Netflix shares updates on its 8 biggest upcoming shows and movies — and I'm adding one straight to my watchlist

Oscar Isaac in Frankenstein
(Image credit: Netflix)

At its annual Tudum fan convention, Netflix provided details on not one, not two, but eight of its anticipated upcoming TV shows and movies.

Some of these were no-brainers: of course, we were going to hear about Stranger Things season 5 and its release date, as well as Wednesday season 2 and One Piece season 2.

But there were updates on a few exciting brand-new projects, and one of these is going straight onto my watchlist (or at least my "Alert me" list, which lets Netflix remind you when a new addition releases).

The title in question is Frankenstein, a new adaptation of the classic Mary Shelley, which is being directed by frequent Netflix collaborator Guillermo del Toro. The movie's set for a November release, though at the time of writing there's no specific date.

What gets Frankenstein straight on my list is its casting: Oscar Isaac is set to play the titular scientist, and owing to performances in the likes of Ex Machina, Moon Knight and The Card Counter, I could immediately "see it" when I heard the casting announcement.

Rounding out the cast is horror icon Mia Goth as Frankenstein's fiancée, Christoph Waltz as a new character to this adaptation called Harlander and Euphoria actor Jacob Elordi as the monster. Charles Dance, Burn Gorman and Felix Kammerer also appear.

A trailer (below) makes sure not to show most of the cast, including the monster, but it does show one thing: this Frankenstein adaptation will include at least one of the original novel's framing narratives, which adaptations all-too-frequently ignore.

Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro | Official Teaser | Netflix - YouTube
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As people who've read the book will know, it was written in an epistolary form which means through a series of letters. The letters were written by Captain Walton to his sister Margaret, who was surprised to meet Victor Frankenstein while on an expedition to the North Pole, and recorded all of the man's tale in a letter sent back home. Frankenstein was there to hunt the monster, which had escaped that way.

Not only does the trailer heavily feature a ship stuck in ice and a chilly-looking Oscar Isaac, but the cast list includes one "Captain Anderson" played by Lars Mikkelsen, who I presume is a stand-in for Walton.

The inclusion of this suggests that del Toro is going to provide a more authentic adaptation of Frankenstein than past ones. Faithfulness isn't always necessary for a good adaptation, but we've all seen a few too many versions of the tale that miss the point of the book, so it'll be nice to have something that keeps the original themes in mind.

Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2

(Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix)

Beyond Frankenstein and the three shows I mentioned, Netflix gave updates on four more upcoming originals.

Firstly it shared a trailer for Squid Game season 3 which releases at the end of June, and one for Knives Out 3 entitled Wake Up Dead Man which releases in December. Then there was a release date for Happy Gilmore 2 which will be out at the end of July and a look at a non-sequel movie called The Rip.

This movie releases in January 2026 and it's a cop action movie starring frequent collaborators Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. A teaser was shared but it's not available online just yet.

While Frankenstein is admittedly an adaptation of a 200-year-old book, it still felt the most original offering in a roster of sequels and sequel-seasons, so of all eight releases teased it's the one that will sit high on my watchlist.

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Tom Bedford
Streaming and Ecommerce Editor

Tom is the streaming and ecommerce editor at What to Watch, covering streaming services in the US and UK.

As the site's streaming expert he covers new additions, hidden gems, round-ups and big news for the biggest VOD platforms like Netflix, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, Prime Video and Tubi. He also handles the site's articles on how to watch various movies, TV shows, sports, live events and classic box sets, and coverage on hardware like TVs, soundbars and streaming sticks.

You can commonly find him at film festivals, seeing classic movies shown on the big screen, or going to Q&As from his favorite film-makers and stars.

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