Key Insights
- Film Premiere: Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
- Director's Vision: Del Toro emphasizes that the film is not a metaphor for Artificial Intelligence (AI).
- Emotional Depth: The adaptation presents a family drama, offering a more emotional and layered narrative.
- Theatrical Release: The film will be released in theaters on October 17, 2025, followed by a global Netflix release on November 7, 2025.
Guillermo del Toro‘s long-awaited “Frankenstein” adaptation just made its debut at the Venice Film Festival. Unlike what most thought about the upcoming project, it is not a metaphor for the growing reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The veteran director recently spoke about this ahead of the film’s premiere this week.
Stories of “Frankenstein” have appeared repeatedly in all forms of media over the years. For veteran director Guillermo del Toro, “Frankenstein” was a lifelong dream. The movie presents a more layered take on Mary Shelley’s 1818 masterpiece.
The film will not be a metaphorical representation of AI, contrary to what most expected. Del Toro said at the film’s official press conference, “It’s not intended as a metaphor for that (via Variety).” He continued, “We live in a time of terror and intimidation, certainly. There is no more urgent task than to remain in a time where everything is pushing towards a bipolar understanding of our humanity. The movie tries to show imperfect characters and the right we have to remain imperfect, and the right we have to understand each other under the most oppressive circumstances.”
The director also stated that he is not really afraid of AI, which would have made the story less resonant. He added, “I’m not afraid of artificial intelligence. I’m afraid of natural stupidity.”
Del Toro is adapting the famed novel as a family drama, which means the story will become more emotional and layered. Deviating from the predictable AI angle is also a notable move, as most were already expecting it.
After premiering on August 30, 2025, at the Venice Film Festival, the film will receive a limited theatrical release on October 17, 2025. After this, Netflix will release the film globally on November 7, 2025.
Stay tuned for more updates.
