Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein movie adaptation is one of the most exciting 2025 films that has yet to be released, and it really needs to continue one trend that the director’s previous films have relied on. Guillermo del Toro has become known for his monster movies that feel like fairy tales, and while Frankenstein has been adapted to movies many times before, del Toro is the perfect filmmaker to offer a new take.

After having previously worked with Netflix on Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, del Toro is reuniting with the streaming service to again adapt a classic story. This time, del Toro is set to offer a direct adaptation of Marie Shelley’s original novel, although the film will undoubtedly have some signature del Toro twists.

2025’s Frankenstein will star Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as Frankenstein’s monster, with the Frankenstein supporting cast being made up of Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Ineson, and more. Details on Frankenstein are still slim, but hopefully del Toro is continuing this career trend in the film.

Guillermo Del Toro Needs To Rely On Practical Effects To Create Frankenstein’s Monster

Like Most Of Del Toro’s Other Movies

For Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein movie to work, it really needs to rely on practical effects to create Frankenstein’s monster. Del Toro has become known for his monsters, and Frankenstein’s monster is really the only creature in the story. Thus, del Toro has to get him right, and the design of the monster has yet to be seen.

The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, the Hellboy movies, and more have proven that del Toro excels when he can create monsters that rely on practical effects. Each of these movies features practical monsters that are far less grounded than the humanoid Frankenstein’s monster, so it shouldn’t be hard for del Toro to capture Jacob Elordi’s creature in-camera.

While many of del Toro’s monsters are supplemented with CGI, the creatures are mostly practical, and Elordi’s monster can be built the same way. Focusing mostly on practical makeup is the way to go, and any gore or more complicated bits can be touched up with computer effects in post.

Del Toro almost never has fully-CGI main characters, with Pacific Rim being the one major exception. So, it is safe to ᴀssume that Frankenstein will also rely on practical effects. If it doesn’t, however, this will be incredibly disappointing, robbing Frankenstein of the magic that makes Guillermo del Toro’s other movies so great.