Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein is now in select theaters and available on Netflix, with its debut on streaming allowing audiences to dissect every single corner of every single scene. One Easter egg that del Toro himself recently confirmed, though, has basically been staring us in the face for months: the typography of the title “Frankenstein” in the film’s poster and promotional materials is that of author Mary Shelley. With the years del Toro spent developing the film, this Easter egg only helps solidify the reverence he has for author Shelley and her novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus.
Over on Twitter, user @vampren_ shared how Frankenstein costume designer Kate Hawley used a sample of Shelley’s handwriting to engrave “Elizabeth” on a cross in the film. Another user pointed out the writing’s similarity to the writing on the poster, leading them to ask if Shelley’s writing was used as the template for the title, and del Toro confirmed, “It was…”
With Frankenstein having only been on Netflix for two weeks, it’s possible even more tributes to Shelley and her works will be discovered.
Del Toro Did Still Make Some Major Changes to the Story
Del Toro’s take on the novel is only the latest in a long line of adaptations of Shelley’s story, the most iconic of which being 1931’s Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff. Each adaptation, whether it be for a movie, TV show, or theatrical production, has to pick and choose the ways in which it honors the novel and the ways in which it deviates. This latest Frankenstein is arguably one of the most faithful adaptations yet, though del Toro did keep audiences on their toes.
One significant change is the role Mia Goth’s Elizabeth plays in this adaptation. In previous incarnations, and in the original story, Elizabeth is Victor Frankenstein’s loving partner who is ultimately killed by The Creature. In del Toro’s version, however, Elizabeth is engaged to Victor’s (Oscar Isaac) brother William (Felix Kammerer). Victor pursues Elizabeth romantically, despite her regularly dismissing him. Not only is Elizabeth in love with William, she is appalled by Victor’s treatment of The Creature (Jacob Elordi).
This isn’t merely an arbitrary decision, as del Toro has a long history of delivering stories in which a monster is the focal point of love and affection and those more traditionally attractive are rejected. Whether it be Hellboy, The Shape of Water, or Nightmare Alley, the filmmaker has given us a number of stories in which the externally unattractive characters are the most fortuitous.
In order to put his mark on the story and to let his version set itself apart, some characters are slightly changed, settings are shifted, and plot points are pushed aside, with another significant change being the film’s ending. Whether these tweaks will result in a better or worse experience for the viewer is up to them, though the attention to detail of the poster’s typography confirms any change del Toro made was out of passion for the material and far from arbitrary.
Frankenstein
- Release Date
-
October 17, 2025
- Runtime
-
149 Minutes