I’m not even a fan of Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” but this is an update that’s worth celebrating.
Del Toro has confirmed that “Frankenstein” will receive a physical media release — a rarity for a Netflix Original. The news came when the filmmaker replied to a fan on Twitter, by saying that the deleted convent scene will be included among the special features.
Now, I’m not entirely sure if this physical media release will be done with Netflix, but odds are that The Criterion Collection is the most likely home for the disc, as they’ve distributed six del Toro movies (“Cronos,” “The Devil’s Backbone,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Shape of Water,” “Nightmare Alley,” and “Pinocchio”).
Criterion has picked up the slack for some of Netflix’s more arthouse originals such as Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma,” Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” Bong Joon-ho’s “Okja,” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story.”
Criterion is doing divine mission here by releasing these titles and ensuring that at least some of Netflix’s films remain permanently accessible, even if Netflix loses rights or removes them. Many collectors appreciate having a non‑streaming, stable copy. I know I do.
Netflix bet big on del Toro’s “Frankenstein” and its $120M+ budget, and the numbers indicate it’s had a good run on the streamer, pulling in 76M views in its first 10 days. It hit #1 on the global movie charts for the week ending November 9. In fact, the film was #1 in 85 countries.
Following a limited three-week theatrical run, the R-rated, 2.5-hour film has been met with positive reviews and Oscar buzz. It will probably get a Best Picture nomination, and Jacob Elordi is in contention for Supporting Actor, not to mention a handful of below-the-line noms.