Netflix will release Sangre Del Toro on November 21, 2025, offering an 85-minute exploration of Guillermo del Toro’s life and career. Directed by Yves Montmayeur, the documentary premiered earlier this year at the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals and concludes with an in-depth look at del Toro’s long-awaited Frankenstein adaptation. The project traces the three-time Academy Award winner’s evolution from his early years in Guadalajara, Mexico, to his impact on international cinema.
The documentary complements Frankenstein, which debuted in limited theaters on October 17 before streaming worldwide on November 7, highlighting his 30-year pursuit to bring Mary Shelley’s Gothic masterpiece to life.
Guillermo del Toro Seamlessly Blends Mexican Heritage with Hollywood
Born in 1964 in Guadalajara, Mexico, del Toro grew up in a city steeped in religious and cultural fusion where Catholicism intertwined with pre-Columbian traditions. This environment shaped his ideas about mortality and imagination.
I’m Mexican. No one loves life more than we do, in a way, because we’re so conscious about death.
Guillermo del Toro told Julia Pierrepont of China’s Xinhua News Agency (via Huffpost). His approach to storytelling continues to bridge cultural worlds while maintaining deep personal roots.
Del Toro’s heritage is visible across his body of work, particularly in his Oscar-winning Pinocchio (2022), which combined stop-motion animation with handcrafted design. Part of the film’s production occurred at El Taller del Chucho, the animation studio he established in Guadalajara (via Latina Media).
The film’s fantastical creatures, Death and the Wood Sprite, recall traditional Alebrijes associated with Mexican folklore, reflecting his continuous nod to national artistry and mythology.
His earliest critical success, Cronos (1993), earned nine Ariel Awards in Mexico, including best picture and best director, establishing him internationally (via IMDb). Across the following decades, del Toro has maintained steady collaboration with Mexican talent and studios while working on global productions.
Sangre Del Toro revisits this dual identity, illustrating how his Mexican sensibilities merge with the technical expertise and narrative depth of Hollywood filmmaking.
Guillermo del Toro Explains Thirty-Year Journey to Frankenstein
Del Toro’s fascination with Frankenstein began in childhood when he first encountered Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. As he grew older, he collected Boris Karloff memorabilia and kept refining concepts that would later shape his adaptation. He said (via Variety),
You see, over the decades, the character has fused with my soul in a way that it has become an autobiography. It doesn’t get more personal than this. I hope you enjoy this small look at ‘Frankenstein’.
In 2007, while directing Hellboy 2, del Toro revealed that he would kill to make Frankenstein as a Miltonian tragedy. Over time, the project faced numerous obstacles. Universal Pictures initially backed it but later shelved the film in 2018 following the collapse of their Dark Universe initiative (via World of Reel). The director continued refining the script and design work, waiting for a studio willing to commit to his complete vision of Shelley’s narrative about creation, loss, and moral responsibility.
Netflix eventually authorized the production with a budget of 120 million dollars (via Variety). The final film, running 149 minutes, stars Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the Creature, and Christoph Waltz in a major supporting role. Actors Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, David Bradley, and Charles Dance round out the cast.
The three-week exclusive theater run that began on October 17, 2025, signals a renewed partnership between del Toro and Netflix, deepening their creative relationship following the success of Pinocchio and paving the way for Sangre Del Toro as his most introspective on-screen reflection yet.
Here are some details about del Toro’s Frankenstein:
What are your thoughts on Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein adaptation? Share your opinions on his 30-year journey in the comments below.
Sangre Del Toro streams on Netflix on November 21, 2025. Frankenstein had a limited theatrical release on October 17, 2025, and is arriving on streaming on November 7, 2025.
