I have one rule when it comes to Guillermo del Toro’s filmography: if he’s involved, I’m going to show up. That mindset has served me well through the years, as pictures like Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (which he produced) and Crimson Peak (which he co-wrote/directed) opened my eyes to works I may not have considered otherwise.

It’s the gothic horror of the latter that has me amped for his 2025 fall movie, his long awaited adaptation of Frankenstein – with Oscar Isaac as the titular madman. As the director and star promoted their new picture at the Toronto International Film Festival, details on what could be their next collaboration were released. With another project also being teased in that same talk, del Toro is setting up what he considers a new “episode” in his life – one that could be summed up in one enigmatic word.

Oscar Isaac examines his face in a tri-panel mirror in Frankenstein.

Guillermo del Toro’s Fury Is Set To Kick Off The Director’s “Regret Decade”

On hand to hear this joyous news was Deadline, who had eyes and ears in the room for Frankenstein’s on stage Q&A. Which leads to the very simple logline for the film, currently titled Fury. In describing the movie, del Toro summed up this potential starring vehicle for Mr. Isaac thusly:

…essentially it’s going back to [the] sort of thriller aspects of Nightmare Alley — very cruel, very violent. Like My Dinner with Andre but [with] killing people after each course.

Promising someone like me more Nightmare Alley-style pain and anguish is like promising a kid candy: I will never say no, but merely not my head and wait for its arrival. Guillermo del Toro’s continued relationship with his Frankenstein star is also encouraging, as Oscar Isaac’s acting chops feel primed to dig into this very wild ride. 

Going further into Fury’s purpose, the Hellboy helmer offered this explanation for the pivot into his “Regret Decade” of projects: 

…I’m very interested in the violence we do to each other, and we do it with our minds, we do it with our souls and we do it physically. And I think it’s new questions [I’m having]; I’m 60 now, so I’ve gone from asking where I’m going and [being a] father and son to [experiencing] regret. I’m in the regret decade, so expect a lot of regret.

I certainly hope that del Toro’s “Regret Decade” offers an opportunity to tackle some of his other white whale projects. A new season of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, as well as finally realizing his vision for At the Mountains of Madness would still be quite welcomed, to be honest. The director has stated his H.P. Lovecraft chiller could be a stop-motion project in the making, which could benefit from the new animated project our mad genius is also moving forward on.

An “Epic Stop-Motion” Adaptation Of The Buried Giant Is Also In The Cards

Those who follow Guillermo del Toro’s work know that he’s not merely sticking to live-action filmmaking. Dedicating himself to also furthering the medium of stop-motion animation, that’s news that anyone who’s read our Pinocchio review would see as cause for celebration. The “Regret Decade” apparently has plenty of room for this passion to flourish, as seen in this statement from the Pan Labyrinth mastermind:

 I am, right now, preparing a stop-motion adaptation of The Buried Giant, the Kazuo Ishiguro novel. And it is going to be an epic stop-motion that is not going to be for kids. It’s truly exploring the capacity to act, of a stop-motion project, and fuse a world the way you would do it if it was a live-action.

A “post-Arthurian” fantasy, The Buried Giant centers around a couple who are trying to find their son. The only problem is, this world’s people can’t remember too far into the past. So basically Guillermo del Toro seems to be poised to adapt a book that sounds like a heartbreaking cross between Memento and your favorite medieval fantasy. I will definitely be showing up for this one, crying tissues in hand; and I’m sure anyone who celebrated del Toro’s recent Beyond Fest retrospective would say the same.

Guillermo del Toro’s filmography looks bright, even with the thematic gloom of regret seeming to fuel the stories ahead. Bringing us back to the present, we should be getting ready to experience Frankenstein in all of its gothic beauty! That picture will hit limited theaters on October 7th, with the Netflix streaming debut set for November 7th. So you still have time to crack open Mary Shelley’s sci-fi/horror classic in preparation; should you be so inclined.

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