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Del Toro's Frankenstein, which reimagines Mary Shelley's 1818 Gothic novel, has been nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Originally broadcast Oct. 23, 2025.
Del Toro's film credits include Pan's Labyrinth, Nightmare Alley and The Shape of Water, which won four Oscars, including best picture and best director. Now, with Frankenstein, he reimagines Mary Shelley's 1818 classic, telling the final part of the story from the creature's point of view.
Del Toro's new movie, Nightmare Alley, is a film noir starring Bradley Cooper as a murderer who joins a traveling carnival, first as part of the crew, and then as part of a clairvoyant act. The Oscar-winning Mexican director talks about researching psychics, his feelings about mortality, and why he relates to Frankenstein's monster. Del Toro also directed The Shape of Water, the Hellboy movies and Pan's Labyrinth.
Due to the contractual nature of the Fresh Air Archive, segments must be at least 6 months old to be considered part of the archive. To listen to segments that aired within the last 6 months, please click the blue off-site button to visit the Fresh Air page on NPR.org.
Tonya Mosley interviews actor OSCAR ISAAC. He's the star of the second season of the Netflix series Beef; he plays Josh , a country club manager whose polished exterior is hiding a crumbling marriage and a financial secret. ISAAC also is known for his role as Victor Frankenstein in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein.
Two new movies are based on well-known children's stories. One is "Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical," adapted from the popular stage show. The other is "Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio," a stop-motion animation version of the classic fairy tale. Our film critic Justin Chang recommends them both.
In more than three decades of work, Doug Jones has carved out a niche in the acting world by playing strange and otherworldly creatures. He was a demonic superhero in Hellboy and a monster with an appetite for children in Pan's Labyrinth.