Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein sparks 15-minute ovation in Venice

Frankenstein has been hailed a hit with a monster 15-minute ovation at the Venice Film Festival.

Oscar-winner Guillermo Del Toro unveiled his long-awaited film at the festival on Saturday evening in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

Del Toro has previously won the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion, with 2017's The Shape of Water, which ultimately went on to scoop four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Frankenstein was adapted by Del Toro from the 1818 literary classic by Mary Shelley.

In the film, Oscar Isaac stars as Dr Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist who brings a creature, played by Jacob Elordi, to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.

During a press conference earlier in the day, Del Toro said of his inspiration for making the movie: "It was a religion for me. Since I was a kid - I was raised very Catholic - I never quite understood the saints.

"And then when I saw Boris Karloff on the screen, I understood what a saint or a messiah looked like. So I've been following the creature since I was a kid, and I always waited for the movie to be done in the right conditions."

Frankenstein will have a limited theatrical release from 17 October and a global release by Netflix on 7 November.