del Toro’s desire for a screaming Entity, this doesn’t feel that wild at all.

However, that choice would have been at odds with the Mission: Impossible finale we got. Which is a huge reason why I think Christopher McQuarrie’s eventual choice had to win out. So if you’re waiting for The Final Reckoning to hit your Paramount+ subscription, we’re about to get into the specifics, and you may want to avert your eyes.

Christopher McQuarrie’s Rejection Of This Mission: Impossible Note Totally Fits

At the end of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, a lot of plates are spinning. We’re seriously wondering if both Ethan Hunt and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) are going to die, and with Grace (Hayley Atwell) standing between The Entity and victory, a blink of an eye is super important. Having said all of that, here’s why the Edge of Tomorrow co-writer nixed giving The Entity that very voice:

The fact that Guillermo del Toro was even included in Christopher McQuarrie’s process with Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning warms my heart. You wouldn’t consider the director of The Shape of Water as a natural fit for this sort of movie; but I’m sure Mr. McQ recognized del Toro's Oscar-winning eye for story and scale.

Either that, or there’s a secret plan to resurrect At the Mountains of Madness, with Tom Cruise still on board to star, and McQuarrie just happened to snag del Toro into a screening at the last minute. While I go talk myself down from that dream scenario, you can see Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, at a theater near you.

It’s alive, my friends. It’s finally alive. After over a decade of starts, stops, and setbacks, we can finally see Guillermo del Toro’s spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is taking its place -- and on the 2025 movie schedule. While teases for del Toro’s “emotional” retelling may scare some, it’s been music to my ears. But, now, after seeing the teaser, I think we’re going to see Ms. Shelley’s creation do something we don’t typically see it do: fight.

One of the many gifts given to fans amid tonight’s live upfront event known as Tudum, this is the first official batch footage for this creature feature starring Oscar Isaac as the damned scientist and Jacob Elordi as his forsaken creation. Co-starring Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, and a ton of other notables, this is a film that del Toro has been “actively pursuing" for "25 years.” And oh, baby is it worth it.

Even if you know all of the ins and outs of Frankenstein, The Creature typically is portrayed as a lumbering beast that hulks over humans with its power. But that last shot of Frankenstein’s Monster taking a pitchfork like a champ and pulling his potential assassin forward for a beat down is impressive.

Not to mention, Jacob Elordi's supposed affront to the natural order pretty much clears the deck of crew members who stand in his way. Which still has me wondering how Andrew Garfield's original casting would have shaken out, though I'm also all in on the Euphoria vet's portrayal. But we're not veering too far from tradition here, as there's only one thing on his mind: "VICTOR!" Damn, this is chilling and heartbreaking at the same time; with a side of nerd warmth from the world of reality.

To understand my excitement beyond this footage, I have to give you a small history lesson. You see, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein has been discussed for quite a while. In fact, one of our own archival reports from 2012 had “Frankenstein back on track at Universal.”

Much like At the Mountains of Madness, that project never materialized at that studio home; marking a period of time where we’d see connected pitches come and go. (Anyone else remember the Dark Universe pitch for Bride of Frankenstein?) But, now, the monster and his creator will return to haunt us all in this brand new tale. And Frankenstein's creation is going to show us his existential rage in a way we're not accustomed to - which only further intrigues me.

As you heard before, Guillermo del Toro has been wanting to make this movie for almost three decades. So he's had time to study up, and determine how and why that scene of physical prowess fit into this morbid and emotional mix. Frankenstein will descend upon us this November, only on Netflix. Pray he doesn't find you! Or do, it's your choice really.

Guillermo del Toro’s long-gestating Frankenstein adaptation has always sounded like the perfect fit, and fans will soon see it hulking across the 2025 movie schedule. A master of gothic visuals, heart-wrenching monsters, and morally complex storytelling, Del Toro's take on Mary Shelley’s seminal tale is ambrosia for my horror-loving veins. At least ideally, as his recent comments make me think I shouldn’t consider it an upcoming horror movie at all, makig me feel a strange mix of anticipation and anxiety.

Speaking onstage at Cannes Film Festival in a conversation with frequent collaborator and composer Alexandre Desplat (via Variety), del Toro offered new insight into his creative approach. And while Frankenstein remains one of literature’s greatest horror and science fiction stories, the Oscar-winning director made it clear that’s not the framing he sees surrounding his adaptation. According to the Mexico-born filmmaker:

Let me be clear, I don’t need Frankenstein to be a jump-scare machine. Del Toro’s strength has always been his ability to find humanity in the monstrous. The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, the beautifully gothic Crimson Peak, and even Hellboy are some of his best films and aren’t built on terror alone, and they, like many of his movies, are hard to fit neatly into one genre.

Those films linger in viewers' minds because of the emotional journeys the characters take us on, not so much for bosting the most terrifying scenes in cinema. But still, when you're working with source material as inherently eerie, existential and monstrous as Frankenstein, there's a fine line between poetic and defanged.

Del Toro’s work with Desplat gives us some hints about the film’s vibe. The composer, who has teamed up with the movie maker on The Shape of Water (a Best Picture winner) and Pinocchio, explained that their scoring style isn’t your typical horror music. According to the Cronos director, Desplat’s music captures this unique approach to the material:

The composer agreed with his collaborator's sentiments. Regarding his approach, Desplat said:

This maybe won't be a big shock for fans who have followed Guillermo del Toro's career. He’s never been one for black-and-white morals or monsters whose sole purposes are to scare others. He even talks about a moment that stuck with him when he first felt empathy for a creature: Marilyn Monroe's character in The Seven Year Itch sympathizing with the monster in Frankenstein. That moment made him realize that a lot of the time, The Monster is just misunderstood, which is what leads to all the horror and mayhem. At least traditionally, if not here.

The film, which stars Jacob Elordi as the creature alongside Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth, is slated to premiere on the Netflix streaming schedule this November.

When we look back on co-writer/director Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak, the first thing most think of is how the picture went from being a box office dud to a cult favorite. For me though, I like to think of that project as one of the first to properly expose me to the world of a sub-genre I’ve grown to love quite a bit: the gothic romance. As we wait for the 2025 movie schedule to deliver us del Toro’s spin on Frankenstein, now feels like an appropriate time to dig into why this came to be, and how successors like Nosferatu benefited from the film.

I will say before we start that this feature will be rife with spoilers. But if you haven’t seen Crimson Peak, you’re in luck! Peacock subscription holders can catch not only this Mia Wasikowska-starring beauty for themselves, they can also make it a double feature with Robert Eggers’ recent vampire tale.

Crimson Peak’s Deceptive Marketing Was A Slight Blessing In Disguise

For a kid that couldn’t get into Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre when they were assigned in high school English, Crimson Peak’s story might not have grabbed me if it wasn’t for one of the factors that Guillermo del Toro credits with sinking the movie at the box office. To speak to that point further, please enjoy the teaser trailer that started a campaign of terror:

Did you notice how that teaser felt more like it promised either threatening ghosts and/or the possibility of possession? I think a lot of people did, which may have led to Crimson underperforming at the box office. Though I agree that selling Mr. del Toro’s follow-up to Pacific Rim as a pure horror experience was definitely misleading, I will begrudgingly admit that it helped hook me in.

Edith Cushing’s Story Is A Tragic Romance With Horror Touches

At this point we were all familiar with del Toro’s genre spectacle fare, so we all probably expected something as outlandish as Hellboy, but in period costumes. However, the trio of Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, and Mia Wasikowska were embroiled in a very human drama throughout Crimson Peak.

If anything, young Edith Cushing (Wasikowska) and her romance with Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) is one of great tragedy. When you arrive at the movie’s big reveal of what’s actually going on in Allerdale Hall, there’s a sadness that tinges the rest of the picture, with no character escaping its influence.

Digging back into the archives a bit, I was able to pull the audio from the movie's press conference I attended back in 2015. From that treasure trove of information, I pulled these remarks from del Toro, as he explained what he felt was the true romance of this tale:

We’re going to have to jump into spoilers a bit more from this point on. So consider this your last chance to avoid the twists and turns involved, and a great opportunity to read my Crimson Peak review from 2015. As for those of you who remain, it’s time to talk about those ghosts.

The Ghosts Aren’t The Villains Of Crimson Peak

Would it really be a Guillermo del Toro movie if there wasn’t at least a touch of the supernatural? The man literally published a book with the title At Home With Monsters, so there was bound to be something not of this world included. But, just like in the real-life ghost story that inspired Crimson Peak, the ghosts aren’t really here to hurt us.

Edith’s ability to see spirits isn’t something that terrorizes her in this story, quite the opposite. Ghosts of various figures that died at the hands of the incestuous Sharpe siblings, as well as Edith’s late mother, are actually warnings meant to protect her from winding up like all the other victims.

When her mom’s warning isn’t enough to shoo her off, Thomas’ dead wives show her the literal evidence to what’s been going on this whole time. Spectral interference isn't meant to trip up our young female protagonist here, but rather it serves as an influence to secure her from the horrors that seek to prey upon her.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Latin Influences Feel Like Taking Part In My Own Roots

Chastain’s Lucille Sharpe gets one of the best lines of dialogue in this film, as she talks about how her love for her brother is a type of romance that “makes monsters of us all.” While that moment can universally be understood, it takes me back to how del Toro spoke at the press conference about his approach to making this particular movie. That explanation was as follows:

I know that Latinx people are not a monolith, but cultural evidence shows that the “Latin temperament" is something we’ve seen time and again in fiction. Seeing The Shape of Water director take that influence and apply it to what feels like an episode of The Gilded Age makes me happy as both a fan of fiction, and as someone with Latinx roots myself. It also kind of explains why my father and I both enjoy the romance at the heart of Gone with the Wind.

Crimson Peak’s Outlook On Love Is A Refreshing Contrast Of Victorian Tradition

There’s one final piece of knowledge I want to share from the press tour, and it’s something that underlines what really works about this story for me. Guillermo del Toro’s knowledge of Victorian drama really shined through when he shared with us the following breakdown of how fiction from that era treated the subject of sex, and why subverting it was key:

Taking a classic form of storytelling and updating it for modern times, with a heaping helping of gore and distress, is not easy. A steady hand is needed to achieve such goals, as we saw with Robert Eggers’ mastery over Nosferatu. I think del Toro would be proud to know that Crimson Peak still hits as hard for me as it did when I first saw it.

While scrambling to read Frankenstein when sick in junior year cracked the door open on gothic romance for me, Edith’s battle for survival threw it wide open for future enjoyment. Recognizing that in 2025 is apt timing, as the del Toro adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic will be hitting Netflix at some point in the year to come.

That means now’s the time to start digging further into the sub-genre, as I prepare for what’s to come. So if you haven't taken a trip through the secrets, the terror, and the bittersweet romance that Crimson Peak offers, you officially have one less excuse not to correct that.

For the last several weeks when celebrities and parties have come up in the same sentence, it’s been a discussion of the parties thrown by Sean “Diddy” Combs that are the subject of a federal indictment against the rapper and mogul. Considering all of that, it's extra sweet to hear about Leonardo DiCaprio’s 50th birthday party, which looks to have been quite the shindig. And it apparently had a guest list that would make the Governor’s Ball at the Academy Awards blush, as it truly featured a murderer's row of celebrities.

Leonardo DiCaprio turns 50 years old today, November 11, but he held his party over the weekend. The guest list was shared by deuxmoi on Instagram, and it's absolutely staggering. From DiCaprio’s fellow stars from his generation to some of the great directors that he's has worked with (and those he almost collaborated with), the guest list included:

• Brad Pitt & Ines de Ramon
• Mark Ruffalo
• Benicio del Toro
• Soleil Moon Frye
• Todd Phillips
• Kevin Connolly & Zulay Henao
• Chris Rock
• Jamie Foxx
• Guillermo del Toro
• Paris Hilton
• Lukas Haas
• Steven Spielberg
• Bill Maher
• Casey Affleck
• Emile Hirsch
• Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom
• Cara Delevingne
• Tobey Maguire
• Robin Thicke & April Love Geary
• Odell Beckham Jr.
• Teyana Taylor
• Edward Norton
• Chuck Lidell
• Dr. Dre

There may have been even more stars in attendance, but this list alone is truly a who’s who of Hollywood. Being there had to be an incredible experience. Leonardo DiCaprio's father and stepmother were the only non-celebrities reported to be in attendance. It must have been a pretty amazing night for them, I'd think.

A few of these names are potentially surprising, but it’s very interesting to see who the Wolf of Wall Street star decided to invite to the event. He and Edward Norton have been friends for a long time. The same goes for DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, who were part of the same real-life poker game that inspired the movie Molly’s Game.

It's also great that Leonardo DiCaprio invited his Catch Me If You Can director Steven Spielberg. The same goes for Guillermo del Toro, who almost directed DiCaprio, as he was originally attached to star in Nightmare Alley before he had to drop out and was replaced by Bradley Cooper. I would have loved to have seen those two meet up at the party. If there’s a chance they could work together down the road that’s a very exciting prospect that they probably talked about.

DiCaprio’s One Upon A Time…In Hollywood co-star Brad Pitt -- along with his serious girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, -- was there, as was his Shutter Island co-star Mark Ruffalo. The Revenant star also invited a couple of people who it looks like he may have gotten to know in his role as a producer. DiCaprio produced Out of the Furnace, which included Casey Affleck in its cast. He also produced Kid 90, the documentary film directed by former Punky Brewster star Soleil Moon Frye.

Needless to say, certainly looks like Leonardo DiCaprio’s birthday party was the hottest ticket in town. Now I just need to figure out how to become his friend before next year.

Folks, the upcoming 2025 movies slate is pretty stocked with delights at the moment. However, I think we could all agree that if Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein adaptation hits Netflix in the year to come, there’s easily room to get hyped about this title. That being said, I’m kind of worried about the Academy Award-winning director’s sleep schedule, as he’s been obsessed with hunting ghosts in his spare time.

Though on the plus side, I can’t get enough of the results, which have been shared on social media by del Toro himself. This story started not too long ago thanks to this initial thread of tweets and the phenomenon they describe:

Reading these messages reminds me of Guillermo del Toro’s UFO encounter story that he shared with James Cameron a couple years back. The man is without question a true believer when it comes to phenomena from both beyond the stars and the veil of morality. So when posts like this come up, and future updates have del Toro claiming to sleep in another room to escape that presence, I definitely pay attention.

Of course, the man who helped bring us Crimson Peak isn’t going to totally stay away from this mysterious presence. That led to this further turn being shared by Guillermo del Toro, as he continues his contribution to the upcoming horror movie schedule:

I’m not the only person following Tio Guillermo’s story either, as everyone from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse co-director Peter Ramsey to horror icon/actor Bill Moseley have been commenting along. Even Ben Stiller jumped in, genuinely scared for what’s been coming up in these reports.

Alas, if you're joining Guillermo del Toro's Hotel Haunting already in progress, prepare for a cliffhanger. As of the time this story is being written, this tweet happens to be the latest update in the ongoing supernatural drama at hand:

While my dreams of Cabinet of Curiosities becoming a Halloween tradition are limited to the only season available on the platform, I think I have a new idea to occupy my mind for the time being. Whether it’s a documentary side project that’s included on the almost assured Criterion Collection disc, or a series that airs for folks with a Netflix subscription, I think it’s time for Guillermo del Toro to go ghost hunting on camera.

I don’t watch the current shows that exist in the field, if I’m being completely honest. But if Mr. del Toro wants to chase spirits and spectres for us folks at home to watch, I’d totally be engrossed in the results that followed. Though while we’re on the subject, hey, Netflix… any chance we could revive Cabinet of Curiosities in the near future?

Clearly not too soon though, as Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is still in production, with no release date specified just yet. If you want to take a look at what’s coming ahead in the world of 2024 movies, that information is available to distract us all while waiting for updates.

And to Mr. del Toro, please remember to get those six hours of sleep you need to direct. I think even the ghosts would agree we need you in fighting form, as I'm sure whoever's in the room with you is also a fan of Crimson Peak.

The first trailer for the upcoming Hellboy: The Crooked Man has finally landed, and it has certainly stirred the pot among fans and critics alike. The teaser has sparked a flurry of reactions, ranging from excitement to outright disappointment. While social media buzzes with contrasting opinions, I’m here to tell you why the new trailer for the 2024 movie release has me thoroughly pumped.

Fan Reactions on Social Media

Scrolling through X (formerly Twitter), it’s clear that not everyone is on board with the new Hellboy installment. Here are just a few of the negative reactions making the rounds:

• @TurtleMac24: There is only Hellboy I acknowledge. The OG. #Hellboy
• @YungDagger808: Looks like a fan-made trailer, but imma give it a chance.
• @JaxPHL: Dad: Son, we have Hellboy at home. Hellboy at home:
• @washedjohn: What the hell is the dialogue in this, “dark things call to dark things.”

The criticism mainly centers on the visual style and the perceived departure from the tone established in Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy films. Fans are still clamoring for a third entry in Del Toro's series, even 20 years after the original. Despite these naysayers, I believe The Crooked Man has the potential to be a fresh and exciting addition to the franchise.

Indie Folk Horror Vibes

The trailer’s aesthetic, which you can watch below, immediately stands out for its indie folk horror movie feel. Unlike previous adaptations' glossy, big-budget look, this film seems to embrace a grittier, more intimate style. This shift aligns closely with the tone of the original comics, which often delve into darker, more nuanced narratives. The raw, atmospheric visuals suggest a movie deeply rooted in the eerie, supernatural elements that made the comics so compelling.

A Haunting Historical Setting

Another reason to be excited is the movie’s setting. The latest reboot of “Big Red” is set in 1950s Appalachia, a region rich with folklore and a haunting history. The setting is period-appropriate and provides a rich backdrop that enhances the film’s eerie atmosphere. The 1950s was a time of great cultural and social change in America, and Appalachia’s unique history adds an extra layer of depth and intrigue to the story.

Script by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

One of the most reassuring aspects of this new adaptation is the involvement of series creator Mike Mignola. Teaming up with popular horror novelist Christopher Golden, Mignola’s direct influence on the script promises a faithful representation of the source material. Their collaboration suggests that fans can expect a story that stays true to the spirit of the comics, with the added bonus of Golden’s horror expertise.

Embracing A Dark Tone and R-Rating

The 2019 reboot starring David Harbour flopped despite its R rating, showing that ratings alone aren't enough. However, giving the newest film an R-rating is still a promising sign. This rating allows the movie to fully embrace the dark, scary, and violent elements that define the Dark Horse comics. An R-rated Hellboy means we can expect a more mature and intense adaptation that doesn't shy away from the brutal and eerie aspects of the story.

Practical Effects Over CGI

In an era dominated by CGI, it’s refreshing to see a film that prioritizes practical effects. Although likely influenced by budget constraints, as the newest movie seems to have a smaller budget than its predecessors, both Hellboy and the Crooked Man were created and shot using practical effects. This choice lends a tangible, authentic feel to the characters. 

A Beloved Comic Run Adaptation

Finally, it’s worth noting that Hellboy: The Crooked Man is technically an upcoming book adaptation of one of the most beloved runs in the comic series. Fans of the comics will recognize the storyline and appreciate the effort to bring this particular tale to life. The Crooked Man arc is a fan favorite, known for its compelling narrative and chilling villain, making it an excellent choice for a film adaptation.

The trailer for Hellboy: The Crooked Man has divided fans, but there are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic about the upcoming horror movie. From its unique visual style and historical setting to the involvement of Mignola and Golden, this film has the potential to be a standout entry in the storied franchise.

I can’t believe I’m actually about to type the following sentence, but here it goes. Director Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy has officially celebrated its 20th anniversary. It feels like only yesterday that the world fell in love with Ron Perlman’s incarnation of Mike Mignola’s legendary Dark Horse Comics character. But with my memories of two of the best 2000s movies comes the resurfacing of a long-standing bone I have to politely pick with Hollywood.

It's been two decades after that first movie’s release, and almost 16 years after Hellboy II: The Golden Army left us with an unresolved cliffhanger. After all that time, despite the little tidbits we’ve seen released into the world, I still want to know what happens next.

While there are several reasons a live-action incarnation doesn’t seem to be in the cards, there are also three ways that this trilogy could be completed. So let’s celebrate Hellboy’s past by trying to give him a future, shall we?

Hellboy II: The Golden Army’s Massive (Unresolved) Cliffhanger

Dear readers, you know I love to give history lessons before launching right to the point. Hellboy II: The Golden Army definitely requires such treatment, as Guillermo del Toro and Mike Mignola left us with a whopper of a middle act to a potential trilogy.

On the brighter side of things, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and Liz (Selma Blair) were about to become parents to twins! So, like any expectant parents would do in their position, they resigned from the B.P.R.D. and looked ahead to the future. Unfortunately, the road ahead was destined to be full of heartbreak.

We learned as much when The Angel of Death gave this warning to Liz upon her request to spare Hellboy’s life. That plea came with the following warning, posed to Liz as she weighed the decision to restore her love back to life:

If that’s not a Guillermo del Toro movie prophecy, I don’t know what is. And if the world were just and right, Hellboy III would already be on our home entertainment shelves, celebrating over a decade of existence. Which brings us to the disappointing reality that this del Toro driven threequel never happened.

Why Hellboy III Never Happened

The flat-out, clear as crystal answer as to why Hellboy III never happened is, quite simply, money. Upon its 2008 release, Hellboy II raked in $168.3 million worldwide on an estimated production budget of $85 million.

Without knowing any of the complicated math that probably factored into how the film “really” did according to Universal Pictures, Hellboy III was never greenlit. That failure was also attributed to the fact that unlike Hellboy, the home video market wasn't strong enough to buoy Hellboy II into sequel-ready status.

While the Academy Award-winning director would keep hope alive in his heart, Guillermo del Toro cited lack of studio funding as the big reason the series never finished. Compounded by little bits of plot revealed by the co-writer/director, as well as Ron Perlman himself, the loss of this project has stung for some time. Which leads me to the three options that could be taken to remedy that heartbreak.

Option 1: A Dark Horse Comic Adaptation Of Hellboy III’s Script

It has to be admitted that we’ll probably never see a live-action Hellboy III. Despite winning two Academy Awards and bringing home the gold for movies like The Shape of Water and Netflix’s Pinocchio adaptation, Guillermo del Toro still gets rejections from the studio system. If the man can’t get the suits to approve an adaptation of In the Mountains of Madness with Tom Cruise starring, a third Hellboy movie isn’t exactly an easy sell.

So why not make Hellboy III into a comic adaptation? Though creator Mike Mignola rejected that notion initially, I’d like to think the success of things like Batman ‘89 and Superman ‘78 might convince him that the public would be have room in its hearts for a limited run Hellboy III adaptation, alongside whatever stories he may want to tell. But let’s say for now that this option is off the table. That’s fine, as there are two more ways to potentially un-cancel this apocalypse.

Option 2: Hellboy III Could Become An Audio Drama

Audio dramas can make pretty much anything possible. The world of Doctor Who has become richer as a result, William Gibson’s draft of Alien 3 saw itself become an Audible Original with Michael Biehn and Lance Henriksen participating, and the world of Halo even broadened its horizons with some seriously fantastic series. Hellboy III would very easily fit into a world like this; especially since there were a handful of animated spinoffs that did bring back key cast members.

Without having to worry about the gap in-between sequels, anyone who wants to return for Hellboy III could very easily do so. And though Ron Perlman would easily return to Hellboy for Guillermo del Toro, an audio drama version of this story could only make that deal easier to seal, especially since the physicality of the project would be greatly reduced.

This would especially be important for actor Selma Blair, as living with Multiple Sclerosis has made physical performances more difficult to execute. And honestly, anything that makes it more likely for Ms. Blair to consider returning as Liz is a win in my book, as she’s just as important to the Hellboy family as Perlman and Doug Jones are. It wouldn’t be as emotionally devastating if Selma Blair didn’t at least have the option to close out her character’s arc.

Option 3: Guillermo Del Toro Makes A Animated Hellboy III Film

As of late, Guillermo del Toro has become more and more fascinated with the world of stop-motion animation. While he’s continued to work on live-action films, like his adaptation of Frankenstein for Netflix, there’s a potential that he might eventually focus solely on animation as his medium of choice. That would be yet another fantastic venue for Hellboy III to finally become a reality.

The advantages of an audio drama would be present in any sort of animated prospects, while at the same time allowing del Toro’s visual flair to remain the picture as well. Frankly, I think this is the best option out of these three, as it’s the closest one could hope to get to Hellboy’s story closing out in a form as beautiful as its predecessors.

Maybe even more so, considering the wild things animation, stop-motion or otherwise, can do for a picture like this. And considering we saw the potential for this sort of picture through Hellboy II: The Golden Army's absolutely gorgeous stop-motion flashback, it's not that big of a stretch.

Honestly, if Ron Perlman isn’t done hounding Guillermo del Toro about making Hellboy III happen, then we fans should be there to back that call. 20 years ago, I fell in love with Mike Mignola’s creation as it was adapted for the big screen, and its sequel only made me even more of a fan. It’s time to put the Hellboy series to rest, and not by giving up on its conclusion, but by seeing it through.

Friends, if you want to take a beautiful trip down memory lane, you can easily stream both of Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy movies. At the time of this publication, both the 2004 original and Hellboy II: The Golden Army are both available to watch through the power of Tubi. So free, ad-supported streaming is all you need at the moment to reminisce about the B.P.R.D’s cinematic glory in hopes to inspire the powers that be to finish the story.

In a career that’s seen him bring everything from the California Raisins to the Fantastic Mr. Fox to life, stop-motion animator/director Mark Gustafson’s legacy is nothing short of magic. Most recently, the co-director of Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio became one of the 2023 Oscar winners with Mr. del Toro himself. Sadly, Gustafson has been reported dead at the age of 64, which prompted his collaborator to pen a heartfelt tribute on social media.

Sharing his feelings through a Twitter post, complete with a picture of himself and Gustafson on the Pinocchio set, del Toro honored his friend and collaborator thusly:

Mark Gustafson’s passing was confirmed through further reporting from Deadline, which also mentioned that his cause of death was allegedly due to a heart attack. Mark is survived by his wife Jennifer, as referred to in Guillermo del Toro's fitting tribute above. 

Beginning his career at the famed Will Vinton Studios, Mark’s experience with Claymation would see him help in the making of projects like the infamously trippy The Adventures of Mark Twain, and the special Meet The Raisins! Also banking credits as a writer/director, Mark Gustafson would expand his resume with TV shows like the Eddie Murphy sitcom The PJ’s. 

Although you may have seen one of Mr. Gustafson's most famous works, and hadn't known it for almost 30 years! That's because his stop-motion prowess gave us the 1996 Nissan commercial entitled "Toys." Yes, it's the ad that you think it is, and in case you're confused, we've included it below for reference:

Naturally, besides his co-directing gig on Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Mark Gustafson’s most memorable credit to modern audiences is serving as the animation director on one of the best Roald Dahl adaptations, Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. His work on both of those films is perhaps the most fitting tribute to his career making some of the best stop-motion movies and TV ever, and for good reason.

With both movies telling stories about the joys of life, as well as its responsibilities and heartbreaks, the impact of Gustafson's craft cannot be understated. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio especially seems fitting, as it's not only his final credit, but it's also one of those movies we'll still discuss 10 years from now, as well as for the foreseeable future.

Reading through Guillermo del Toro's stories about working with the man, as well as remembering him for his work, those who knew the work of Mark Gustafson would be able to solemnly nod their heads in agreement. It's in that spirit that we here at CinemaBlend send our deepest condolences to Mark Gustafson’s friends and family, as they navigate this time of sorrow and remembrance.

Following his animated success with the stop motion revelation Pinocchio, director Guillermo Del Toro is re-teaming with Netflix for yet another whimsical classic. The horror master himself is taking on Frankenstein, and the cast, which included Andrew Garfield, Mia Goth and Oscar Isaac, created a lot of buzz for the new project. However, it was recently announced that Jacob Elordi would be taking on the monster character in the new film in Garfield's place, and of course the internet had mixed opinions on the matter. 

After taking a break from acting following a number of high profile projects, Garfield was set to return with the latest Guillermo Del Toro movie. However, according to Deadline, scheduling conflicts made this partnership impossible, and The Amazing Spider Man star had to step down from the film. Upon announcing Garfield’s exit, Elordi was announced as his replacement. Some fans are excited to see the Euphoria star work with yet another Oscar-winning filmmaker, while others were devastated to lose Garfield as the star. One fan expressed their wild disappointment on X by using the breakdown scene from The Bear:

I’m not sure Garfield is allergic to good projects, as the actor has been nominated for two Academy Awards. However, this buzzy project with the Hacksaw Ridge actor attached did seem like a great addition to his filmography.  Another X user used another meme to express their anger, hoping that Garfield could be convinced to return to the project. 

Most Garfield fans weren’t upset for Elordi to join Frankenstein, but were more upset about losing the tick..tick…BOOM! actor as a result. One fan said on X:

While there was certainly a lot of dismay from Garfield fans, Jacob Elordi fans could not be happier and actually thought he was a better choice for the role. One fan pointed out on X that his height gave him a major advantage, saying: 

They definitely have a point, as fans were overwhelmed with just how tall Elordi was when photographed at the Priscilla premiere. Another X user agreed with this notion, stating that they totally can see why the young movie star was selected to take over the role.

It seems like fans of the source material are also happy with the new casting, with one user on X saying that the Saltburn actor was perfect for the part:

Even if you are an Andrew Garfield fan mourning the loss of his Frankenstein performance, there is still plenty to be excited about for this adaptation. Christoph Waltz also joined the cast recently, ironing out a pretty all-star group to be exploring Guillermo del Toro’s take on the iconic source material. In addition, the filmmaker has a deep seated love for movie monsters and the adaptations that have come before it, so the movie is definitely in the right hands. Also, Elordi has a great track record when it comes to working with auteur directors, so it’ll be interesting to see what he does with the role. 

Frankenstein is still in pre-production, so it may be a while before the film becomes available for Netflix subscribers. In the meantime, you can check out Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, which is also available on the streamer. Additionally, Andrew Garfield fans disappointed by the recast can still rest assured that their favorite actor will be hitting the big screen once again in We Live In Time, which is expected to head to theaters later this year.

The franchise kicked off by 2013’s Pacific Rim is a firm example of a series that, despite an irregular pace of progress, still seems to be kicking around in the hearts and minds of those who love it. Actor and star Charlie Hunnam could be seen as a case study for why that is, especially with his answer to the question of whether he would do a Pacific Rim 3. Both as a journalist and a fan of this series that includes some of the best sci-fi movies, I couldn’t love his answer about doing a third film more. 

Despite the reasons Charlie Hunnam wasn’t in Pacific Rim: Uprising, there’s still a clear love for Guillermo del Toro’s process at the heart of what he had to say about a three-quel. Through Inverse’s TikTok, the Sons of Anarchy vet and current member of the Rebel Moon cast can now be seen delivering the following answer: 

That last part shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who follows del Toro’s work. Charlie Hunnam would actually reteam with his Pacific Rim helmer not too long after the 2013 sci-fi epic, in the underrated 2015 gothic horror/romance Crimson Peak. So clearly it’s not just a case of loyalty to canceling the apocalypse here; as Charlie will gladly reunite with Guillermo whenever called upon.

Personally, seeing both Hunnam and Guillermo del Toro returning for Pacific Rim 3 would be a blazing ball of excitement. Co-writer/director Steven S. DeKnight’s Pacific Rim: Uprising introduced new characters and took things in a slightly different direction. However, the 2018 sequel did have a common goal in mind with where Mr. del Toro wanted to take things for a threequel. Yes, I’m talking about that potential MonsterVerse crossover.

DeKnight admitted to structuring his version of Pacific Rim 3 to end exactly where the two worlds could collide. And in an interview during Pacific Rim’s press rounds, Guillermo del Toro’s extreme enthusiasm for a Godzilla crossover was palpable. With the MonsterVerse’s popularity in full swing, and Legendary Pictures’ stake in both series, it’s kind of surprising to see this pitch not coming to fruition just yet. 

However, if you could get Guillermo del Toro and Charlie Hunnam to sign on, you could be sure that Pacific Rim 3 would probably become a going concern rather quickly. Especially when the excitement for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire promises a world where much bigger obstacles are going to be required to keep the party going. 

While the co-director of Netflix’s Pinocchio film seems to be content with eventually staying in the realm of stop-motion, it’d be nice to convince him to take Pacific Rim 3 as a potential live-action finale to his career of flesh and blood storytelling. Then again, maybe combining Guillermo del Toro and Steven S. DeKnight into a drift configuration of storytelling wonder could see both men pushing this series into the future for some time ahead. In which case, Mr. Hunnam's Raleigh Becket would be a very essential party.

Ok Pilots: from here you’ve got two different objectives you can pursue. If you want to go back to the world of Pacific Rim, the first film is streaming for those with a Hulu subscription at the time of this publication. However, if you want to follow Charlie Hunnam in his new role as part of Rebel Moon: Part 1 - A Child of Fire, then you’ll want to tune in with a Netflix subscription, and blast off! 

Since Godzilla Minus One hit theaters earlier this month, it has already broken box office records for a live-action Japanese theatrical release in North America and been named one of the best movies of 2023. Amidst the latest kaiju movie finding success, Pacific Rim filmmaker Guillermo del Toro caught the movie and was inspired by its release to discuss his own experience trying to make a period genre film. 

One standout aspect of Godzilla Minus One is its post-World War II setting, as it offers a more in-depth conversation about the fallout of nuclear war on Japan. Guillermo del Toro reflected one of this month’s 2023 new movie releases with these words: 

On Twitter, del Toro shared that seeing Godzilla Minus One reminded him of a project of his that never came to be because Universal couldn’t get behind the fact that it was a period piece. The project he discusses specifically is The List of Seven, which would have been an adaptation of Mark Frost’s 1993 novel of the same name. 

Del Toro was working with the author to develop the adaptation before it was cancelled. The novel takes place in 1884 and follows Sherlock Holmes writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as he is invited to a seance where two people were apparently murdered. As Del Toro continued: 

Guillermo del Toro has not been shy in recent years about his range of experiences working with movie studios to get his projects made. Earlier this year, the filmmaker who famously made movies like The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth and Nightmare Alley shared that he still gets rejected to this day by studios, saying at the time that five of his ideas had just been rejected in the matter of two months. He called the moviemaking process “frustratingly difficult” and likened it to “eating a sandwich of shit.” 

While del Toro spoke of being rejected regarding a period piece he wished he could have made nearly 30 years ago, it clearly comes at a time when a genre film that takes place in the past is proving studios wrong about how viable they can be. Guillermo del Toro is currently working on a few exciting projects, including his own version of Frankenstein and a stop-motion animated adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant. Godzilla Minus One continues to play in theaters. 

A long time ago, in a boardroom probably somewhere in California, Disney purchased Lucasfilm. The 2012 acquisition allowed the world of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows to develop into what it is today, expanding the Skywalker Saga and all adjacent concerns to a grander scale. Even in the light of that empire building, and 11 years after that buyout took place, the story I want to see told the most in this storied franchise is still waiting to become a reality. 

We’re Still Missing Guillermo Del Toro’s Hutt Family Epic

I know, some of you out there are probably saying that you can’t miss a project if it never happened. To that, I say you’re clearly not a fan of the great and honorable Guillermo del Toro, a filmmaker who has a graveyard of unrealized projects that includes the lamentably canceled Silent Hills video game, as well as movies like At the Mountains of Madness.

There are a ton of movies that the Academy Award winner hasn’t been able to tackle. Somehow, even after becoming a fan-favorite creative force who manages to walk the beautiful line between screams and tears, Mr. del Toro is still rejected by studios.

We can talk about how this should be punishable by law another time, but as I was reminded by a recent interview, Guillermo del Toro had a pitch to tell the story of the Hutt crime family. After reminiscing about this prospect in honor of the Disney/Lucasfilm merger’s anniversary, it only makes me more upset that it still hasn’t happened yet. 

What Guillermo Del Toro Wanted To Do With His Jabba The Hutt Pitch

Picture this: what if The Godfather took place in the Star Wars universe, with the rise and fall of Jabba the Hutt front and center? That’s kind of what I’ve envisioned after reading the pitch he laid out for Collider during a recent screening of Pacific Rim in IMAX 3D. 

Was it necessary for me to mention the format of this screening? Technically no, but considering the heyday of the Sequel Trilogy and spinoffs like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story played in that very sandbox, it only makes me more excited in what could have been. 

Judging by the man’s track record, Guillermo del Toro’s Star Wars movie could be a visually lush adventure into the darker corners of this galaxy far, far away. Naturally there aren’t a lot of details that are available for this project, or what it would have entailed. But even with just a basic pitch of Jabba the Hutt and the Hutt Family’s history of vile behavior, it’s something that I think people would easily watch. 

How Far Did Guillermo Del Toro’s Star Wars Pitch Get?

This untitled Star Wars spinoff project got to what I feel is a pretty advanced stage, as there is a script for the rise and fall of Jabba the Hutt. Confirmed by Foundation’s David S. Goyer during his chat with Happy Sad Confused’s Josh Horowitz, Goyer had two unrealized Star Wars projects that are now floating in corporate controlled space. 

Oh, and there’s supposedly “a lot of cool artwork” also waiting to be protected from the sands of time. The cause of death for this project, according to David S. Goyer, was “a lot of behind [the scenes] stuff going on at Lucasfilm.” Which again, feels like it was a response to the fan pressure exerted after the mixed reaction to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. That's not confirmed by any stretch, but it is a theory I'm heavily invested in.

Why I Still Really Want Guillermo Del Toro To Put His Stamp On Star Wars

I know there are tons of tales involving every Star Wars movie we were supposed to get since Disney bought Lucasfilm, and Guillermo del Toro’s fabled Hutt epic isn’t a stranger in that respect. At the same time, the concept is one of the things I think the franchise needs to embrace more than it has: it’s a non-heroic tale that doesn’t closely involve the Skywalker Saga. 

Save for the pieces of the Original Trilogy narrative where Jabba the Hutt intersects, you can very easily tell this story without needing to go back to the well of The Force. That above all else is the one thing I value, besides the fact that Guillermo del Toro and David S. Goyer could craft a narrative that compels the audience to observe and maybe even root for Jabba at some points. 

The Star Wars underworld is still a vast world that hasn’t totally been explored in the cinematic or televised corners of this universe, with a lot of those efforts coming from books or video games. However, there’s one last hope that I have to express here, as I continue to want Disney to move past its own comfort zone and into projects such as these. 

If Guillermo del Toro’s Jabba the Hutt saga were a hit, it would more than likely need to tie into both a potential Solo sequel, as well as the Lando movie Donald Glover is developing. With those three projects, a cinematic universe of criminality would exist in the Star Wars franchise, which could also help cook up even more special events ranging from Disney+ series to theme park attractions.

Obviously Guillermo del Toro and David S. Goyer have moved onto other projects in their careers. The former is getting ready to make his Frankenstein adaptation for Netflix, while the latter continues to forge ahead on Foundation’s eight-season plan for Apple TV+. So it’s not like these men are longing for something to do with their creative lives. 

At the same time, if Kathleen Kennedy and the Lucasfilm brass were to approach them both with a chance to resurrect this Star Wars crime saga, I wouldn’t be surprised if they picked it all back up again. Then again, that’s exactly what I’m hoping will happen, as this idea is too developed to just sit gathering dust in an archive. 

So maybe the waiting game will actually benefit us fans who'd like to take a break from lightsabers and get back to stories with odd creatures, blaster fights and nary a Jedi insight. Star Wars fans, if you’re looking for something to entertain you from that galaxy far, far away, a Disney+ subscription is all you need. Though if you happen to want to see this Guillermo del Toro project as much as I do, you might want to start making some noise on the internet. It certainly couldn't hurt.

The world of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows is always changing, and that’s both a good and a bad thing on a case-by-case basis. One moment you’ve got a hit series like Ahsoka making fans absolutely giddy with delight, and the next you’re bumming people out by revealing a project Guillermo del Toro would have directed that never saw the light of day. That last scenario was revealed to be true by The Dark Knight writer David S. Goyer, and now I’m gonna need a moment to process this loss. 

As he sat down with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Goyer revealed that he wrote two unproduced Star Wars projects that could have been amazing. In the case of the del Toro project, the Foundation showrunner noted that he’d written it about four years ago, and there’s “a lot of cool artwork” that came out of it. Here’s a clip from that appearance, with some extra teases from Guillermo himself to fuel the fire in the retweet: 

You know something, I lied. It’s not going to take “a moment” to process this, as details such as these are too good to let go. Especially when there’s a possibility that those letters revealed by Guillermo del Toro’s tweet could be seen as a reference to his pitch for a Jabba the Hutt movie. Unless the letters "J" and "BB" are supposed to indicate a multiversal Jar-Jar Binks variant, with an extra B in his name.  

The timing lines up with remarks del Toro made on the project in 2017, which is more than I can say for the edges of my now broken heart. Seriously, this is a Star Wars cancellation that sits up there with ditching the gorgeous-looking video game Star Wars 1313, as well as the news that Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron project was removed from the 2023 movie schedule. 

The turmoil that David S. Goyer alluded to in his interview seems to be more connected to that second project’s fate. This mysterious script sounds like it may have been lost during the Lucasfilm shake-ups in the wake of Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s 2017 release. This, of course, led to Colin Trevorrow’s “traumatic” departure from what was supposed to be the original concept for Episode IX.

At this point, I know it’s crazy to hope that Guillermo del Toro and David S. Goyer’s project will be resurrected. So for the most part, I’ll limit my hopes to the arrival of the day when that cool artwork and the script that inspired it potentially meet the eyes of the public in raw form. 

But then again, if Donald Glover’s Lando can find new life as a movie, then maybe those hopes aren’t living in a galaxy far, far away. If you want to revel in the world of the Star Wars universe that does exist, you can use your Disney+ subscription to enjoy tales of droids, Jedi, and even the Hutts. 

Some of the most fantastical creatures and stories that have hit the big screen have come from directors James Cameron and Guillermo del Toro. With imaginations that run in similar circles, it’s no surprise that they have such an interesting history as friends and collaborators. So it shouldn't be a big deal that a clip of del Toro sharing a UFO encounter story is resurfacing at precisely the right time in our cultural zeitgeist, right? 

While a piece of this talk has been circulating around Twitter, the source is actually the AMC original series James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction. Airing back in 2018, the story you’re about to hear is rather fitting in light of the recent developments in the world of UFO knowledge. Check out the clip for yourself below: 

On the one hand, that del Toro UFO story is serious as anything, and the description of a young Guillermo and his friend being faced down by an alien craft is utterly believable. This is the man who won several 2018 Academy Awards for The Shape of Water, so he clearly knows his way around stories about otherworldly beings. The way that Mr. del Toro tells his story isn't with the air of a dreamweaver, but of someone who really wants to get across the reality of the situation. 

But even then, considering the close friendship that saw James Cameron assist in handling del Toro’s father’s kidnapping, you can detect the level of trust that between the men as this story unfolds. Though the encounter may have been serious, Cameron and del Toro find the humor in the situation, while also treating this story with the proper gravity. It may not be a smoking gun, but Guillermo del Toro's account is something that could cause even skeptics to doubt themselves.

Whether you call them UFOs or UAPs, the subject of extraterrestrial life has been a hot topic as of late. Recent government hearings on the matter have captivated imaginations, and even prompted some huge reactions. Jersey Shore star Snooki was pretty emotional, as she “literally wanted to cry” at what seems to be a moment in time where the existence of aliens has been proven. One has to wonder how Guillermo del Toro responded to the news, though one cold assume he wasn’t surprised at all. 

What’s also interesting is for as open and excited as the Hellboy director is about other lifeforms, he sounded pretty scared when supposedly coming that close to meeting one. That is a natural feeling, as unknown lifeforms such as these from among the stars can prompt a great deal of uncertainty, and at times anxiety. At least, that’s if you don’t buy into Steven Spielberg’s views on alien life.

The imagination of the world can run wild with the possibilities of what UFOs could do, and Guillermo del Toro’s story is one of many encounters that suggest something’s out there. No matter where you sit on that spectrum, you can watch the complete series of James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction on AMC+. That platform is available through several sources, such as an add-on to your Prime Video subscription.

Guillermo del Toro has achieved the best of both worlds in filmmaking. He’s made movies that have become iconic in popular culture, found commercial success and earned a ton of acclaim and accolades, including three Oscar wins. You’d think that would warrant the writer/director to be able to make anything he wants to, right? Per del Toro’s recent comments, even over 30 years into making movies in Hollywood, he still often gets rejected by studios, and he talked about that experience while comparing the filmmaking experience to being a "sandwich of shit."

Now, Guillermo del Toro does love to take big risks in his filmmaking, be it a romance between a human and a sea creature, or a Pinocchio movie that confronts Fascist Italy. His tastes may not exactly be mainstream, but they just about always find an audience to adore it. When del Toro recently spoke to his experience with studios, he warned studios are more interested in 'grinding out shit and destroying your art.' Also, in his words: 

The Pan’s Labyrinth filmmaker shared these thoughts during the Annecy Animation Festival this week (via The Hollywood Reporter). During the conversation, he spoke about how when studios call stories “content” or say the word “pipeline,” they are using “sewage language.” Del Toro has always been able to create art he wants through his movies and television, but he’s had to metaphorically eat a “sandwich of shit” as he put it, in order to make them how he wishes to. Along the way (even recently), he’s often faced with rejection. 

Del Toro recently found great success by making his first stop-motion movie in Pinocchio, which was a hit on Netflix and became the Best Animated Feature at this year’s Academy Awards. Moving forward, the filmmaker shared that there are a “couple more” live-action movies he wants to make, but otherwise he only wants to do animation for the rest of his career. 

He is reportedly working on a live-action Frankenstein movie with Andrew Garfield, Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth, along with returning to stop-motion for Netflix’s The Buried Giant.  During the festival appearance, del Toro reflected on 2023’s great successes being animated movies, between The Super Mario Bros. Movie being the year’s first billion dollar hit and Across The Spider-Verse having a huge opening weekend earlier this month. As he continued: 

Following the massive success of those two animated movies, del Toro is hoping there will be more risks taken in the medium of animation. His upcoming movie, The Buried Giant, for example, is an “adult fantasy drama” from Nobel Prize-winning British writer Kazuo Ishiguro about an elderly couple living in a world where no one can keep their long-term memories. Here’s to more original films from del Toro being greenlighted (because why wouldn’t they?) and animation continuing to find advancements! 

Guillermo del Toro has made some incredible live-action films that people love, and he’s even won the Oscar for Best Picture for one of them. But more recently he has become a sort of ambassador for animation. Following the Oscar-winning success of his Pinocchio, del Toro has argued that animation has been pigeonholed too much into telling certain kinds of stories, but he thinks the format is moving in the right direction. And he credits Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, as well as other recent and upcoming films, for that.

Animation is frequently seen as a medium designed for “kids' movies” and so with that, we’ve seen a lot of very similar stories being told in animated films. Del Toro's Pinocchio was certainly a more mature story than we tend to see with animation, and the director thinks that following that success (as well as Spider-Verse, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and the upcoming animated Ninja Turtles movie), now is the time to basically sneak the stories people want to tell into animation. Speaking at the Annecy animation festival (via THR) del Toro said… 

While Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio certainly wasn't the first movie to tell a more adult story in the world of animation, it was one of the more successful, which may have helped open the door regarding this conversation. Certainly, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is about as far from Pinocchio as one could possibly get as far as style, genre, and design, and yet both tell compelling stories, with characters that feel real, that aren’t really for kids.

When Guillermo del Toro says that he sees animation as the purest form of art, he’s really not kidding. The director told the audience that while he still has a couple of live-action movies that he’d like to make, he also wants to continue working in animation, and eventually that’s all he wants to do. He continued…

There are other new movies that are stretching the old definitions of what animation can be. This weekend Pixar will release Elemental, the sort of romantic character drama that we’re used to seeing in live-action, but we’ve never seen done in animation before. There truly is no story that can’t be told in animation, and perhaps going forward we’ll start to see more of those stories told, in part thanks to the advocacy of people like Guillermo del Toro.

While he may not be the most prolific filmmaker in Hollywood and beyond, Guillermo Del Toro would easily be described as one of the most passionate, and it’s specifically that passion that has fueled his countless efforts to spearhead a classic Universal monster movie. That still hasn’t happened yet, with the studio’s Dark Universe still not fully formed in scope, so the director partnered with Netflix for a new feature based on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein novel that will presumably give him free rein on the visuals. Now, it looks like Del Toro has a trio of huge names lined up to join his newest feature, in the form of a pair of MCU stars and a modern day Scream Queen.

No doubt still celebrating his Best Animated Feature win at this year’s Oscars for his Netflix Pinocchio adaptation, Guillermo Del Toro seems to be taking strides with his next meticulously crafted live-action horror feature. According to Deadline, producers are in early talks to bring in Moon Knight’s Oscar Isaac, Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Andrew Garfield, and Ti West’s X and Pearl star Mia Goth. Nothing is super official just yet, and the streaming giant hasn’t confirmed, but that kind of casting news could instantly put the filmmaker’s Frankenstein near the top of the most anticipated Netflix movies on the way. 

At this still early point in the process, Del Toro is reportedly still toiling away on bringing the script together, though it’s not entirely certain how he’ll be adapting Mary Shelley’s iconic story, as far as whether it will be faithfully set in the historical timeline, or if it will be more of a modern reimagining. It’s reported that the actors haven’t yet received any formal offers to join the cast, but that the director has indeed met with each of them. It’s said that each is interested and inclined to join in on the monstrous fun. 

Mia Goth — whose horror creds also include A Cure for Wellness, 2018’s Suspiria remake, Marrowbone and new-to-2023 release Infinity Pool — is understandably believed to be in line to take on the role of Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s love interest, though the context of their romance is up to anyone’s imagination. As much as I’m sure Del Toro would love to turn Goth into his own version of the Bride of Frankenstein, the specifics of that character and other details fall into copyrighted territories, so he’ll maybe need to stick closer to the source material in that respect.

Meanwhile, it's unknown who would be playing the maddest doctor of them all, Victor Frankenstein, between Isaac and Garfield. It's also not known exactly who the other actor would be portraying, though it's safe to bet that an Igor-esque assistant would be involved. Considering his highly acclaimed performance in FX's Under the Banner of Heaven, Garfield would also be a solid choice for whatever community leader eventually steps in to try and thwart the doc's resurrection-minded efforts, and/or to destroy the abomination that's eventually created. But then he's also tall, so he'll probably be the Monster.

News of this project may or may not conflict with other upcoming movies and shows that the rumored star trio have lined up. Just this week, Oscar Isaac was announced as a lead in Amazon Studios' drama Helltown, which will explore Kurt Vonnegut's early adult life before becoming a legendary author.  Also this week, Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh are set to co-star in a new romantic comedy feature called We Live in Time. And then fans can expect to see Mia Goth at some point in the near-ish future in the third film of Ti West's southern fried porn trilogy MaXXXine.

Not to mention the fact that Del Toro himself is reportedly working on another stop-motion animated feature called The Buried Giant, for which he's currently co-writing the script, and is set to eventully direct. Given how long it takes to pull that kind of movie together, horror fans would no doubt like to see him bring Frankenstein to the operating table first. 

We'll have to wait and see if and when Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein will come alive...aliiiiiive...but there are lots of ways to utilize a Netflix subscription until then, so don't miss out!

Hot off Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio scoring a 2023 Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, the filmmaker is returning to the medium of stop-motion animation for another Netflix movie. The writer and director also known for Pan’s Labyrinth, the Hellboy movies and The Shape of Water is helming an adaptation of a fantasy novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. 

Guillermo del Toro will direct, produce and co-write a movie called The Buried Giant, which is based on the 2015 fantasy novel about an elderly couple living in a fictional time post-Arthurian England where people can no longer retain long-term memories. The announcement comes from The Hollywood Reporter just a couple months after his Pinocchio adaptation became a top viewed movie for those with a Netflix subscription. 

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio was the filmmaker’s first foray into stop-motion animation, and it has not only impressed critics, it was in Netflix’s Global Top 10 for four weeks in a row and has found itself among the Top 10 in 92 countries. Given the success, it’s no wonder del Toro, Netflix and the animation studio that brought the story to life, ShadowMachine, are eager to work together again so soon. 

The filmmaker previously teased to CinemaBlend that he was set to “announced a couple surprising things” in the near future regarding his partnership with Netflix, and here we are, getting another movie from Guillermo del Toro! The writer/director also recently worked with Netflix on his horror series packed with WTF moments, The Cabinet of Curiosities. 

Kazuo Ishiguro’s work has been adapted for the screen before, notably with the 2010 film, Never Let Me Go, based on the 2005 dystopian sci-fi novel of the same name. The movie starred Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield. Before that, Ishiguro’s 1988 novel, The Remains of the Day, was also adapted into a 1993 movie starring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, Christopher Reeve and Hugh Grant. 

The Buried Giant is right down del Toro’s alley considering the filmmaker loves fantasy so deeply and has often explored the genre in his work. The novel was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for best novel back in 2016. Guillermo del Toro will have a hand in writing the script alongside Dennis Kelly, who also penned the 2014 submarine disaster film Black Sea, along with Netflix’s recent Matilda the Musical movie. 

Guillermo del Toro put together an incredible cast for Pinocchio, which included Ewan McGregor, Cate Blanchett, Christoph Waltz and Tilda Swinton, so chances are the cast of The Buried Giant is going to be rather stellar too. Given del Toro’s track record for incredible movies over the years, including his many award nominations, we’re putting this on our watch list immediately! 

James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and Guillermo del Toro all had pretty amazing years in 2022. Cameron has released one of the highest grossing films of the year, Spielberg made a semi-autobiographical story that is expected to compete strongly at the Oscars, and del Toro finally completed a passion project to near universal acclaim. These three clearly have a lot to talk about during the next meeting of their “secret film club” which apparently a thing that exists and we want in.

Speaking with young stars Jaime Flatters and Bailey Bass, who play Neteyam and Tsireya in Avatar: The Way of Water, CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell learned from Flatters that the three accomplished directors, who are very public friends, also have something secret. Flatters explained that while he wasn’t aware of any specific feedback that del Toro gave Cameron on the new Avatar, he did know the three directors did have a secret club together, saying…

It’s unclear exactly what form this secret film club takes. Maybe they just have a group text chat or regular video calls to talk about movies. I choose to believe they get together once a month and watch old movies with a big bowl of popcorn. 

When you’re a director at a level like Spielberg, del Toro, or Cameron, it would be near impossible for these three to avoid knowing each other, but beyond that, it’s clear that there are real friendships among them. As friends it’s not exactly shocking to learn these three get together and talk about movies, the connection between Cameron and del Toro is about as personal as it gets, but Bailey Bass certainly felt that this “secret movie club” was truly supposed to remain a secret.

Who knows what these three geniuses talk about in their club, but one has to assume that they must critique each other to some degree. Getting the opinion of a friend on your work is always valuable. When that friend is also an accomplished person in your field it means that much more. It’s for that reason that Jamie Flatters certainly hopes that all three of these great directors love Avatar: The Way of Water. Flatters continues… 

From all indications it appears that James Cameron is quite happy with hi new movie. With the movie on the verge of breaking $1.5 billion at the global box office, it looks like most people are quite happy with it.  

2022 has been an exciting year of new movie releases, with everything from legacy-quels to pleasant surprises making some notable splashes. It’s the sort of thing that makes a critic nostalgic whenever a new year is on the horizon, which is partially why you see so many top 10 lists this time of year. Well, that and leaving your personal stamp on the year that was is a fun way to wrap things up.

While we also have CinemaBlend’s Top 10 Movies of 2022 in play, which is based on the entire staff’s ratings of the films released throughout the calendar year. However, if you’re interested in what I personally saw as the 10 best movies of the year, you’re in the right place. Let’s work our way up the chain, hitting each of 2022’s best movies by starting with number 10.

10. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

There was no shortage of adaptations for Carlo Collodi’s famed fable Pinocchio in 2022. Three different interpretations found their way to audiences, but the best one happens to also be one of this year’s best films. Resurrecting his passion project through Netflix, director/co-writer Guillermo del Toro turned the story we thought we knew into a beautiful tale of life, death and honor.

A gorgeous stop motion masterpiece, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio took a story known for children’s entertainment and gave it a refresh that allows even the most cynical adults a chance to believe in its powers. And if that ending doesn’t sock you straight in the chest. I’d check your pulse if I were you.

Stream Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio on Netflix. 

9. Top Gun: Maverick

It should be considered a miracle that Top Gun: Maverick even exists. We almost got a sequel to the Tom Cruise classic back in the ‘80s, but Maverick’s timing couldn’t have been better. In a market where legacy-quels are hot, returning to the world of Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell was a welcomed respite from world events, and a fantastic welcome back to theaters. 

Through a story that modernizes what we love about Top Gun, director Joseph Kosinski and co-writer Christopher McQuarrie found the right road on which to return to the Danger Zone. Characters and events from the first Top Gun became an even better movie after seeing what Maverick did to honor the series’ legacy. The entire third act is a breathless finale to a movie that took its time setting up, and it should practically act as a blank check for all involved to pursue any project they could dream of.

Stream Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+.

8. Disenchanted

While it didn’t take nearly as long for Disney’s legacy-quel Disenchanted to hit the world, it’s another firm example of a long-awaited sequel bringing the goods. Rather than just playing to the standard sequel formula of doing the same thing, except bigger and louder, this new chapter in the life of Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) finds a novel concept and plays it to the hilt. 

Reversing the tide for this fish out of water, we’re thrown head first into the magic and music that Giselle knows from her home of Andalasia. Disenchanted gets to go bigger and brighter than its predecessor, but it has a good reason for doing so. Seeing Amy Adams comfortably return to her cheery persona, in addition to playing a more sinister spin on Giselle, only ties the package together into a severely impressive legacy-quel that shines right beside its notable original.

Stream Disenchanted on Disney+.

7. The Gray Man

This could be a controversial choice, but I really don’t care. For my money, Netflix’s The Gray Man was an exciting blast of action, comedy and fast-paced thrills. Starting off strong and slick, and never letting up, the Ryan Gosling-led espionage ensemble is hardboiled fun in the vein of Shane Black’s best. The Russo Brothers, teamed with frequent screenwriting collaborators Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, put every inch of their Marvel Cinematic Universe acumen to work on this one.

Some of the action set pieces included in The Gray Man should be studied, as things escalate pretty quickly, but never get lost in the chaos. A new franchise is cooking over at Netflix through The Gray Man, and I really hope they go bigger on the theatrical presence next time, as this was an experience I was honored to actually have in a movie theater. 

Stream The Gray Man on Netflix.

6. The Batman

Resurrection is a hobby that quite a few heroes engage in throughout the world of comics, which makes The Batman’s existence seem like a natural occurrence. That said, director Matt Reeves' adventure is far from typical DC Comics fare. 

Leaning into the neo-noir nature of the character, Robert Pattinson’s new Bruce Wayne/Batman is seen feeling his way through those middle years of a superhero’s origins we rarely get to see. With iconic characters reinvented through a powerhouse cast like Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright, Zoë Kravitz, and Andy Serkis, the future of Gotham couldn’t be brighter. 

Stream The Batman on HBO Max.

5. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Adults deserve a good fairy tale as much as the kids do, and Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris delivers on that front. A pleasant surprise that sparkles with beauty and heart, Lesley Manville’s titular washerwoman sets out to get a dress from Paris. Reading that plot on paper may not seem exciting, but co-writer/director Anthony Fabian makes an absolute delight out of author Paul Gallico's mid-century tale of high fashion and the high hopes it inspires.

Stream Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris on Peacock Premium.

4. Belle

The world of anime continues to make a huge impact on the medium of animation, expanding its audience with each sterling hit. Mamoru Hosoda has been one of the talents that have pushed that effort with fantastic effect, through movies like Belle. While it didn't score a nomination at this year's Academy Awards, Belle is still stiff cultural competition for contemporaries like The Mitchells vs. The Machines and Encanto

A social media influenced spin on Beauty and the Beast, Hosoda’s film continues his tradition of gorgeous that sit on the crossroads of traditionally animated stories and those more modern, thoughtful films we’ve seen in more recent years. No matter if you enjoy the subbed or dubbed version, Belle doesn’t lose one ounce of its charms, providing a rousing story of empathy in a world of disconnected celebrity.

Stream Belle on HBO Max.

3. The Menu

Surprises are a valued thing in the world of movies, especially when the trailers seem to give away so much of any given film out there. The Menu is one of those movies that is enjoyed as cold as possible, even with the mystery being preserved rather well through its own marketing campaign. 

Riding the line between horror and comedy with surgical precision, Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy hold down an ensemble that is put through its paces, inspiring equal amounts of laughter and screams. Be warned: the lines between those feelings get quite blurry throughout the picture, right down to The Menu's fittlngly twisted ending.

Stream The Menu on HBO Max, starting January 3, 2023.

2. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

When you score a surprise hit like Knives Out, the pressure to deliver again is pretty damned great. Rian Johnson not only landed a laugh out loud comedy with that first film, but he also made a compelling and surprising mystery. Once again, the temptation of “bigger and louder” comes a calling with a movie like Glass Onion.

Johnson and star Daniel Craig actually manage to give into that tradition without cheapening the resulting product. Lusher and funnier than its predecessor, the latest Benoit Blanc mystery is even more fun to try and solve. It’s also sharper and more viciously entertaining, proving that this gentleman sleuth's success with audiences was no fluke.

Stream Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix.

1. Everything Everywhere All At Once

Early on in the year, I called Everything Everywhere All At Once the best film of the year and dared any other movie to best it. A lot of films came pretty close, and wound up with respectable slots on my list of the 10 best of 2022. But no movie could beat Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s totally bonkers tale of struggling to understand yourself, and your family, in a true multiverse of madness.

The narratives surrounding Michelle Yeoh’s performance and the resurgence of Ke Huy Quan’s career are only part of what’s endeared this movie to me. What’s even better is that by engaging in what Daniel Kwan dubbed “maximalism,” Everything Everywhere All At Once allows itself to be a large and colorful adventure that never loses sight of its personal stakes. We’re going to be talking about this one for some time, and it’s only fair because any movie that can make us all laugh, cry and smile this memorably deserves the attention it continues to get.

Stream Everything Everywhere All At Once on Showtime.

With competition like this, 2022 is yet another memorable year in movie magic. As we continue to make our way to 2023, plenty of other critics and viewers will slug it out to log their top 10 favorites from this year that was. From where I’m standing though, this is the definitive list of movie experiences that were the most thrilling. Let’s keep these movies in mind as we make our way into another promising year of cinematic adventure.