The Hollywood Studio Showdown and Oscar Record Breakers
It's Oscar season, and you can feel the tension in the Los Angeles air. The 2026 Academy Awards perfectly embody the current studio strife sweeping through Hollywood. Paramount and Netflix are both pulling every string they can to acquire Warner Bros., but while these giants duke it out in the boardroom, Warner has just shattered an Oscar record. Their film Sinners claimed a whopping 16 nominations, blasting right past the previous heavyweights—All About Eve, Titanic, and La La Land—which each held 14 nominations.
Coming in just behind Sinners, Warner snags the next big haul with Paul Thomas Anderson's highly-favored One Battle After Another. Then, the excitement builds for three films, each securing nine nominations: Marty Supreme from A24, the Norwegian drama Sentimental Value, and—cue dramatic thunder—Netflix’s own darling, Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro.
The Oscar Power (and Power Plays) of Netflix
If you've followed the Oscars lately, you know Netflix has become almost impossible to ignore at the ceremony. Just think of recent contenders like The Irishman, Mank, The Power of the Dog… Even if One Battle After Another, Hamnet, and Marty Supreme are expected to split the biggest trophies, don't count Frankenstein out. The monster film is a strong bet for several technical categories, thanks to its standout costumes, makeup, and set design.
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein: Director’s Cut Incoming
But if you thought the spectacle would end with Oscar nominations—surprise! Guillermo del Toro has officially announced that his film about literature's best-known monster will get an extended version.
This news landed at Sundance, Utah's festival that reliably kicks off the annual movie calendar in the U.S. There, del Toro had the chance to screen his very first feature, Cronos, originally released in 1994. It had all the elements we've come to love from the Oscar-winning director: the fantastic, a touch of vampirism, and a fascination for misunderstood monsters. So the bridge between Cronos and Frankenstein feels as natural as lightning striking a rooftop lab.
Del Toro took the opportunity to tease more about the upcoming longer version of his Netflix film. He didn’t reveal much, except for one cheeky phrase:
“All the stitched pieces are coming!”
That little wink, a nod to the creature itself, hints at his ideal director’s cut—a chance to present the film exactly as he envisaged it. For now, though, it’s unclear whether this cut will appear directly on Netflix or be released on Blu-ray/DVD. The streaming platform typically isn’t known for releasing director’s cuts, but hey, rules can always be broken for a truly monstrous film event.
Physical Release Hopes and Oscar Night Expectations
Del Toro has already put out his Pinocchio (Netflix edition) as a physical release, and he’s confirmed Frankenstein will follow suit. The physical edition would be the perfect excuse to finally unveil his ultimate cut, plus perhaps include some making-of footage (the current behind-the-scenes is already on Netflix, but who doesn't want more?). The packaging for Pinocchio on Criterion was a work of art in itself—fans can only hope for an equally stunning edition for this film with Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac.
For now, we’ll have to wait and see. The date is set: the Oscars ceremony will light up the night from March 15 to March 16. Frankenstein might not be expected to sweep every statue, but it would be truly strange if the monster walked away empty-handed. And who knows? Guillermo del Toro might just use the occasion to share more details about his much-awaited extended cut. Stay tuned…
