What is Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Cabinet of Curiosities?’ Release date, cast, writers, and more

Writer and director Guillermo del Toro’s newest project is arriving soon, just in time for Halloween. But what is Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities? A first look at the series has been released, which promises to be all things spooky, horrifying, and very much on brand for Guillermo del Toro, who directed Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, Pacific Rim, and The Shape of Water. 

Here’s everything we know about the upcoming anthology series, including what the series will be about, who will be in it, and when it will release. 

When will Cabinet of Curiosities be released?

The Netflix anthology series will be releasing not all at once, but with two episodes daily, starting October 25, 2022, and ending just before Halloween. The series will last eight episodes, all with different and established directors taking the reigns for their episodes. The following is a list of all eight episodes, their directors, writers, and individual cast members. 

• Episode 1: “The Murmuring” – “The Murmuring” is directed and written by Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), based on a short story by Guillermo del Toro. The episode will star Essie Davis (The Babadook), Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead), Hannah Galway, and Daniel Henkel. 
• Episode 2: “The Autopsy” – “The Autopsy” is directed by David Prior (The Empty Man) and written by David S. Goyer, based on the short story by Michael Shea. The episode will star F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus), Luke Roberts (Ransom), Glynn Turman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), and Kim Horsman. 
• Episode 3: “Lot 36” – “Lot 36” is directed by Guillermo Navarro and written by Regina Corrado, based on a story by Guillermo del Toro. The episode will star Tim Blake Nelson (The Balad of Buster Scruggs), Sebastian Roché (The Man in the High Castle), Elpidia Carrillo (Predator), and Demetrius Grosse (Rampage)
• Episode 4: “Pickman’s Model” – “Pickman’s Model” is directed by Keith Thomas (The Vigil) and written by Lee Patterson, based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft. The episode will star Crispin Glover (Back to the Future), Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian), Oriana Leman, Seamus Patterson, and Laurie Murdoch. 
• Episode 5: “The Viewing” – “The Viewing” is directed by Panos Cosmatos (Mandy) and written by both Cosmatos and Aaron Stewart-Ahn. The episode will star Sofia Boutella (The Mummy), Peter Weller (RoboCop), Eric André (The Eric André Show), and Saad Siddiqui.
• Episode 6: “Dreams In The Witch House” – ‘Dreams In The Witch House’ is directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Red Riding Hood) and written by Mika Watkins, based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft. The episode will star Rupert Grint (The Harry Potter series), Kate Micucci (DuckTales), and Ismael Cruz-Córdova (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power).
• Episode 7: “Graveyard Rats” – “Graveyard Rats” is directed by Vincenzo Natali (Cube) and it is based on a short story by Henry Kuttner. The episode will star David Hewlett (The Shape of Water), Ish Morris (Killjoys), Julian Richings (Man of Steel), Kevin Keppy, and Alexander Eling.
• Episode 8: “The Outside” – “The Outside” is directed by Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night) and written by Haley Z. Boston and Emily Carroll. The episode will star Diana Bentley (Frontier), Chloe Madison, Kylee Evans (Good Witch), Shauna MacDonald, and Charlyne Yi (This is 40). 

As you can see, Guillermo del Toro has assembled some of the horror world’s greatest talents for his anthology series when it comes to directors, writers, and their cast. In the Netflix series’ first look, del Toro makes it clear that he has handed over the reins to the creative teams assembled for his Cabinet of Curiosities, which will surely make for an interesting and uniquely creepy anthology series. 

The famed auteur also mentioned that – as is his trademark – practical effects will be used in Cabinet of Curiosities. Guillermo del Toro makes a spectacle of the practical effects in his work from Hellboy to Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water. From what we have seen in the first look so far it seems like horror fans are going to be in for a treat come October, let’s just hope for the more weak-stomached viewers that it isn’t too scary. 

Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities will begin streaming on Netflix in the spooky season, on October 25, 2022.