It’s a good time to be a fan of the classics — and of classic movie monsters.
The film industry has been leaning hard into remakes lately. 2024 will deliver a new take on Nosferatu from gothic filmmaker Robert Eggers, and his feel-bad Christmas film is just the tip of the iceberg. In 2025, monster lovers will be absolutely spoiled for choice. From Universal’s new take on the Wolf Man to Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Bride of Frankenstein remake, there’s plenty to look forward to in the new year.
There’s also a lot of buzz surrounding the next film from Guillermo del Toro, his long-gestating Frankenstein adaptation. The filmmaker has expressed interest in telling the seminal sci-fi story for over a decade, and after forging a creative partnership with Netflix in 2020, del Toro found the perfect home for his new vision. Vanity Fair treated fans to a first look at the new Frankenstein in its 2025 preview, and it’s clear the streamer is sparing no expense. With Frankenstein, del Toro is also returning to the subgenre that suits him best: steampunk.
It’s no secret that del Toro loves Victorian gothic vibes. He’s explored the genre in films like Crimson Peak and Cronos, but even his modern-day projects owe something to the aesthetic. Pacific Rim and The Shape of Water were each a bit steampunk in their own way, and Frankenstein will see del Toro embracing the look again for the first time in years.
Vanity Fair’s preview doesn’t give much away, but we do get our first glimpse of Oscar Isaac as the doomed Dr. Frankenstein, and possibly Jacob Elordi as his composite creation. For anyone needing a refresher, Frankenstein follows a mad scientist in his quest to reanimate dead flesh. He succeeds in his experiment, giving life to a being known as “The Creature,” but things go awry when the doctor abandons his pet project, and the Creature sets off to find his life’s purpose.
It’ll be interesting to see what del Toro brings to such a classic text: Frankenstein is surprisingly existential, but there’s no shortage of dread in the themes Shelley explored. There’s no doubt that del Toro is on point regarding the film's look, but where he takes the story from here is anyone’s guess.
