Guillermo del Toro Reanimates Frankenstein as the Next Cultural Obsession

Frankenstein isn’t just alive again—he’s gone viral. Guillermo del Toro, the visionary three-time Academy Award winner, has reimagined Mary Shelley’s iconic 1818 novel for a new era with his upcoming drama film premiering November 7 on Netflix. The cultural wave began before release, with a full-scale immersive takeover in London that proves Frankenstein is not just a film, but an aesthetic, a mindset, and a movement.

“Frankenstein: Crafting a Tale Eternal,” running October 17 through November 9 at The Old Selfridges Hotel in London in partnership with the BFI London Film Festival’s LFF for Free program, is more than an exhibition. It is a cinematic deep dive into del Toro’s creative process, allowing visitors to walk through the inner mechanics of his filmmaking. Instead of simply displaying costumes and props behind glass, the exhibition thrusts guests into Frankenstein’s world with film sets, creature prototypes, prosthetics, Tiffany & Co. jewelry from the film, and original concept sketches that map the evolution of the monster and its maker.

Every element tells a story of obsession and invention. Visitors step through the lab where ambition sparks to life, enter the film’s climactic wedding scene, and travel across the arctic tundra as the narrative spirals into myth. The journey ends in a listening chamber fully saturated with Alexandre Desplat’s monumental score—a finale designed to be felt as a physical and emotional experience.

Shelley’s legacy is embedded throughout. A rare book collection curated by Peter Harrington includes first editions of Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus alongside volumes by John Milton, Luigi Galvani, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, highlighting the radical ideas that inspired Shelley’s creation.

The exhibition opened with a high-profile reception attended by Guillermo del Toro and cast members Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz, joined by the film’s behind-the-scenes creative team including costume designer Kate Hawley, production designer Tamara Deverell and creature designer Mike Hill. The evening set the tone: this is not nostalgia. It is rebirth.

In New York, the world of Frankenstein has also taken over Tiffany & Co.’s Fifth Avenue flagship, The Landmark. To celebrate the film’s Netflix premiere, the heritage jeweler collaborated with del Toro on “Awaken Love: A Cinematic Window Experience.” Each of the store’s iconic display windows has been transformed into a living film scene refracted through Tiffany’s signature luxury aesthetic. Laboratory architecture meets high jewelry; digital animation merges with theatrical staging, all synchronized to Alexandre Desplat’s score. Visitors can scan QR codes to unlock exclusive behind-the-scenes content, while inside the store, Tiffany & Co. jewels worn by Mia Goth in the film are on view from The Tiffany Archives.

“Frankenstein: Crafting a Tale Eternal” is open to the public in London Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. BST, from October 17 to November 9. Admission is free with reservation. “Awaken Love: A Cinematic Window Experience” is now on display at Tiffany & Co.’s The Landmark in New York through November 3.

Frankenstein has returned—not as a relic of gothic literature, but as a living force at the center of cinema, fashion and culture.