Director Guillermo del Toro relied on 3D printing to bring the intricate sets and practical effects of Frankenstein (2025) to life. Netflix’s behind-the-scenes documentary, Frankenstein: The Anatomy Lesson, showcases how this technology was essential in translating his gothic vision from concept to screen.
3D Printing Elevates Miniatures and Production Workflows
The production of Frankenstein combined ambitious practical effects with meticulous set design, ranging from Jacob Elordi’s 11-hour makeup sessions as the Creature to the construction of a full-scale Arctic ship on a studio lot.
While the laboratory interior was built at life-size, exterior shots of the towering structure relied on miniature models—which were far from small in scale. The gothic tower, referred to as a “maxiture,” rises approximately 30 feet at a 1:40 scale, according to model maker Ben Ressa. Utilizing 3D printing technology, the team was able to accelerate production while ensuring the miniature accurately replicated the details and proportions of the full-scale set. The workflow likely included 3D scanning, enabling the physical set to be digitally captured for accurate scaling and precise, high-fidelity reproduction.
“There’s some details we have that traditionally we’d have to hand-sculpt to do the match,” he says in the documentary. “But now we can use 3D printers to help us.” Ressa highlighted the example of the lab tower’s grand entrance, which has an intricate carved arch with relief sculptures. “All that ornate detail, at one point someone had had to sculpt, but this time round, we know that it’s going to be the exact same thing as [the full-sized set].”
3D Printing Across Film Productions
Del Toro’s use of 3D printing is part of a broader trend in filmmaking. In 2023, he leveraged the technology to bring Pinocchio to life. Instead of traditional clay maquettes, the characters were built with mechanical heads and silicone skin, allowing animators greater control over expressions and more natural performances. Lead fabricators Georgina Hayns and Richard Pickersgill converted final maquette designs into digital models and 3D printed key components, including Pinocchio’s torso, metal joints, and replacement heads. This method sped up production, preserved fine details like the puppet’s vertical wood grain, and simplified the creation of multiple head expressions, enabling the characters to truly “act.”
Similarly, animation studio LAIKA used 3D printing for the 2019 stop-motion film Missing Link. Utilizing Cuttlefish software and a 3D printer driver from Germany’s Fraunhofer IGD, the team produced over 100,000 detailed color 3D faces using a Stratasys J750 system, demonstrating how 3D printing can streamline high-volume production in films.
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Featured image shows Oscar Issac as Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein. Photo via Netflix.
