120 Days, $120 Million: Netflix Bets Big on Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’

Guillermo del Toro is the undisputed maestro of monster-filled storytelling. His ability to weave tales of beauty, tragedy, and humanity into fantastical worlds has earned him a devoted following and critical acclaim. Now, his creative partnership with Netflix is reaching new heights. After winning an Oscar for his last collaboration with the streaming giant, del Toro is back with a project so ambitious and grand it is turning heads across Hollywood. Netflix is investing a staggering $120 million into its highly anticipated adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, Frankenstein.

This significant financial backing is a testament to the strong bond between the filmmaker and the platform, a bond built on trust, creative freedom, and a shared history of success.  

Netflix and Guillermo del Toro hit it big with Frankenstein

The relationship between Guillermo del Toro and Netflix is a unique partnership in an industry often driven by financial returns. The production of Frankenstein took a significant amount of time and resources. The film’s shoot lasted approximately 120 days, with a budget that mirrored that number in millions of dollars. The $120 million budget makes it the second-most expensive film of the director’s career, as said in an interview with Variety. It represents a bold move by Netflix, signaling their confidence in the project’s potential for both commercial success and awards season recognition, building on their previous collaboration on Pinocchio.

Guillermo del Toro has a unique philosophy regarding film production. He has stated that his goal is to make every film look as though it cost double its actual budget. For Frankenstein, this means he wants the final product to have the visual grandeur of a $240 million feature. This creative ambition is a defining characteristic of his work, where the artistry and scope of the vision consistently exceed the financial allocation.

The director’s evolving budgets reveal a journey from small-scale passion projects to major Hollywood productions.

Guillermo Del Toro’s evolving budgets and his movies

The director’s career is marked by a progression in the scale of his projects. While his early works, like Cronos and The Devil’s Backbone, were made on modest budgets of a few million dollars, his move to Hollywood blockbusters saw a significant increase. Blade II and Hellboy had budgets in the range of $50-60 million, showing a growing capacity for large-scale filmmaking.

This progression culminated in the colossal budget for 2013’s Pacific Rim at $190 million, his most expensive film to date. Frankenstein’s $120 million budget positions it as a major undertaking. It shows a clear pattern in Guillermo del Toro’s filmography, where he balances his passion for intricate, personal stories like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water with the resources needed for grand cinematic spectacles. Frankenstein is coming soon to personal screens.

What do you think, will Frankenstein cross the double of the budget invested? Let us know in the comments below.