Guillermo del Toro GΓ³mezΒ (Spanish:Β [Ι‘iΛΚeΙΎmoΒ Γ°elΛtoΙΎo]; born 9 October 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and artist. His work has been characterized by a strong connection toΒ fairy tales,Β gothicism, andΒ horror, often blending the genres to infuse visual or poetic beauty into the grotesque.Β He has had a lifelong fascination withΒ monsters, which he considers symbols of great power.Β He is known for pioneeringΒ dark fantasyΒ in the film industry and using insectile and religious imagery, his themes ofΒ Catholicism, and celebrating imperfection, underworld motifs,Β practical special effects, and dominant amber lighting.
Throughout his career, del Toro has shifted between Spanish-language filmsβsuch asΒ Cronos (1993),Β The Devil's BackboneΒ (2001), andΒ Pan's LabyrinthΒ (2006)βand English-language films, includingΒ MimicΒ (1997),Β Blade IIΒ (2002),Β Hellboy (2004) and its sequelΒ Hellboy II: The Golden Army(2008),Β Pacific RimΒ (2013),Β Crimson PeakΒ (2015),Β The Shape of WaterΒ (2017),Β Nightmare Alley (2021), andΒ PinocchioΒ (2022).
As a producer or writer, he worked on the filmsΒ The OrphanageΒ (2007),Β Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010),Β The HobbitΒ film seriesΒ (2012β2014),Β MamaΒ (2013),Β The Book of LifeΒ (2014),Β Pacific Rim: UprisingΒ (2018),Β Scary Stories to Tell in the DarkΒ (2019), andΒ The WitchesΒ (2020). In 2022, he created theΒ NetflixΒ anthology horror seriesΒ Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, featuring a collection of classical horror stories.
WithΒ Chuck Hogan, he co-authoredΒ The StrainΒ trilogy of novels (2009β2011), which was later adapted into aΒ comic book seriesΒ (2011β15) and aΒ live-action television seriesΒ (2014β17). WithΒ DreamWorks AnimationΒ andΒ Netflix, he created the animated franchiseΒ Tales of Arcadia, which includes the seriesΒ TrollhuntersΒ (2016β18),Β 3BelowΒ (2018β19), andΒ WizardsΒ (2020) and the sequel filmΒ Trollhunters: Rise of the TitansΒ (2021).
Del Toro is close friends with fellow Mexican filmmakersΒ Alfonso CuarΓ³nΒ andΒ Alejandro G. IΓ±Γ‘rritu, collectively known as "The Three Amigos of Mexican Cinema".Β He has receivedΒ several awards, including threeΒ Academy Awards, threeΒ BAFTA Awards, twoΒ Golden Globe Awards, aΒ Daytime Emmy Award, and aΒ Golden Lion. He was included inΒ TimeΒ magazine's list ofΒ the 100 most influential people in the worldΒ in 2018,Β and he received aΒ motion picture starΒ on theΒ Hollywood Walk of FameΒ in 2019.
