Venice Film Festival 2025: The Epic Challenge Between Two Golden Lion Contenders – Del Toro vs. Lanthimos
Venice, Italy – August 30, 2025 – As the 82nd Venice International Film Festival unfolds on the sun-drenched Lido, all eyes are on a high-stakes cinematic showdown: a battle for the coveted Golden Lion between two visionary directors, each with a storied history of triumph at the festival. Guillermo del Toro’s highly anticipated Frankenstein and Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia are emerging as frontrunners in the main competition, pitting the Mexican maestro against the Greek provocateur in what critics are calling “the duel of the Golden Lions.” Both filmmakers have previously claimed the festival’s top prize—del Toro for The Shape of Water in 2017 and Lanthimos for Poor Things in 2023—making this a rematch of epic proportions in a lineup packed with star power and bold narratives.
The festival, running from August 27 to September 6, 2025, under the artistic direction of Alberto Barbera, features 21 films vying for the Golden Lion, the highest honor in world cinema. This year’s competition blends Hollywood spectacle with international artistry, including Netflix-backed epics and intimate dramas. But the buzz centers on del Toro and Lanthimos, whose films represent contrasting styles: del Toro’s gothic reimagining of Mary Shelley’s classic versus Lanthimos’s surreal sci-fi comedy. “It’s a clash of titans,” said festival programmer Paolo Bertolin during a press briefing. “Both have the Golden Lion in their DNA, but only one can wear the crown this year.”
Del Toro’s Frankenstein: A Monstrous Return to Form
Guillermo del Toro, the Oscar-winning director behind The Shape of Water (which netted him Venice’s top prize and four Academy Awards), presents Frankenstein as a labor of love spanning nearly a decade. Starring Oscar Isaac as the tormented Dr. Victor Frankenstein, Jacob Elordi as the Creature, and Christoph Waltz as the enigmatic Professor Waldman, the film is a visually stunning adaptation that delves into themes of creation, isolation, and humanity’s hubris. Del Toro has described it as “a love letter to the monster within us all,” blending stop-motion animation with live-action for a haunting, empathetic take on Shelley’s 1818 novel.
Premiering in competition on August 31, Frankenstein has already generated Oscar whispers, with early screenings praising its emotional depth and technical wizardry. Del Toro, who received a lifetime achievement Golden Lion in 2017, returns to Venice as a favorite. “Venice is where my monsters come to life,” del Toro said in an interview. Critics note the film’s timely resonance amid debates on AI and bioethics, positioning it as a potential awards-season juggernaut. Backed by Netflix, the project reunites del Toro with producer J. Miles Dale and promises a runtime that balances spectacle with introspection.
Lanthimos’s Bugonia: Surreal Sci-Fi with a Stellar Cast
On the other side of the ring is Yorgos Lanthimos, fresh off his 2023 Golden Lion win for Poor Things, which also earned Emma Stone an Oscar. Bugonia, a remake of the 2003 South Korean cult hit Save the Green Planet!, stars Stone alongside Jesse Plemons in a tale of two conspiracy-obsessed friends who kidnap a powerful CEO (Stone) believing her to be an alien intent on destroying Earth. The film’s blend of dark humor, absurdity, and social satire marks Lanthimos’s continued exploration of power dynamics and human folly, scripted by Tony McNamara (The Favourite, Poor Things).
Set to screen on September 1, Bugonia has sparked intrigue with its genre-bending premise and Lanthimos’s signature deadpan style. Stone, reuniting with Lanthimos after her Oscar-winning role in Poor Things, delivers a multifaceted performance that shifts from villainous to vulnerable. “Yorgos doesn’t just make films; he rewires your brain,” Stone quipped during promotion. As a Netflix title, it joins other streaming heavyweights in competition, but Lanthimos’s track record— including Venice wins for The Lobster (best screenplay, 2015) and Poor Things—makes him a formidable contender. Early reactions highlight the film’s witty critique of corporate greed and environmental collapse, drawing parallels to real-world absurdities.
The Stakes: A Festival of Stars and Strategies
This “challenge between two Golden Lions” isn’t just about prestige; it’s a pivotal moment for both directors. Del Toro, 61, seeks to reclaim his Venice throne after a string of projects like Pinocchio (Netflix, 2022) that earned acclaim but no feature-length festival wins. Lanthimos, 51, aims to solidify his status as a Venice darling, building on Poor Things‘s global success (over $100 million at the box office). The jury, presided over by two-time Oscar winner Alexander Payne (The Holdovers, Sideways), includes heavyweights like Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, and Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres. Their task: select from a diverse slate that also features Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite (starring Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson), Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly (George Clooney, Adam Sandler), and Paolo Sorrentino’s opening film La Grazia.
The competition reflects Venice’s global scope, with films from 65 countries and 33% directed by women. Out-of-competition highlights include Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt (Julia Roberts) and documentaries by Golden Lion winners Laura Poitras (Cover-Up) and Sofia Coppola (Marc by Sofia). Lifetime achievement Golden Lions go to actress Kim Novak and director Werner Herzog, adding to the festival’s celebratory vibe.
Social media is ablaze with predictions, from X posts pitting “del Toro’s heart against Lanthimos’s mind” to memes of the directors as gladiators in the Colosseum. One viral thread quipped: “Two Golden Lions walk into Venice… only one leaves with the mane intact.” As the festival progresses, the duel promises drama, with awards announced on September 6. Will del Toro’s emotional monster prevail, or will Lanthimos’s alien absurdity steal the show? In Venice, where cinema reigns supreme, the Golden Lion awaits its next sovereign.
Sources: Cineuropa, Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair, IndieWire, Wikipedia