History Creator / GuillermoDelToro

Del Toro is notorious for turning down high-budgeted SummerBlockbuster movies to work on smaller, independent projects. So far he has rejected offers to direct ''Film/IAmLegend''; ''Film/OneMissedCall''; ''Film/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe''; ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', and even ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince''. He did, however, accept an offer to work on the ''Film/TheHobbit'' film series, but ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''-helmer Creator/PeterJackson wound up taking over the director's spot, with del Toro staying on as a writer. Another famed characteristic of Del Toro is [[AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder being attached to so many things]] that [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_del_Toro#Future_projects his "future projects"]] are very different than [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_del_Toro_filmography what actually comes out]].

Is a frequent collaborator with Creator/RonPerlman and [[ComicBook/{{Hellboy}} Mike Mignola]]. He is also JustForFun/OneOfUs being an avid gamer who cites games like ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' and ''VideoGame/BioShock1'' as being his favorites and he was developing ''Insane'', as well as ''VideoGame/SilentHills'' with Creator/HideoKojima before both got cancelled. He is also friends with fellow Mexican directors Creator/AlfonsoCuaron and Creator/AlejandroGonzalezInarritu, the three being collectively known as "The Three Amigos of Cinema."[[note]]With Del Toro's win for ''The Shape of Water'' in 2017, all three have now won Best Director at the [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscars]].[[/note]]

** As whole, Del Toro considers all of his films to be deliberate reconstructions of the [[GothicHorror Gothic literature]] he grew up reading.

* ProductionPosse:
** Creator/RonPerlman, Creator/DougJones and Creator/SantiagoSegura tend to appear in most of his films.

** Ron Perlman, Doug Jones and Santiago Segura tend to be in most of his films.

* ''Film/{{The Witches|2020}}'' (2020)

* ''Pinocchio'' (co-director)

* ''WesternAnimation/PussInBoots'' (executive producer)

* ''Hellboy: The Science of Evil'', a video game based on the ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' film series which was published by Creator/{{Konami}}. (Writer)

* TheFairFolk: Seen in ''Film/PansLabyrinth'', the ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' movies, and ''Film/DontBeAfraidOfTheDark''.

* LonelyRichKid: His father won the Mexican lottery when he was little, built a Chrysler dealership empire from the money, and Guillermo was living in a gigantic mansion by the time he was seven. He said if his sister wasn't around, he could have genuinely died of boredom as a child in that place.

* ''Film/HellboyIITheGoldenArmy''.

** Fetuses in jars of yellow fluid, present in The Devil's Backbone, Blade II, and Death Stranding.

* ''Film/{{Mimic}}'' (The only film he openly regrets, because the [[ExecutiveMeddling studio]] changed his ending. You can see that he put a lot of love into the rest of it, however.)

* ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' and its sequel, ''Film/HellboyIITheGoldenArmy''.
* ''Film/PansLabyrinth'' (His most acclaimed work)

* ''Film/CrimsonPeak'' (Starring Creator/MiaWasikowska, Creator/TomHiddleston, and Creator/JimBeaver. It also reunites him with ''Pacific Rim'' stars Burn Gorman and Charlie Hunnam)

Guillermo del Toro Gómez (born October 9, 1964) is a critically acclaimed Mexican filmmaker and author, widely known for his work on the SpeculativeFiction genre. He is perhaps best recognized by moviegoers as director of the ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' film duology, ''Film/PansLabyrinth'', as well as the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward winning ''Film/TheShapeOfWater''.

Del Toro is notoriously known for turning down high-budgeted SummerBlockbuster movies to work on smaller, independent projects. So far he has rejected offers to direct ''Film/IAmLegend''; ''Film/OneMissedCall''; ''Film/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe''; ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', and even ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince''. He did, however, accept an offer to work on the ''Film/TheHobbit'' film series, but ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''-helmer Creator/PeterJackson wound up taking over the director's spot, with del Toro staying on as a writer. Another famed characteristic of Del Toro is [[AttentionDeficitCreatorDisorder being attached to so many things]] that [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_del_Toro#Future_projects his "future projects"]] are very different than [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_del_Toro_filmography what actually comes out]].

Guillermo del Toro Gómez (born October 9, 1964) is a critically acclaimed Mexican filmmaker and author, widely known for his work on the SpeculativeFiction genre. He is perhaps best recognized by moviegoers as director of the ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' film series, ''Film/PansLabyrinth'', as well as the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward winning ''Film/TheShapeOfWater''.

* ''[[Film/NightmareAlley2021 Nightmare Alley]]'' (Upcoming film based on the William Lindsay Gresham [[Literature/NightmareAlley novel of the same name]] starring Creator/BradleyCooper, Creator/CateBlanchett, Creator/RooneyMara and Creator/ToniCollette. Began filming in January 2020, production was suspended in March due to the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic, but restarted under strict guidelines in September and concluded that December.)

** Music/AlexandreDesplat has been the main composer for his works since ''The Shape of Water''.

* ''Film/TheHobbit'' (Formerly directing and co-writing, but after several years in DevelopmentHell he stepped down as director, and remains as a co-writer with Creator/PeterJackson (and his usual writing team).

** Creator/AlexandreDesplat has been the main composer for his work since ''The Shape of Water''.

* ''Nightmare Alley'' (Upcoming film based on the William Lindsay Gresham [[Literature/NightmareAlley novel of the same name]] starring Creator/BradleyCooper, Creator/CateBlanchett, Creator/RooneyMara and Creator/ToniCollette. Began filming in January 2020, production was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

* ''Film/{{Mimic}}'' (His only OldShame, because the [[ExecutiveMeddling studio]] changed his ending. You can see that he put a lot of love into the rest of it, however.)

* GenreThrowback: ''Film/CrimsonPeak'' is one for Gothic Romance, as well as the visually sumptuous HauntedHouse movies of the '60s, '70s, and early '80s (stuff like ''Film/TheHaunting1963'', ''Film/TheShining'' and the works of Creator/MarioBava).

** He also counts as this. His name, Guillermo Del Toro means "William of the Bull".

* ClockworkCreature: ''Film/{{Cronos}}'' and the ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' movies have both featured creatures powered by clockwork. A clock also features prominently in ''Film/PansLabyrinth''.
* DarkIsNotEvil: Most of his films feature sympathetic monsters.

* HumansAreBastards: See DarkIsNotEvil. Even in stories full of monsters, most of his real villains will be humans. Even in stories with monstrous villains, like ''Literature/TheStrain'', the monsters have no trouble corrupting susceptible humans.
* KidsAreCruel: A recurring theme in his work. Partially a deliberate subversion of the ChildrenAreInnocent movie cliche, and partially allegedly drawn from his own childhood experiences. Don't let that and the BreakTheCutie trope lead you to believe he hates kids: he has a few of his own, and mentioned he plays video games with his daughter. It's also worth noting that a lot of the mean kids in his stories (e.g. Jaime from ''Film/TheDevilsBackbone'', Steve from ''Franchise/TalesOfArcadia'', and even [[spoiler: Zach from ''Literature/TheStrain'']], who does some truly evil things) get some level of redemption.

* NightmareFetishist: A self-confessed one. Even outside filmmaking, he loves mystery investigation in real life, and is a huge fan of legendary Spanish program ''Series/CuartoMilenio'' to boot.

** Creator/AlexandreDesplat has been the main composer for his work since The Shape of Water.

* SignatureStyle: In addition to his AuthorAppeal and AuthorPhobia, his films often favor a specific and small palette (amber for ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'', blue-green for ''Film/PansLabyrinth'', yellow/blue for night/day in ''Film/BladeII'', and green/yellow for ''Film/TheShapeOfWater'').
** He also likes a particular type of creepiness; "I have a sort of a fetish for insects, clockwork, monsters, dark places, and unborn things,"
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Despite a reasonable amount of cynicism, there is a good amount of optimism and magic in his films.

** Music/AlexandreDesplat has been the main composer for his work since The Shape of Water.

* ProductionPosse: Ron Perlman, Doug Jones and Santiago Segura tend to be in most of his films.

* InfantImmortality: Alternately averted and played straight, sometimes in the same movie.

Guillermo del Toro Gómez (born October 9, 1964 in Guadalajara, Mexico) is a critically acclaimed filmmaker and author from Mexico, widely known for his work on the SpeculativeFiction genre. He is perhaps best recognized by moviegoers as director of the ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' film series, ''Film/PansLabyrinth'', as well as the UsefulNotes/AcademyAward winning ''Film/TheShapeOfWater''.

* InfantImmortality: Alternately averted and played straight.