On a balmy Saturday night in Venice, the world of cinema was electrified as Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited adaptation of Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein" made its grand debut at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. The event, held at the iconic Lido, brought together a constellation of stars and an eager audience, all anticipating del Toro’s unique vision for the classic tale of creation, ambition, and alienation.
The world premiere on August 30, 2025, was nothing short of spectacular. As reported by Variety and the Associated Press, the gothic sci-fi epic received a thunderous 13-minute standing ovation—the longest and most enthusiastic of this year’s festival. The ovation left Oscar Isaac, who stars as the brilliant but tormented Victor Frankenstein, and Jacob Elordi, who plays the Creature, visibly emotional. The two actors embraced in front of the crowd, with Elordi resting his chin on Isaac’s head and receiving a kiss on the cheek, as the audience’s applause echoed through the Sala Grande Theater.
Del Toro, the acclaimed Mexican filmmaker behind Oscar-winning hits like The Shape of Water and Pinocchio, has described "Frankenstein" as the project he’s been preparing for his entire career. Speaking at a press conference, he reflected, "It was a religion for me. Since I was a kid—I was raised very Catholic—I never quite understood the saints. And then when I saw Boris Karloff on the screen, I understood what a saint or a messiah looked like. So I’ve been following the creature since I was a kid, and I always waited for the movie to be done in the right conditions, both creatively in terms of achieving the scope that it needed for me to make it different, to make it at a scale that you could reconstruct the whole world."
Del Toro’s passion for the material is unmistakable. In a separate interview with the Associated Press, he confessed, "It’s the movie that I’ve been in training for 30 years to do." Now that the film is completed, he admitted, "I’m in postpartum depression." The sense of culmination and emotional release was palpable for the entire cast and crew on premiere night.
Joining Isaac and Elordi on the red carpet were their co-stars: Mia Goth, who plays Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor’s love interest; Christoph Waltz as the wealthy arms merchant Harlander; and Felix Kammerer as Victor’s younger brother William. The premiere was a star-studded affair, with appearances from Leslie Bibb, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kaitlyn Dever, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Paris Jackson, Jesse Williams, Gemma Chan, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Molly Gordon, Sofia Carson, Nathalie Emmanuel, and many more. Composer Alexandre Desplat and other creative contributors also graced the event, underscoring the film’s high-profile status.
Outside the theater, the excitement was matched by the intensity of the moment. Several hundred anti-war protesters gathered peacefully nearby, using the global spotlight of the festival to draw attention to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Their presence served as a reminder of the world’s pressing concerns, even as the film industry celebrated its latest achievements.
Inside, the mood was one of awe and celebration. Jacob Elordi, who took on the role of the Creature late in the production, spoke candidly about his connection to the character. "It’s a vessel that I could put every part of myself into. In so many ways the creature that is on screen in that movie is the purest form of myself, he’s more me than I am," he told AP. Elordi’s physical transformation was equally dramatic; according to Variety, he spent up to 10 hours in the makeup chair to become the patchwork-skinned monster. Describing the process, Elordi said, "There’s so many different layers to the costume. When he’s born, he’s wearing nearly nothing. His chest is open and his head is high. Then, as he starts to experience pain, as we do as a teenager, he starts to hunch his shoulders. And as an adult, he closes off."
Oscar Isaac, meanwhile, found the story deeply personal. "This film feels particularly personal. I think ultimately it is about outsiders," he remarked. He recounted how del Toro prepared him for the role with a vivid metaphor: "I’m creating this banquet for you, you just have to show up and eat." The dynamic between Isaac’s ambitious, flawed scientist and Elordi’s vulnerable, misunderstood Creature lies at the heart of the film’s emotional resonance.
With a reported budget of $120 million and a runtime of 149 minutes, "Frankenstein" is a lavish production, aiming to reconstruct Shelley’s world with both grandeur and intimacy. The film is not only a major artistic endeavor but also a significant awards contender for Netflix. As Deadline and Variety note, the streaming giant is betting big on the film, hoping to replicate or even surpass the success of del Toro’s previous works, which have garnered Oscars and critical acclaim. Netflix has scheduled a staggered release: the film will arrive in select theaters on October 17, 2025, before streaming worldwide on November 7, 2025.
"Frankenstein" is also competing for the prestigious Golden Lion at Venice, facing off against high-profile entries like Yorgos Lanthimos’s "Bugonia," Kathryn Bigelow’s "A House of Dynamite," Park Chan-wook’s "No Other Choice," and Kaouther Ben Hania’s "The Voice of Hind Rajab." The festival’s winners, to be decided by a jury led by Alexander Payne, will be announced on September 6, 2025.
The buzz surrounding the film has only grown since its premiere. Fans thronged the theater, hoping for a glimpse of their favorite stars. Elordi and Isaac, ever gracious, stopped for selfies and autographs, with one fan shouting, "We love you, Jacob!"—to which Elordi replied, "Love you too!" The warmth between cast, crew, and audience reflected the film’s central themes of connection and humanity, even in the face of monstrosity and loss.
Del Toro’s return to Venice is a full-circle moment. The last time he attended was in 2017 with "The Shape of Water," which took home the festival’s top prize before winning four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Now, with "Frankenstein," del Toro revisits the monster mythos that first inspired him as a child, bringing it to life with a scale and artistry only possible after decades of filmmaking mastery.
As the festival continues and awards season looms, all eyes are on "Frankenstein"—a film born of lifelong obsession, crafted with painstaking care, and greeted with rapturous acclaim. Whether it claims the Golden Lion or not, its impact on audiences and the genre seems assured, breathing new life into a story that refuses to die.
