Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro Gómez was born on the 9th of October 1964 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. His father Federico won a lottery worth $6 million in 1969. This windfall allowed the family to live among books and exotic animals. Del Toro described their home as an enchanted castle. When he was about eight years old, he began experimenting with his father's Super 8 camera. He made short films using Planet of the Apes toys and other objects. One film focused on a serial killer potato with ambitions of world domination. That potato murdered his mother and brothers before being crushed by a car. He wrote four episodes and directed five episodes of the cult series La Hora Marcada. Only two of his early shorts remain available today.
His first movie was supposed to be a stop-motion sci-fi feature called Omnivore. He and his team built sets and about 100 puppets over three years. Vandals burglarized the studio one night and destroyed the puppets and sets. This event ended his project and led him to switch to a live-action film called Cronos. The film released in 1993. In 1997, at age 33, he received a $30 million budget from Miramax Films. He shot another film titled Mimic during this period. He was ultimately unhappy with how Miramax treated him during production. His friend James Cameron almost came to blows with Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein during the 70th Academy Awards because of this treatment. Del Toro studied special effects and make-up with artist Dick Smith. He spent 10 years as a special-effects make-up designer and formed his own company named Necropia.
Two films set in Spain under Francisco Franco's authoritarian rule stand among his most critically acclaimed works. These films are The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth. They share similar settings, protagonists, and themes with the 1973 Spanish film The Spirit of the Beehive. That older film is widely considered the finest Spanish film of the 1970s. Pan's Labyrinth premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival where it received a standing ovation. Alfonso Cuarón produced Pan's Labyrinth while Alejandro G. Iñárritu assisted in editing the film. Del Toro views the horror genre as inherently political. He explained that one facet of horror is pro-institution while the other type is completely anarchic and antiestablishment. The films explore historical trauma through fantasy elements.
Del Toro directed the Cold War drama film The Shape of Water starring Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, and Michael Shannon. Filming began on the 15th of August 2016 in Toronto and wrapped twelve weeks later. On the 31st of August 2017, the film premiered in the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival. It was awarded the Golden Lion for best film. This win made Del Toro the first Mexican director to receive the award. The film went on to win multiple accolades including the Academy Award for Best Picture. Del Toro won the Academy Award for Best Director for this work. In 2019, he received a motion picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has received three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, and a Golden Lion. Time magazine included him in its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.
Federico del Toro Torres was kidnapped in Guadalajara around 1997. His family had to pay twice the amount originally asked for as ransom totaling $1 million. Immediately after learning of the kidnapping, James Cameron offered to help by paying for a negotiator worth $250,000. Del Toro accepted this offer before reimbursing him later. Seventy-two days after Federico was kidnapped, the ransom was paid and he was released. The culprits were never apprehended nor was the money ever recovered. This event prompted Del Toro, his parents, and his siblings to move abroad. In a 2011 interview with Time magazine, he mentioned the kidnapping of his
father. He stated that every day something happens that reminds him that he is in involuntary exile from his country.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When and where was Guillermo del Toro born?
Guillermo del Toro Gómez was born on the 9th of October 1964 in Guadalajara, Jalisco. His father Federico won a lottery worth $6 million in 1969 which allowed the family to live among books and exotic animals.
What happened to Guillermo del Toro's first movie project Omnivore?
Vandals burglarized the studio one night and destroyed the puppets and sets built over three years for the stop-motion sci-fi feature called Omnivore. This event ended his project and led him to switch to a live-action film called Cronos that released in 1993.
Which films did Guillermo del Toro direct set in Spain under Francisco Franco's authoritarian rule?
The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth stand among his most critically acclaimed works as two films set in Spain under Francisco Franco's authoritarian rule. Pan's Labyrinth premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival where it received a standing ovation.
How many Academy Awards has Guillermo del Toro won for The Shape of Water?
Del Toro won the Academy Award for Best Director for this work and the film went on to win multiple accolades including the Academy Award for Best Picture. He has received three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, and a Golden Lion.
When was Federico del Toro Torres kidnapped and how much ransom was paid?
Federico del Toro Torres was kidnapped in Guadalajara around 1997 and the family had to pay twice the amount originally asked for as ransom totaling $1 million. Seventy-two days after Federico was kidnapped the ransom was paid and he was released but the culprits were never apprehended nor was the money ever recovered.