Guillermo del Toro has a list of unrealised projects longer than just about any other major filmmaker – but one of his longest-gestating passion projects finally appears to be moving ahead.

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The Mexican auteur has been hatching plans to make a new version of Mary Shelley's classic gothic horror novel Frankenstein since at least 2008, having even initiated make-up tests with his regular collaborator Doug Jones (Pan's Labyrinth, The Shape of Water) back in 2009.

But now, after various false starts, the adaptation looks all but certain to be his next project – with Netflix backing the film following their earlier partnership on his stop-motion Pinocchio film in 2022 and various big-name stars having been confirmed to join the cast.

"It's a movie I have been wanting to do for 50 years since I saw the first Frankenstein," del Toro explained during an interview with Collider in October 2023. "I had an epiphany, and it’s basically a movie that required a lot of growth and a lot of tools that I couldn't have done 10 years ago."

The fact that the film is happening at all after so long in development hell is cause for celebration, and so as we look ahead to its eventual release, read on for everything we know about the film so far – including when it might be released and who is attached to star.

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein release date speculation

While it does look like the film is going ahead, it's far too early to get excited about an imminent release date – with production not yet having started on the film.

Back in September 2023, it was reported by Production Weekly (via World of Reel) that del Toro had set a February 2024 production start date, so with any luck the film should be in the can at some point later this year.

However, when we take into account post-production and various other factors, it seems unlikely that it will be released in 2024 – with a premiere at one of the major festivals in 2025 more likely.

When we hear any more information we'll update this page accordingly, so keep checking back for all the latest updates.

Who could star in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein?

Jacob Elordi wearing a dark suit
Jacob Elordi. Stefania D'Alessandro/Getty Images

Del Toro had previously revealed that Andrew Garfield would be taking on a lead role as Frankenstein's Monster, but it appears that that role will now go to Saltburn and Priscilla star Jacob Elordi, after Garfield was forced to pull out as a result of scheduling conflicts.

Meanwhile, del Toro has also announced that Oscar Isaac will be taking on the role of Victor Frankenstein and that there will also be prominent parts for Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz.

And in January 2024, Deadline reported that several other stars including All Quiet on the Western Front's Felix Kammerer, The Killing's Lars Mikkelsen, Doctor Who's David Bradley, and child actor Christian Convery were all set to star as well.

So it certainly promises to be a star-studded affair!

What is the plot of Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein?

The plot of Frankenstein is perhaps one of the most well-known stories of all time – but del Toro won't simply be rehashing the familiar tale as we know it.

Instead, his version promises to provide a fresh take, which looks like it will take place decades after Frankenstein's supposed death, unfolding primarily from the perspective of Dr Pretorious – a character who previously appeared in the classic Universal Monster movie Bride of Frankenstein back in 1935.

According to World of Reel, a brief synopsis is as follows: "Set in 19th century Eastern Europe, the film is the story of Dr Pretorious, who needs to track down Frankenstein's monster — who is believed to have died in a fire forty years before — in order to continue the experiments on him."

When we get any official confirmation of this we'll update the page.

Is there a trailer for Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein?

Unfortunately, we're still some way off a trailer at this stage given that production is yet to get underway – but as soon as one becomes available we'll post it right here.

If you're looking for something to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news.

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Authors

Patrick Cremona, RadioTimes.com's senior film writer looking at the camera and smiling
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

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