Criterion Collection has just announced the October release of its edition of Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 film Frankenstein, which includes a new original cover by Filipino illustrator Denver Balbaboco. He is one of the few artists from the Philippines who’ve made art for the American film distributor, joining artist Jhomar Soriano, who made the cover for Zatoichi the Outlaw as part of Criterion’s Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman box set in 2013.
Criterion announced Frankenstein’s release alongside other titles such as Ngozi Onwurah’s Welcome II the Terrodome, Jerzy Skolimowski’s The Shout, Uli Edel’s Christiane F., Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs, a collection of the first films of Samuel Fuller, and a complete collection of Stanley Kubrick’s work. The announcement also showcased new original posters for some of the releases.
In November 2025, Balbaboco made an alternative poster for Frankenstein, inspired by Michelangelo’s Pietà, “purely out of love” for the film. “I never imagined it would take off the way it did or eventually reach him and his team,” he tells Rolling Stone Philippines. “The next day, his team contacted me to say that Guillermo absolutely loved my depiction of the Creature and Elizabeth, and they wanted to license the artwork as part of their Oscars campaign.” Afterwards, Netflix reached out to the illustrator to finalize the licensing agreement and turned his artwork into murals displayed at the Los Angeles coffee joint, Alfred.
Balbaboco says that Criterion Art Director Eric Skillman reached out to him through del Toro’s recommendation earlier this year. “I worked directly with Eric and indirectly with Guillermo, receiving their creative directives for the new Frankenstein art, the concept and emotional context Guillermo wanted to convey: ‘something that captures the twisted father-son relationship between them.’”
The illustrator was asked to take inspiration from another classical painting, so he chose Rococo artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew. “While the composition was inspired by that masterpiece, the colors, atmosphere, and dramatic treatment were entirely my own. The project spanned two months and continued through the end of Cannes last May,” he adds.
Balbaboco is a frequent collaborator of filmmaker Carl Joseph Papa, having made posters for films such as Iti Mapukpukaw, 58th, and The Next 24 Hours. Other local projects he’s worked on include Fuchsia Libre, Kono Basho, Call Me Mother, and Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme, the latter of which was a collaboration with graphic designer Dominic Mangubat and artist Justin Besana.
The Criterion Collection has also celebrated Filipino talent in other ways, having previously released Lav Diaz’s Magellan and Lino Brocka’s Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag on Blu-ray and DVD, and Insiang on the Criterion Channel. Filipino filmmaker Isabel Sandoval was also featured in their “Closet Picks” series on YouTube in 2021.
Frequently Asked Questions
Denver Balbaboco is a Filipino film poster illustrator and graphic artist for media. He created Criterion’s poster for the Guillermo del Toro film Frankenstein, and has also made covers for local films such as Iti Mapukpukaw, Kono Basho, Call Me Mother, and Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme.
The Criterion Collection will release its edition of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein in October 2026. The director-approved 4K UHD + Blu-ray special edition includes a digital master of the theatrical version, a new 158-minute extended director’s cut with audio commentary, a documentary on the making of the film, and Q&As moderated by filmmaker Martin Scorsese and musician Patti Smith, among other features.
In November 2025, Balbaboco made a “Pietà”-inspired fan poster of Frankenstein. Director Guillermo del Toro loved it, and Netflix licensed it for the film’s Oscars campaign.
Criterion Art Director Eric Skillman had Denver Balbaboco base the cover on a classic painting, and Balbaboco chose the Rococo painting The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew, saying he kept the color, atmosphere, and treatment entirely his own.
Criterion has released Lav Diaz’s Magellan and Lino Brocka’s Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag on Blu-ray and DVD, and Insiang on The Criterion Channel.
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