Netflixhasn’t had any trouble acquiring prestigious titles for its massive streaming library. The company has always kept a close eye on the film festival circuit, acquiring and supporting indie darlings that could receive a big award push in the future. Even the heads of well-known distribution companies, like Neon, havecommented on Netflix’s abilityto swipe films from under them; Richard Linklater’sHit Manbeing one recent example. With acclaimed filmmakerGuillermo del Torosigning a multi-year deal with Netflix in 2020, it comes as no surprise that the streaming service revived his dormantFrankensteinproject. Now that it’s finally been made, the question loomed over fans whether the film would receive a theatrical release, which has now finally been confirmed.
The release of two new posters forFrankenstein(which you can check out below) ahead of its world premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on August 30 also came with the news that the movie would indeed be released in theaters for a special engagement on October 17. Whenthe first trailer forFrankensteinwas released on May 31, there was no news about a theatrical release date; Netflix only announced a worldwide streaming date of November 7. As Netflix has continued to acquire popular titles over the past few years, fans on social media have expressed their displeasure with the small theatrical windows some films received.
One of the more notable cases was that ofGlass Onion, the sequel to Rian Johnson’s 2019 filmKnives Out, in which starDaniel Craig publicly voiced his complaintsabout Netflix’s release mode for their films. The poster forFrankensteinstates that the movie will premiere in “select theaters,” indicating that it will follow the same release format as other Netflix films. Del Toro’s last movie,Pinocchio, received a similar release in 2022, with Netflix letting it play in theaters for a limited time.
‘Frankenstein’ Is Guillermo del Toro’s Dream Project, and Deserves a Theatrical Release
Guillermo del Toro has long discussed his aspiration tomake a faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’sFrankensteinsince the earliest days of his career. With the Venice International Film Festival only a couple of weeks away, the first audience will finally be able to experience the acclaimed filmmaker’s vision for one of the most groundbreaking and terrifying novels of all time. Del Toro toldDen of Geekearlier this year that his adaptation has been a long time coming, saying:
“To this day, nobody has written the book, but it has become my bible, because what Mary Shelley wrote captured the quintessential sense of isolation you experience as a kid. So,Frankenstein,to me, is the pinnacle of everything, and part of me wants to do a version of it, but part of me has, for more than 25 years, chickened out of making it. I dream I can make the greatestFrankensteinever, but then if you make it, you’ve made it. Whether it’s great or not, it’s done.”
Viewers will be able to decide for themselves if Del Toromade the greatest version ofFrankensteinwhen it hits Netflix in November, or, if you’re lucky, in one of the select theaters on October 17.
Frankenstein
