The creature lives. Netflix unveiled the first teaser for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein at Tudum 2025, and it’s every bit as gothic, grand, and gut-wrenching as you’d expect from the Oscar-winning auteur who made monsters his muse.
With a voiceover from Oscar Isaac, haunting glimpses of decaying staircases and ethereal horrors, and the long-awaited arrival of Jacob Elordi’s Creature, this isn’t your father’s Frankenstein — though it is very much Mary Shelley’s.
For del Toro, the film is a lifelong passion finally realized. “I first read Frankenstein as a child,” he told the crowd, “and I’ve been dreaming of making this film ever since. I’ve pursued it for 25 years.”
Fans of Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, and Pinocchio will feel the connective tissue — literally and thematically. There’s Victor with his candelabra in a crumbling mansion (shades of Crimson Peak), and a glimpse of a blood-red, angelic figure amid fire (a del Toro signature). The teaser pulses with grief, longing, and dread — a story not just of science and monstrosity, but of creation, control, and deep emotional scars. Watch the trailer below:
Isaac calls the role of Victor “the experience of a lifetime”, adding that the film is: “A dark and sumptuous emotional drama — a character piece sprung from the pages of Mary Shelley’s novel.”
Mia Goth, playing Elizabeth Lavenza, says she was drawn instantly by the source material and del Toro’s vision: “I love material like this. It all started with the book.”
And Elordi, stepping into the monstrous (and deeply human) role of the Creature, simply says: “Guillermo is a real-life genius… I’m incredibly proud of the work we all put in.”
Frankenstein premieres in November 2025, exclusively on Netflix.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
REELated:
Stranger Things 5 release dates revealed
