Guillermo del Toro says his "emotional" Frankenstein adaptation for Netflix isn't a horror movie: "I'm not trying to do that"

Oscar Isaac in Frankenstein — (Image credit: Netflix/Getty Images/Presley Ann / Stringer)

Guillermo del Toro says his upcoming Frankenstein movie is not a horror film per se, despite being based on the classic gothic horror novel.

"Somebody asked me the other day, does it have really scary scenes?" del Toro said during a conversation at the Cannes Film Festival with composer Alexandre Desplat (via Variety). "For the first time, I considered that. It’s an emotional story for me. It’s as personal as anything. I’m asking a question about being a father, being a son… I’m not doing a horror movie – ever. I’m not trying to do that."

The film, which serves as an adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, follows Dr. Pretorious (Christoph Waltz), who must track down Frankenstein’s Monster (Jacob Elordi) – who is believed to have died in a fire 40 years before – in order to carry out and continue the controversial experiments of Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac).