Frankenstein Director Guillermo del Toro Reveals Brother Died Three Days Before Palm Springs Win

Guillermo del Toro revealed the death of his brother whilst accepting the Visionary Award for Frankenstein at the Palm Springs Film Awards on Saturday.

The 61-year-old Mexican director stood on stage at the Palm Springs Convention Centre alongside his film's stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth when he shared the deeply personal news. His older brother had died just three days prior to the ceremony, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

'Three days ago, my brother passed away', del Toro told the audience. 'My brother and I played Victor and the creature on many moments in our lives, [and] many years ago, we granted each other love and granted each other peace.'

The director did not reveal his brother's identity or cause of death but explained that the parallels between Frankenstein and his own life influenced his decision to attend the event.

'I'm here because the film speaks about a condition that is purely human', del Toro said. 'The heart may break, and the broken live on. Even a broken heart pumps the blood and keeps you going.'

A Visionary Award for Frankenstein and Its Cast

The Palm Springs International Film Awards made history by presenting the 2026 Visionary Award jointly to del Toro and his Frankenstein ensemble.

This marked the first time the award honoured both a filmmaker and cast together for their collaborative work on a single project.

During his acceptance speech, del Toro reflected on his artistic journey at 61 years old. 'I've come to believe that everybody's born with one or two songs to sing. That's it, and we keep repeating them and repeating them until we get them sort of right', he said. 'And Frankenstein was the song I was born to sing.'

The director approached Mary Shelley's classic tale by 'making it about fatherhood and forgiveness', he explained. 'I believe that we want to be forgiven and forgive.'

Jacob Elordi's Transformative Performance as the Creature

Australian actor Jacob Elordi, known for Euphoria and Saltburn, underwent an extraordinary physical transformation to play Frankenstein's Creature in del Toro's Netflix adaptation.

The 27-year-old sat through 10-hour prosthetics sessions to embody the character. Creature designer Mike Hill and his team created 42 separate pieces for Elordi's transformation, with approximately 14 pieces dedicated to the head and neck alone.

'From the moment I got into the makeup trailer [the performance] began, and it was alive', Elordi told Netflix Tudum. 'Guillermo said this would be not just a meditation, but a metamorphosis.'

Critics have praised Elordi's performance as one of the standout elements of del Toro's adaptation. Rotten Tomatoes describes the film as finding 'the humanity in one of cinema's most iconic monsters' through 'Jacob Elordi's standout performance'.

The role came to Elordi after Andrew Garfield departed due to scheduling conflicts stemming from the SAG-AFTRA strikes. Del Toro had spent nine months designing Garfield's Creature but scrapped everything, leaving only nine weeks to redesign for Elordi.

Del Toro May Skip Future Awards Events

The director warned attendees that he 'may be absent at a few functions this [awards] season' due to his recent loss, the Express Tribune said.

However, he emphasised why he chose to attend the Palm Springs ceremony. 'I'm here because this is family', del Toro said, referring to the cast and crew. 'Life gives you a family on the way.'

Del Toro avoided the red carpet but joined Isaac, Elordi and Goth on stage to accept the honour.

A Lifelong Dream Project Realised

Frankenstein represents a deeply personal achievement for del Toro, who has described Mary Shelley's 1818 novel as his 'Bible' and a project he wanted to make his entire career.

The film, which received approximately £95 million ($120 million) from Netflix, premiered in select theatres and on the streaming platform in November 2025.

Oscar Isaac plays Victor Frankenstein opposite Elordi's Creature, whilst Mia Goth takes on dual roles as Victor's mother Claire and love interest Elizabeth. The cast also includes Christoph Waltz, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Christian Convery, and Charles Dance.

Alexandre Desplat composed the musical score, having previously worked with del Toro on The Shape of Water and Pinocchio.

Critical Acclaim and Awards Buzz

The film currently holds an 85 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 363 reviews, with a Metacritic score of 78 out of 100.

Frankenstein has been described as Gothic romanticism in the vein of del Toro's Crimson Peak, Neil Jordan's Interview with the Vampire, and Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula.

The Palm Springs ceremony marks the beginning of what many expect to be a successful awards season for the film, with particular attention on Elordi's performance and del Toro's direction.

Fans responded to del Toro's revelation with an outpouring of support on social media. 'Oh Guillermo, wish I could hug you', one fan wrote on Parade, whilst another said, 'My heart breaks for you.'