The Fantastic Pavilion presents a weekly recap with the most relevant news about the world of genre cinema.
News
“In seeking life, I created death,” says Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein in the first teaser for Guillermo del Toro’s version of Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic horror novel. Del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025), with Jacob Elordi as the Monster, will be available to stream on Netflix this November.
Official synopsis: “Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.”
As we previously reported, the distribution rights to Jimmy and Stiggs (2024) were acquired by Eli Roth’s company The Horror Section. And now Joe Begos’ sci-fi splatter fest has gotten an energetic trailer, ahead of its U.S. theatrical release on August 15. Jimmy and Stiggs was shot on 16mm, using practical effects, and features Begos himself dealing with a bunch of aliens.
As part of their 2025 Tudum, Netflix released the trailer for the third and final season of Squid Game (Ojing-eo geim), which will arrive on the streamer on Friday, June 27.
Synopsis: “Gi-hun is at his lowest point yet. But the Squid Game stops for no one, so Gi-hun will be forced to make some important choices in the face of overwhelming despair as he and the surviving players are thrust into deadlier games that test everyone’s resolve. With each round, their choices lead to increasingly grave consequences. Meanwhile, In-ho resumes his role as Front Man to welcome the mysterious VIPs, and his brother Jun-ho continues his search for the elusive island, unaware there’s a traitor in their midst. Will Gi-hun make the right decisions, or will Front Man finally break his spirit?”
After screening last year at TIFF, Sitges and Fantastic Fest, the Chinese time travel adventure Escape from the 21st Century (Cong 21 shiji anquan cheli, 2024) is now heading to select U.S. theaters (June 9) and digital (June 27).
Synopsis: “The story follows three friends who discover they have the power to travel back and forth 20 years with a sneeze. However, the future is not as good as they hoped, and they need to take on the responsibility of saving the world.”
Stealing Pulp Fiction (2024) is a caper comedy starring Jon Rudnitsky and Karan Soni, about a plan to steal “Quentin Tarantino’s personal 35mm print of his famous 1994 film from his movie theater.” The flick hits digital platforms and select theaters on June 27, via Tribeca Films. Watch here its trailer.
Home video
Second Sight Films is releasing, on July 28, a 4K UHD and Blu-ray special edition of Demián Rugna’s brutal When Evil Lurks (Cuando acecha la maldad, 2023). The two-disc set includes interviews with Rugna, Ezequiel Rodríguez, Demián Salomón, and Virginia Garófalo, as well as a 120-page book and six art cards.