Guillermo del Toro
Encyclopedia
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican
director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II
, Pan's Labyrinth
and the Hellboy
film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman
, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones
. His films draw heavily on sources as diverse as weird fiction
, fantasy
and war
.
. He was raised in a strict Catholic household. Del Toro studied at the Centro de Investigación y Estudios Cinematográficos, in Guadalajara. He first got involved in filmmaking when he was about eight years old and studied special effects and make-up with SFX
artist Dick Smith. Del Toro participated in the cult series La Hora Marcada
with other renowned Mexican filmmakers such as Emmanuel Lubezki
and Alfonso Cuarón
.
He spent eight years as a special effects make-up designer and formed his own company, Necropia. He also co-founded the Guadalajara International Film Festival
. Later on in his directing career, he formed his own production company, the Tequila Gang.
In 1998, at the age of 34, Guillermo was given a $30 million budget from Miramax studios
to shoot his second film, Mimic
. During this time, his father, automotive entrepreneur Federico del Toro, was kidnapped in Guadalajara, Mexico
. Although Federico was eventually released safely, there was intense economic pressure from his captors, to the point that del Toro's family had to pay twice the amount originally asked. The event prompted Del Toro, his parents and his siblings to move abroad. In an interview with Time
magazine, he said this about the kidnapping of his father: "Every day, every week, something happens that reminds me that I am in involuntary exile [from my country]."
adaptations (Blade II
, Hellboy
and Hellboy II: The Golden Army) to historical fantasy and horror film
s, two of which are set in Spain in the context of the Spanish Civil War
under the authoritarian rule of Francisco Franco
. These two films, El Espinazo Del Diablo (The Devil's Backbone) and El Laberinto Del Fauno
(Pan's Labyrinth), are among his most critically acclaimed works. They share similar settings, protagonists (young children), and themes (including the relationship between fantasy/horror and the struggle to live under authoritarian or dictatorial rule
) with the 1973 Spanish film The Spirit of the Beehive
, widely considered to be the finest Spanish film of the 1970s.
Del Toro views the horror genre as inherently political, explaining, "Much like fairy tales, there are two facets of horror. One is pro-institution, which is the most reprehensible type of fairy tale: Don't wander into the woods, and always obey your parents. The other type of fairy tale is completely anarchic and antiestablishment."
He is close friends with two other prominent and critically praised Mexican filmmakers, Alfonso Cuarón
and Alejandro González Iñárritu
. The three often influence each other's directorial decisions, and have been interviewed together by Charlie Rose
. Cuarón was one of the producers of Pan's Labyrinth. After Blade II, Del Toro turned down many directing jobs for other films to do some of his other projects, he turned down a directing job for Blade: Trinity
and Resident Evil: Apocalypse
to write/direct Hellboy. He also turned down The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to do Pan's Labyrinth, for which he also received a Nebula Award
for Best Script. He also turned down Resident Evil: Extinction
, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
, and Halo to do Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
Del Toro has also contributed to the web series
Trailers From Hell
.
On December 9, 2010, Guillermo del Toro launched Mirada with partners Guillermo Navarro
(his long-time cinematographer), director Mathew Cullen and Executive Producer Javier Jimenez. Mirada was formed in Los Angeles, CA to be a collaborative space where they and other filmmakers can work with Mirada’s artists to create and produce projects that span digital production and content for film, television, advertising, interactive and other media. Mirada launched as a sister company to production company Motion Theory.
Del Toro is scheduled to direct four films for Universal; Frankenstein
; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; a remake of Slaughterhouse-Five
; and Drood
, an adaptation of a Dan Simmons
novel published in February 2009. Drood is expected to be his first project after the two films set in Middle-earth. These projects would have filled up his schedule until 2017. Part of the Universal deal entails continuing research and development for the creatures in At the Mountains of Madness. In June 2009, Del Toro said he would only direct Frankenstein and just produce Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Del Toro is also in the early stages of development of Saturn and the End of Days.
Del Toro said his Frankenstein would be a faithful "Miltonian
tragedy", citing Frank Darabont
's "near perfect" script, which evolved into Kenneth Branagh
's Frankenstein. Del Toro said of his vision, "What I’m trying to do is take the myth and do something with it, but combining elements of Frankenstein
and Bride of Frankenstein
without making it just a classical myth of the monster. The best moments in my mind of Frankenstein, of the novel, are yet to be filmed [...] The only guy that has ever nailed for me the emptiness, not the tragic, not the Miltonian dimension of the monster, but the emptiness is Christopher Lee
in the Hammer films, where he really looks like something obscenely alive. Boris Karloff
has the tragedy element nailed down but there are so many versions, including that great screenplay by Frank Darabont that was ultimately not really filmed." He has also cited Bernie Wrightson
's illustrations as inspiration, and said the film will not focus on the monster's creation, but be an adventure film featuring the character. Del Toro said he would like Wrightson to design his version of the creature. The film will also focus on the religious aspects of Shelley's tale. Del Toro has stated that production on Frankenstein most likely will not begin for at least four years. Despite this, he has already cast frequent collaborator Doug Jones
in the role of Frankenstein's monster
. In an interview with Sci Fi Wire, Jones stated that he learned of the news the same day as everybody else; that "Guillermo did say to the press that he’s already cast me as his monster, but we’ve yet to talk about it. But in his mind, if that’s what he’s decided, then it’s done...It would be a dream come true." Regarding his Jekyll-and-Hyde film, Del Toro said he had a "perverse" take in mind where Jekyll becomes addicted to transforming into Hyde. Both films will be period pieces.
He has also expressed interest in video games after the Hobbit project, and hopes to be able to create a "Citizen Kane
of games." In an MTV News interview in late July 2010, he further clarified that his video game ambitions were a reality, stating that: "One of the things we're announcing in the next few weeks is a big deal with a big company. We're going to do games that are going to be technically and narratively very interesting. It's not a development deal. We're going to do it. We're doing them. And we're going to announce it soon enough."
As of September 11, 2009 it has been made known that Guillermo del Toro has signed on with The Walt Disney Company
to create a new label known as Disney Double Dare You. This new label will seek to create family friendly, all-ages animated projects that still manage to thrill and frighten.
In June 2010 news came that Del Toro would be writing and producing a brand new take on the story of Van Helsing. There is no word yet on if he will direct or not.
At Comic Con 2010, del Toro made the surprise announcement that he will co-write, produce, and likely direct a 3D remake of The Haunted Mansion
for Disney
. Del Toro says the film will stray away from the comedic nature of the 2003 film
and will revolve around the Hatbox Ghost
from the ride.
On 28 July 2010 it was announced that he would direct At the Mountains of Madness
by H. P. Lovecraft
for Universal Pictures, with James Cameron
as producer. The movie was originally set up as a project at DreamWorks in 2004. Just a month earlier, del Toro said that the Lovecraft adaptation probably wouldn't happen at all; "It doesn't look like I can do it. It's very difficult for the studios to take the step of doing a period-set, R-rated, tentpole movie with a tough ending and no love story. Lovecraft has a readership as big as any best-seller, but it's tough to quantify because his works are in the public domain." Not long after, he was approached by Cameron who asked him if he still wanted to do the movie. When del Toro confirmed he did, Cameron said “Let’s do it.” Both of them put forward the idea for Universal, which then greenlighted it. Earlier the same year, del Toro also asked S. T. Joshi
if he wanted to be a consultant if and when the movie got into motion. It was rumored that del Toro was approached to direct the new Godzilla movie produced by Legendary Pictures
, which he later denied.
Mountains of Madness did not receive the greenlight by Universal Studios, so del Toro's next directorial effort will be the giant monster film Pacific Rim, based on a screenplay by Travis Beacham
, which was mistakenly rumored to be the basis for Legendary Pictures' Godzilla reboot, which del Toro was rumored to have been was approached to direct but later denied. Del Toro described the monsters in the film to be "Huge". The film involves giant monsters traveling through a vortex in the pacific rim where they attack major cities and humans must battle them by using mecha suits called Jaegers. He comments,"This is my most un-modest film, this has everything. The scale is enormous and I'm just a big kid having fun."
Guillermo del Toro has also acquired the rights to produce the movie adaption of David Moody's novel "Hater"
On 18th August 2011 it was announced del Toro is going to be developing a new film version of Beauty and the Beast
, with Emma Watson
in mind to star. Crazy, Stupid, Love
producer Denise Di Novi
confirmed the filmmaker’s involvement, and said that she would be co-producing the movie with him.
On June 2, 2009 Del Toro released his debut novel, The Strain
, which he co-authored with Chuck Hogan
. It is the first part of a vampire
trilogy. The second part, The Fall, was released on Sept. 21, 2010, co-authored by Chuck Hogan
as well.
On October the last novel of the trilogy was released, (Night Fall) with maybe a futrue series release or movie for the Trilogy.
At the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, Del Toro announced that he is working on his first video game titled Insane
, which is planned for release in 2013.
Del Toro also wants to direct a segment for an upcoming Heavy Metal 3.
with his wife Lorenza and his two daughters, Mariana and Marisa. In addition to home in which he lives with his family, he owns a separate house exclusively to house his books, posters artwork and other belongings pertaining to his work, explaining, "As a kid, I dreamed of having a house with secret passages and a room where it rained 24 hours a day. The point of being over 40 is to fulfill the desires you've been harboring since you were 7."
In 2009, in an interview with Charlie Rose
, del Toro described his Roman Catholic upbringing as excessively "morbid," saying "I mercifully lapsed as a Catholic, I say, but as Buñuel
used to say, "I'm an atheist, thank God." Though insisting he's spiritually "not with Buñuel" and that "once a Catholic, always a Catholic, in a way," he followed by saying, "I believe in man. I believe in mankind, as the worst and the best that has happened to this world." He has also responded to the observation that he views his art as his religion by saying, "It is. To me, art and storytelling serve primal, spiritual functions in my daily life. Whether I'm telling a bedtime story to my kids or trying to mount a movie or write a short story or a novel, I take it very seriously."
In a Q&A, Del Toro admitted to be a fan of first person shooter video games, citing games like Half-Life
, Call of Duty
and BioShock
and claiming that "video games are the comic books of our time... It's a medium that gains no respect among the intelligentsia".
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II
Blade II
Blade II is a 2002 superhero vampire film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Blade. It is the sequel of the Blade film series. It was written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the previous film...
, Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films...
and the Hellboy
Hellboy
Hellboy is a comic book superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2 , and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers...
film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman
Ronald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones
Doug Jones (actor)
Doug Jones is an American film and television actor best known to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fans for his various roles playing non-human characters, often in heavy makeup, in films and television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth and Fantastic Four: Rise...
. His films draw heavily on sources as diverse as weird fiction
Weird fiction
Weird fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction written in the late 19th and early 20th century. It can be said to encompass the ghost story and other tales of the macabre. Weird fiction is distinguished from horror and fantasy in that it predates the niche marketing of genre fiction...
, fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
.
Early life
Del Toro was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, MexicoGuadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
. He was raised in a strict Catholic household. Del Toro studied at the Centro de Investigación y Estudios Cinematográficos, in Guadalajara. He first got involved in filmmaking when he was about eight years old and studied special effects and make-up with SFX
Special effect
The illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
artist Dick Smith. Del Toro participated in the cult series La Hora Marcada
La Hora Marcada
La Hora Marcada was a 1986 Mexican television anthology series famous for its horror and science fiction themes in the vein of the Twilight Zone. Although virtually unknown outside the country, it achieved a popular and critical success in Mexico...
with other renowned Mexican filmmakers such as Emmanuel Lubezki
Emmanuel Lubezki
Emmanuel Lubezki Morgenstern, ASC, AMC , better known as Emmanuel Lubezki, is a Mexican cinematographer, known for his groundbreaking techniques and characteristic style. His nickname is "Chivo".-Early life and career:...
and Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
.
He spent eight years as a special effects make-up designer and formed his own company, Necropia. He also co-founded the Guadalajara International Film Festival
Guadalajara International Film Festival
The Guadalajara International Film Festival is a week-long film festival held each March in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. The festival is considered the most prestigious film festival in Latin America and among the most important Spanish language film festivals in the world...
. Later on in his directing career, he formed his own production company, the Tequila Gang.
In 1998, at the age of 34, Guillermo was given a $30 million budget from Miramax studios
Miramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
to shoot his second film, Mimic
Mimic (film)
Mimic is an American science fiction horror film, with elements of a slasher film, released in 1997. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the script was inspired by a short story of the same name by Donald A. Wollheim. Mimic, whose U.S...
. During this time, his father, automotive entrepreneur Federico del Toro, was kidnapped in Guadalajara, Mexico
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
. Although Federico was eventually released safely, there was intense economic pressure from his captors, to the point that del Toro's family had to pay twice the amount originally asked. The event prompted Del Toro, his parents and his siblings to move abroad. In an interview with Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine, he said this about the kidnapping of his father: "Every day, every week, something happens that reminds me that I am in involuntary exile [from my country]."
Career
Guillermo del Toro has directed a wide variety of films, from action hero comic bookComic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
adaptations (Blade II
Blade II
Blade II is a 2002 superhero vampire film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Blade. It is the sequel of the Blade film series. It was written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the previous film...
, Hellboy
Hellboy (film)
Hellboy is a 2004 supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
and Hellboy II: The Golden Army) to historical fantasy and horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
s, two of which are set in Spain in the context of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
under the authoritarian rule of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
. These two films, El Espinazo Del Diablo (The Devil's Backbone) and El Laberinto Del Fauno
Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films...
(Pan's Labyrinth), are among his most critically acclaimed works. They share similar settings, protagonists (young children), and themes (including the relationship between fantasy/horror and the struggle to live under authoritarian or dictatorial rule
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
) with the 1973 Spanish film The Spirit of the Beehive
The Spirit of the Beehive
The Spirit of the Beehive is a 1973 Spanish drama film directed by Victor Erice. The film was Erice's debut and is considered a masterpiece of Spanish cinema...
, widely considered to be the finest Spanish film of the 1970s.
Del Toro views the horror genre as inherently political, explaining, "Much like fairy tales, there are two facets of horror. One is pro-institution, which is the most reprehensible type of fairy tale: Don't wander into the woods, and always obey your parents. The other type of fairy tale is completely anarchic and antiestablishment."
He is close friends with two other prominent and critically praised Mexican filmmakers, Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
and Alejandro González Iñárritu
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Alejandro González Iñárritu is a Mexican film director.González Iñárritu is the first Mexican director to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and by the DGA of America for Best Director. He is also the first and only Mexican born director to have won the Prix de la mise en scene...
. The three often influence each other's directorial decisions, and have been interviewed together by Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
. Cuarón was one of the producers of Pan's Labyrinth. After Blade II, Del Toro turned down many directing jobs for other films to do some of his other projects, he turned down a directing job for Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity
Blade: Trinity is a 2004 American superhero vampire action film, written and directed by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the screenplays to the first two Blade films...
and Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Resident Evil: Apocalypse is a Canadian-British 2004 science fiction action horror film directed by Alexander Witt, from a screenplay written by producer Paul W.S. Anderson...
to write/direct Hellboy. He also turned down The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to do Pan's Labyrinth, for which he also received a Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
for Best Script. He also turned down Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction is a Canadian-British 2007 science fiction action horror film also categorized as a doomsday and zombie film, and is the third installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is based on the Capcom survival horror series Resident Evil...
, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Michael Goldenberg and produced by David Heyman and David Barron...
, and Halo to do Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
Del Toro has also contributed to the web series
Web series
A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
Trailers From Hell
Trailers From Hell
Trailers From Hell! is a web series featuring trailers from cinema classics ranging from silent comedy to the splatter flicks of the 1980s, with a particular focus on horror and exploitation films. Trailers are accompanied by commentaries from Hollywood screenwriters, producers and directors...
.
On December 9, 2010, Guillermo del Toro launched Mirada with partners Guillermo Navarro
Guillermo Navarro
Guillermo Navarro, ASC, A.M.C. is a Mexican cinematographer. He has worked in Hollywood since 1993 and is a frequent collaborator of Guillermo del Toro and Robert Rodriguez. In 2006 he won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for the film, Pan's Labyrinth...
(his long-time cinematographer), director Mathew Cullen and Executive Producer Javier Jimenez. Mirada was formed in Los Angeles, CA to be a collaborative space where they and other filmmakers can work with Mirada’s artists to create and produce projects that span digital production and content for film, television, advertising, interactive and other media. Mirada launched as a sister company to production company Motion Theory.
Future projects
In April 2008, Del Toro was hired to direct the live action film adaptation of The Hobbit. On May 30, 2010, Del Toro stepped down from the project due to an extended delay brought on by MGM's financial troubles. Although he removed himself from directing the film, he continued co-writing the screenplays.Del Toro is scheduled to direct four films for Universal; Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; a remake of Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five (film)
Slaughterhouse-Five is a 1972 film based on Kurt Vonnegut's novel of the same name. The screenplay is by Stephen Geller and the film was directed by George Roy Hill. It stars Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, and Valerie Perrine, and features Eugene Roche, Sharon Gans, Holly Near, and Perry King. The...
; and Drood
Drood (novel)
Drood is a 2009 novel written by Dan Simmons. It is a fictionalized account of the last five years of Charles Dickens' life told from the view point of Dickens' friend and fellow author Wilkie Collins. The title comes from Dickens' unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood...
, an adaptation of a Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, known as the Hyperion Cantos, and for his Locus-winning Ilium/Olympos cycle....
novel published in February 2009. Drood is expected to be his first project after the two films set in Middle-earth. These projects would have filled up his schedule until 2017. Part of the Universal deal entails continuing research and development for the creatures in At the Mountains of Madness. In June 2009, Del Toro said he would only direct Frankenstein and just produce Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Del Toro is also in the early stages of development of Saturn and the End of Days.
Del Toro said his Frankenstein would be a faithful "Miltonian
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
tragedy", citing Frank Darabont
Frank Darabont
Frank Darabont is a Hungarian-American film director, screenwriter and producer who has been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe. He has directed the films The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist, all based on stories by Stephen King...
's "near perfect" script, which evolved into Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
's Frankenstein. Del Toro said of his vision, "What I’m trying to do is take the myth and do something with it, but combining elements of Frankenstein
Frankenstein (1931 film)
Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
and Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein
Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror film, the first sequel to Frankenstein...
without making it just a classical myth of the monster. The best moments in my mind of Frankenstein, of the novel, are yet to be filmed [...] The only guy that has ever nailed for me the emptiness, not the tragic, not the Miltonian dimension of the monster, but the emptiness is Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
in the Hammer films, where he really looks like something obscenely alive. Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
has the tragedy element nailed down but there are so many versions, including that great screenplay by Frank Darabont that was ultimately not really filmed." He has also cited Bernie Wrightson
Bernie Wrightson
Bernie "Berni" Wrightson is an American artist known for his horror illustrations and comic books.-Biography:...
's illustrations as inspiration, and said the film will not focus on the monster's creation, but be an adventure film featuring the character. Del Toro said he would like Wrightson to design his version of the creature. The film will also focus on the religious aspects of Shelley's tale. Del Toro has stated that production on Frankenstein most likely will not begin for at least four years. Despite this, he has already cast frequent collaborator Doug Jones
Doug Jones (actor)
Doug Jones is an American film and television actor best known to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fans for his various roles playing non-human characters, often in heavy makeup, in films and television series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth and Fantastic Four: Rise...
in the role of Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
. In an interview with Sci Fi Wire, Jones stated that he learned of the news the same day as everybody else; that "Guillermo did say to the press that he’s already cast me as his monster, but we’ve yet to talk about it. But in his mind, if that’s what he’s decided, then it’s done...It would be a dream come true." Regarding his Jekyll-and-Hyde film, Del Toro said he had a "perverse" take in mind where Jekyll becomes addicted to transforming into Hyde. Both films will be period pieces.
He has also expressed interest in video games after the Hobbit project, and hopes to be able to create a "Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
of games." In an MTV News interview in late July 2010, he further clarified that his video game ambitions were a reality, stating that: "One of the things we're announcing in the next few weeks is a big deal with a big company. We're going to do games that are going to be technically and narratively very interesting. It's not a development deal. We're going to do it. We're doing them. And we're going to announce it soon enough."
As of September 11, 2009 it has been made known that Guillermo del Toro has signed on with The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
to create a new label known as Disney Double Dare You. This new label will seek to create family friendly, all-ages animated projects that still manage to thrill and frighten.
In June 2010 news came that Del Toro would be writing and producing a brand new take on the story of Van Helsing. There is no word yet on if he will direct or not.
At Comic Con 2010, del Toro made the surprise announcement that he will co-write, produce, and likely direct a 3D remake of The Haunted Mansion
Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion is a dark ride located at Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland. A significantly re-imagined incarnation of the ride, known as Phantom Manor, is located in Disneyland Paris...
for Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
. Del Toro says the film will stray away from the comedic nature of the 2003 film
The Haunted Mansion (film)
The Haunted Mansion is a 2003 American comedy horror family film which is based on The Haunted Mansion attraction at Disney theme parks. The film is directed by Rob Minkoff, and stars Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Jennifer Tilly, Marsha Thomason, and Nathaniel Parker...
and will revolve around the Hatbox Ghost
Hatbox Ghost
The Hatbox Ghost is a character that appeared originally in The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland but was removed shortly after the attraction's debut...
from the ride.
On 28 July 2010 it was announced that he would direct At the Mountains of Madness
At the Mountains of Madness
At the Mountains of Madness is a novella by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, written in February/March 1931 and rejected that year by Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright on the grounds of its length. It was originally serialized in the February, March and April 1936 issues of Astounding Stories...
by H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
for Universal Pictures, with James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
as producer. The movie was originally set up as a project at DreamWorks in 2004. Just a month earlier, del Toro said that the Lovecraft adaptation probably wouldn't happen at all; "It doesn't look like I can do it. It's very difficult for the studios to take the step of doing a period-set, R-rated, tentpole movie with a tough ending and no love story. Lovecraft has a readership as big as any best-seller, but it's tough to quantify because his works are in the public domain." Not long after, he was approached by Cameron who asked him if he still wanted to do the movie. When del Toro confirmed he did, Cameron said “Let’s do it.” Both of them put forward the idea for Universal, which then greenlighted it. Earlier the same year, del Toro also asked S. T. Joshi
S. T. Joshi
Sunand Tryambak Joshi — known as S. T. Joshi — is an award-winning Indian American literary critic, novelist, and a leading figure in the study of Howard Phillips Lovecraft and other authors of weird and fantastic fiction...
if he wanted to be a consultant if and when the movie got into motion. It was rumored that del Toro was approached to direct the new Godzilla movie produced by Legendary Pictures
Legendary Pictures
Legendary Pictures is an American film production company, whose parent company, Legendary Entertainment, is based in Burbank, California and was founded by Thomas Tull in 2004...
, which he later denied.
Mountains of Madness did not receive the greenlight by Universal Studios, so del Toro's next directorial effort will be the giant monster film Pacific Rim, based on a screenplay by Travis Beacham
Travis Beacham
Travis Beacham is an American screenwriter. He studied screenwriting at the North Carolina School of the Arts.-Movie career:Just prior to graduating from the School of the Arts in 2005, Beacham co-wrote the independent feature Dog Days of Summer directed by fellow alum Mark Freiburger.In late...
, which was mistakenly rumored to be the basis for Legendary Pictures' Godzilla reboot, which del Toro was rumored to have been was approached to direct but later denied. Del Toro described the monsters in the film to be "Huge". The film involves giant monsters traveling through a vortex in the pacific rim where they attack major cities and humans must battle them by using mecha suits called Jaegers. He comments,"This is my most un-modest film, this has everything. The scale is enormous and I'm just a big kid having fun."
Guillermo del Toro has also acquired the rights to produce the movie adaption of David Moody's novel "Hater"
On 18th August 2011 it was announced del Toro is going to be developing a new film version of Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast is a traditional fairy tale. The first published version of the fairy tale was a rendition by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, published in La jeune américaine, et les contes marins in 1740...
, with Emma Watson
Emma Watson
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is an English actress and model.Watson rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series. Watson was cast as Hermione at the age of nine, having previously acted only in school plays. From 2001 to 2011, she starred in all eight Harry Potter...
in mind to star. Crazy, Stupid, Love
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Crazy, Stupid, Love. is a 2011 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, written by Dan Fogelman, and starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, Analeigh Tipton, and Kevin Bacon...
producer Denise Di Novi
Denise Di Novi
Denise Di Novi is an American film producer.-Personal life:When she was three years old, Denise and her family moved to Los Angeles from New York, where her father Gene Di Novi - a musician - made music for the TV shows of Danny Thomas, Dick Van Dyke and Andy Griffith. Prior to that, Gene worked...
confirmed the filmmaker’s involvement, and said that she would be co-producing the movie with him.
On June 2, 2009 Del Toro released his debut novel, The Strain
The Strain
The Strain is the first novel of a vampire trilogy, co-authored by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan.The book was released on June 2, 2009. The second installment, The Fall, was released on September 21, 2010...
, which he co-authored with Chuck Hogan
Chuck Hogan
Chuck Hogan is an American author. He is the author of Prince of Thieves: A Novel, a work upon which Ben Affleck's Academy Award-nominated film The Town is based on. The work won the 2005 Hammett Prize and was called one of the ten best novels of the year by Stephen King...
. It is the first part of a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
trilogy. The second part, The Fall, was released on Sept. 21, 2010, co-authored by Chuck Hogan
Chuck Hogan
Chuck Hogan is an American author. He is the author of Prince of Thieves: A Novel, a work upon which Ben Affleck's Academy Award-nominated film The Town is based on. The work won the 2005 Hammett Prize and was called one of the ten best novels of the year by Stephen King...
as well.
On October the last novel of the trilogy was released, (Night Fall) with maybe a futrue series release or movie for the Trilogy.
At the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, Del Toro announced that he is working on his first video game titled Insane
Insane (2013 video game)
Insane is a survival horror video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ, in collaboration with film director Guillermo del Toro. It is being developed for Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, and will be released in 2013...
, which is planned for release in 2013.
Del Toro also wants to direct a segment for an upcoming Heavy Metal 3.
Personal life
Guillermo del Toro is married to his high school sweetheart Lorenza Newton, cousin of Mexican singer Guadalupe Pineda. He fell in love with Lorenza when both were studying at the Guadalajara School of Sciences and became inseparable since. He currently lives in Agoura Hills, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with his wife Lorenza and his two daughters, Mariana and Marisa. In addition to home in which he lives with his family, he owns a separate house exclusively to house his books, posters artwork and other belongings pertaining to his work, explaining, "As a kid, I dreamed of having a house with secret passages and a room where it rained 24 hours a day. The point of being over 40 is to fulfill the desires you've been harboring since you were 7."
In 2009, in an interview with Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
, del Toro described his Roman Catholic upbringing as excessively "morbid," saying "I mercifully lapsed as a Catholic, I say, but as Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
used to say, "I'm an atheist, thank God." Though insisting he's spiritually "not with Buñuel" and that "once a Catholic, always a Catholic, in a way," he followed by saying, "I believe in man. I believe in mankind, as the worst and the best that has happened to this world." He has also responded to the observation that he views his art as his religion by saying, "It is. To me, art and storytelling serve primal, spiritual functions in my daily life. Whether I'm telling a bedtime story to my kids or trying to mount a movie or write a short story or a novel, I take it very seriously."
In a Q&A, Del Toro admitted to be a fan of first person shooter video games, citing games like Half-Life
Half-Life (series)
The Half-Life series of video games share a science fiction alternate history. Nearly all of the games are first-person shooters on the GoldSource or Source engines, and most are linear, narrative, single-player titles....
, Call of Duty
Call of Duty
Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in 2003. It is the first game in a series with the same name. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine...
and BioShock
Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Boston and designed by Ken Levine. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 on August 21, 2007 in North America, and three days later in Europe and Australia. It became available on Steam on August 21, 2007...
and claiming that "video games are the comic books of our time... It's a medium that gains no respect among the intelligentsia".
Filmography
| Year | Film | Credited as | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... |
Writer Screenwriter Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:... |
Producer Film producer A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The... |
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| 1986 | Dona Herlinda and Her Son | |||
| 1993 | Cronos Cronos (film) Cronos is a 1993 Mexican horror film written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, starring veteran Argentine actor Federico Luppi and American actor Ron Perlman, the first of several films on which del Toro, Luppi and Perlman have collaborated... |
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| 1997 | Mimic Mimic (film) Mimic is an American science fiction horror film, with elements of a slasher film, released in 1997. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the script was inspired by a short story of the same name by Donald A. Wollheim. Mimic, whose U.S... |
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| 1998 | Un Embrujo | |||
| 2001 | The Devil's Backbone The Devil's Backbone The Devil's Backbone is a 2001 Spanish-Mexican gothic thriller film written by Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras and David Muñoz, and directed by Guillermo del Toro. It was independently produced by Pedro Almodóvar.... |
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| 2002 | Asesino en serio | |||
| Blade II Blade II Blade II is a 2002 superhero vampire film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Blade. It is the sequel of the Blade film series. It was written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the previous film... |
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| 2004 | Crónicas Crónicas Crónicas is a 2004 Ecuadorian thriller film, written and directed by Sebastián Cordero. The film was produced by Guillermo Del Toro, director of Pan's Labyrinth, and Alfonso Cuarón, director of Y Tu Mama Tambien... |
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| Hellboy Hellboy (film) Hellboy is a 2004 supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures... |
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| 2006 | Hellboy: Sword of Storms | |||
| Pan's Labyrinth Pan's Labyrinth Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films... |
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| 2007 | Hellboy: Blood and Iron | |||
| The Orphanage The Orphanage (2007 film) The Orphanage is a 2007 Spanish-Mexican horror film and the debut feature of Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona. The film stars Belén Rueda as Laura, Fernando Cayo as her husband, Carlos, and Roger Príncep as their adopted son Simón. The plot centers on Laura, who returns to her childhood home, an... |
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| 2008 | While She Was Out While She Was Out While She Was Out is a 2008 American thriller film starring Kim Basinger and Lukas Haas. Basinger plays a suburban housewife who is forced to fend for herself when she becomes stranded in a desolate forest with four murderous thugs. It was written and directed by film producer Susan Montford... |
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| Rudo y Cursi Rudo y Cursi Rudo y Cursi is a 2008 Mexican film starring Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal and Guillermo Francella. It is directed by Carlos Cuarón and produced by Cha Cha Cha Films... |
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| Cosas insignificantes | ||||
| Hellboy II: The Golden Army | ||||
| 2009 | Splice Splice (film) Splice is a 2009 Canadian/French science fiction horror film directed by Vincenzo Natali and starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley. The story concerns experiments in genetic engineering being done by a young scientist couple who attempt to introduce human DNA into their work of splicing animal... |
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| 2010 | Biutiful Biutiful Biutiful is a drama film directed by Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Javier Bardem. It is González Iñárritu's first feature since Babel and fourth overall, and his first film in his native Spanish language since his debut feature Amores perros... |
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| Julia's Eyes | ||||
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | |||
| Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011 film) Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a 2011 American horror film written by Matthew Robbins and Guillermo del Toro, directed by comic book artist Troy Nixey and filmed in Mount Macedon, Victoria and Melbourne, Australia... |
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| Puss in Boots Puss in Boots (2011 film) Puss in Boots is a 2011 computer-animated adventure Western film produced by DreamWorks Animation, directed by Chris Miller , executive produced by Guillermo del Toro, and written by Brian Lynch, with screenplay by Tom Wheeler. It stars Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob... |
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| 2012 | Rise of the Guardians | |||
| The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | ||||
| The Captured Bird The Captured Bird The Captured Bird is an upcoming short Canadian horror film written and directed by Jovanka Vuckovic, produced by Jason Lapeyre and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro.-Synopsis:... (short) |
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| 2013 | The Hobbit: There And Back Again | |||
| Pacific Rim | ||||
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Academy Awards Academy Awards An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers... |
Best Original Screenplay | Pan's Labyrinth Pan's Labyrinth Pan's Labyrinth is a 2006 Spanish Spanish-language dark fantasy film, written and directed by Mexican film-maker Guillermo del Toro. It was produced and distributed by the Mexican film company Esperanto Films... |
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| 2007 | British Academy Film Awards British Academy Film Awards The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . It is the British counterpart of the Oscars. As of 2008, it has taken place in the Royal Opera House, having taken over from the flagship Odeon cinema on Leicester Square... |
Best Film Not in the English Language BAFTA Award for Best Film This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards... |
Pan's Labyrinth | |
| 2007 | British Academy Film Awards | Best Original Screenplay BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay The BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay is the British Academy Film Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. It has been awarded since 1984, when the original category was split into two awards, the other being the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted... |
Pan's Labyrinth | |
| 2006 | Cannes Film Festival Cannes Film Festival The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals... |
Golden Palm Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du... |
Pan's Labyrinth | |
| 2007 | Independent Spirit Awards Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit... |
Best Feature Independent Spirit Award for Best Film The Independent Spirit Award for Best Film is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards.-1980s:* 1985: After Hours - Martin Scorsese** Blood Simple - Joel and Ethan Coen** Smooth Talk... |
Pan's Labyrinth | |
| 1998 | Saturn Award Saturn Award The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within... |
Best Writing Saturn Award for Best Writing The following is a list of people who have won the Saturn Award for Best Writing.-Multiple Winners:*James Cameron - 3 awards*Christopher Nolan - 3 awards*William Peter Blatty - 3 awards-External links:* http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#writing... |
Mimic Mimic (film) Mimic is an American science fiction horror film, with elements of a slasher film, released in 1997. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, the script was inspired by a short story of the same name by Donald A. Wollheim. Mimic, whose U.S... |
|
| 2007 | Saturn Award | Best Director Saturn Award for Best Direction The following is a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Direction:-Multiple Winners:*James Cameron - 5 awards*Steven Spielberg - 4 awards*Peter Jackson - 3 awards*Bryan Singer - 2 awards... |
Pan's Labyrinth | |
| 2007 | Saturn Award | Best Writing | Pan's Labyrinth | |
| 2008 | Saturn Award | George Pal Memorial Award George Pál George Pal , born György Pál Marczincsak, was a Hungarian-born American animator and film producer, principally associated with the science fiction genre... |
External links
- The New Master of Horror Cinema, Jaime Perales Contreras, Americas Magazine, Organization of American States, April, 2009.
- Del Toro Webcast on BAFTA.org
- Premiere Magazine: Inside Del Toro's Sketchbook
- Guillermo del Toro, Partners Open Production