For Frankenstein Day, Watch These 30 Spooky Film Adaptations

Every year on August 30th, fans of horror, science fiction, and Gothic storytelling celebrate Frankenstein Day, a day designed to honor the birth of Mary Shelley in 1797. This book has captivated readers for over two centuries, shaping far more than literature. In many ways, this holiday has become a time for revisiting her legacy and exploring the countless adaptations her story has inspired.

Few novels have been reimagined on screen as frequently as Frankenstein. Filmmakers across the world have put their own spin on it, with some creators staying close to Shelley’s original themes. However, there are many others that bring the story into new settings. That's why 247 Tempo has decided to honor this day with a variety of Frankenstein films you can't miss.

These selections vary and include classics, cult favorites, and modern retellings that showcase and celebrate the lasting power of Shelley’s original work. Sources used for this piece include the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes, Vanity Fair, Cineworld, and Wikipedia film archives. Let's bring these movies to life here and now.

• Director: James Whale
• Screenwriter: Garrett Fort
• Leading Actors: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive
• Box Office: $12 million

• Director: James Whale
• Screenwriter: William Hurlbut
• Leading Actors: Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive
• Box Office: $2 million

• Director: Rowland V. Lee
• Screenwriter: Willis Cooper
• Leading Actors: Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi
• Box Office: $765,000

• Director: Terence Fisher
• Screenwriter: Jimmy Sangster
• Leading Actors: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee
• Box Office: $8 million

• Director: Terence Fisher
• Screenwriter: Jimmy Sangster
• Leading Actors: Peter Cushing, Eunice Gayson
• Box Office: $2.4 million

• Director: Terence Fisher
• Screenwriter: Anthony Hinds
• Leading Actors: Peter Cushing, Susan Denberg
• Box Office: $1.7 million

• Director: Terence Fisher
• Screenwriter: Bert Batt
• Leading Actors: Peter Cushing, Veronica Carlson
• Box Office: $2.1 million

• Director: Mel Brooks
• Screenwriter: Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder
• Leading Actors: Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle
• Box Office: $86 million

• Director: Jack Smight
• Screenwriter: Christopher Isherwood, Don Bachardy
• Leading Actors: Leonard Whiting, Michael Sarrazin, James Mason
• Box Office: Television release

• Director: Kenneth Branagh
• Screenwriter: Steph Lady, Frank Darabont
• Leading Actors: Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, Helena Bonham Carter
• Box Office: $112 million

• Director: Roger Corman
• Screenwriter: F.X. Feeney
• Leading Actors: John Hurt, Raul Julia, Bridget Fonda
• Box Office: $335,000

• Director: Paul McGuigan
• Screenwriter: Max Landis
• Leading Actors: James McAvoy, Daniel Radcliffe
• Box Office: $34.2 million

• Director: Bernard Rose
• Screenwriter: Bernard Rose
• Leading Actors: Xavier Samuel, Carrie-Anne Moss, Tony Todd
• Box Office: Limited indie release

• Director: Paul Morrissey
• Screenwriter: Paul Morrissey, Tonino Guerra
• Leading Actors: Udo Kier, Joe Dallesandro
• Box Office: $4.7 million

• Director: Paul Morrissey, Antonio Margheriti
• Screenwriter: Paul Morrissey
• Leading Actors: Udo Kier, Monique van Vooren
• Box Office: $1 million

• Director: Stuart Beattie
• Screenwriter: Stuart Beattie
• Leading Actors: Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski
• Box Office: $76.8 million

• Director: Charles Barton
• Screenwriter: Robert Lees, Frederic Rinaldo
• Leading Actors: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Bela Lugosi
• Box Office: $3.2 million

• Director: Fred Dekker
• Screenwriter: Shane Black, Fred Dekker
• Leading Actors: André Gower, Duncan Regehr, Tom Noonan
• Box Office: $3.8 million

• Director: William A. Levey
• Screenwriter: Frank R. Saletri
• Leading Actors: John Hart, Joe DeSue, Ivory Stone, Roosevelt Jackson
• Box Office: $1 million

• Director: Víctor Erice
• Screenwriter: Víctor Erice
• Leading Actors: Ana Torrent, Fernando Fernán Gómez
• Box Office: Limited Spanish release

• Director: Bill Condon
• Screenwriter: Bill Condon
• Leading Actors: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave
• Box Office: $13 million

• Director: Larry Fessenden
• Screenwriter: Larry Fessenden
• Leading Actors: David Call, Joshua Leonard, Alex Breaux
• Box Office: Limited indie release

• Director: Andrew Weiner
• Screenwriter: Vlady Pildysh
• Leading Actors: Kris Lemche, Joe Egender, Timothy V. Murphy
• Box Office: Direct-to-video

• Director: Mario Bava
• Screenwriter: Various writers
• Leading Actors: Notable Italian cast
• Box Office: Limited release

• Director: Guillermo del Toro
• Screenwriter: Guillermo del Toro
• Leading Actors: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth
• Box Office: Upcoming release

• Director: Erle C. Kenton
• Screenwriter: Edward T. Lowe Jr.
• Leading Actors: Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine
• Box Office: $1.2 million

• Director: Roy William Neill
• Screenwriter: Curt Siodmak
• Leading Actors: Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Ilona Massey
• Box Office: $3.5 million

• Director: Ishirō Honda
• Screenwriter: Takeshi Kimura
• Leading Actors: Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Tadao Takashima
• Box Office: Toho release in Japan

• Director: Jimmy Sangster
• Screenwriter: Jimmy Sangster
• Leading Actors: Ralph Bates, Kate O'Mara
• Box Office: Modest Hammer release

• Director: Tim Burton
• Screenwriter: John August
• Leading Actors: Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Winona Ryder
• Box Office: $81.5 million