Guillermo del Toro
Biography
Guillermo del Toro Gómez is a Mexican filmmaker born on October 9, 1964, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He is known for his work in the film industry, particularly in the genres of fairy tales, gothicism, and horror. Del Toro's films often blend genres to infuse visual or poetic beauty into the grotesque, and he is known for pioneering dark fantasy. His work frequently incorporates insectile and religious imagery, themes of Catholicism, and celebrates imperfection, underworld motifs, and practical special effects. Del Toro has directed numerous films, and his career has spanned multiple languages, including Spanish-language films.
Career overview
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican filmmaker known for his work in the film industry. He has a lifelong fascination with monsters, which he considers symbols of great power. Del Toro's films often blend genres, infusing visual or poetic beauty into the grotesque. His work is characterized by a strong connection to fairy tales, gothicism, and horror.
Del Toro is known for pioneering dark fantasy in the film industry. He frequently incorporates insectile and religious imagery, explores themes of Catholicism, and celebrates imperfection. Underworld motifs and dominant amber lighting are also common elements in his films. Del Toro's use of practical special effects adds to the visual appeal of his work.
Throughout his career, del Toro has shifted between Spanish-language films and other projects. His directing style is distinct and has garnered attention in the film industry. Del Toro's work often explores the boundaries between beauty and the grotesque, resulting in a unique visual style that sets him apart from other filmmakers.
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Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Thing Expanded (2026) as Self
- THE ORIGIN OF ULTRAMAN (2026) as Self
- Frankenstein (2025) Producer
- Frankenstein (2025) Director
- Frankenstein (2025) Writer
- Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) Thanks
- The Monkey (2025) Thanks
- Netflix Tudum 2025 (2025) as Self
- Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025) as Self
- Frankenstein: The Anatomy Lesson (2025) as Self - Writer / Director
- Mollusk (2025)
- It’s a Mad Max World (2025) as Self
- The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld (2025)
- Sangre del Toro (2025) as Self
- Surrealistic Nightmares: An In-Depth Look at Walloon Horror Cinema (2025) as Self
- Disclaimer (2024) Thanks
- The Apprentice (2024) Thanks
- Megalopolis (2024) Thanks
- Leonardo da Vinci (2024) as Self
- Dario Argento: Panico (2024) as Self
- The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) Thanks
- The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023) Thanks
- Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds (2023) as Self
- Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre (2023) as Self
- George Pal: Un Marciano De Hollywood En Argentina (2023)
- Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022) as Self - Host (uncredited)
- Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022) Executive Producer
- Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022) Short Story
- Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022) Teleplay
- Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (2022) Creator
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) Screenstory
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) Director
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) Producer
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) Screenplay
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) Lyricist
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema (2022) as Self
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema (2022) Executive Producer
- Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story (2022) as Self
- Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters (2022) as Self
- Nightmare Alley (2021) Director
- Nightmare Alley (2021) Producer
- Nightmare Alley (2021) Screenplay
- Directors on Directors (2021) as Self
- Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (2021) Screenplay
- Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (2021) Producer
- Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (2021) Creator
- Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (2021) Book
- Antlers (2021) Producer
- Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster (2021) as Self
- Roald Dahl's The Witches (2020) Producer
- Roald Dahl's The Witches (2020) Screenplay
- Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (2020) Writer
- Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (2020) Teleplay
- Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (2020) Executive Producer
- Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (2020) Creator
- Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business (2020) as Self
- I'm No Longer Here: A Discussion with Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón (2020) as Self
- Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) Screenstory
- Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) Producer
- Love, Antosha (2019) as Self
- Elvis Goes There (2019) as Self
- Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film (2019) as Self
- The House Is Alive: Constructing 'Crimson Peak' (2019) as Self
- Barry (2018) as El Toro
- Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) Producer
- 3Below: Tales of Arcadia (2018) Executive Producer
- 3Below: Tales of Arcadia (2018) Director
- 3Below: Tales of Arcadia (2018) Creator
- James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction (2018) as Self
- Guillermo del Toro: Un director y su Oscar (2018) as Guillermo del Toro
- Light in the Darkness: The Impact of Night of The Living Dead (2018) as Self
- Light in the Darkness: The Impact of Night of The Living Dead (2018) Thanks
- Ayotzinapa: The Turtle's Pace (2018) Producer
- Bloody And Groovy Baby! A Tribute to Sam Raimi's Evil Dead 2 (2018) as Self
- The Shape of Water (2017) Producer
- The Shape of Water (2017) Director
- The Shape of Water (2017) Story
- The Shape of Water (2017) Screenplay
- Five Came Back (2017) as Self
- When Romero Met Del Toro (2017)
- 78/52 (2017) as Self
- Five Came Back (2017) as Self
- Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (2016) Executive Producer
- Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (2016) Director
- Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (2016) Story
- Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (2016) Teleplay
- Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (2016) Creator
- Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) Executive Producer
- I Remember Crimson Peak (2016) as Himself
- Hand Tailored Gothic (2016) as Self
- The Giant's Dream: The Making of the Iron Giant (2016) as Self
- A Living Thing (2016)
- Crimson Phantoms (2016)
- The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak (2016) as Self
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- The Late Late Show with James Corden (2015) as Self - Guest
- Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter (2015) as Self
- The Thin Yellow Line (2015) Producer
- Crimson Peak (2015) Director
- Crimson Peak (2015) Writer
- Crimson Peak (2015) Producer
- Extraordinary Tales (2015) as Narrator (voice) (segment 'The Pit and the Pendulum')
- Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex (2015) as Self
- Metal Gear Solid: Legacy (2015) as Self
- The First Hundred Feet, the Last Hundred Feet (2015) as Self
- The Strain (2014) Writer
- The Strain (2014) Director
- The Strain (2014) Creator
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) Thanks
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) Screenplay
- The Book of Life (2014) as Land of the Remembered Captain's Wife (voice)
- The Book of Life (2014) Producer
- The Game Awards (2014) as Self
- Lennon or McCartney (2014) as Self
- The Director's Chair (2014) as Self
- Guillermo del Toro Interviews Paul Williams (2014) as Self
- Guillermo del Toro Interviews Paul Williams (2014) Thanks
- Pacific Rim (2013) Director
- Pacific Rim (2013) Screenplay
- Pacific Rim (2013) Producer
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) Screenplay
- Gravity (2013) Thanks
- Mama (2013) Executive Producer
- Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics (2013)
- The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy (2013) as Self
- Drew: The Man Behind the Poster (2013) as Self
- Spanish Gothic (2013) as Self
- The Digital Artistry of Pacific Rim (2013) as Self
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Screenplay
- Rise of the Guardians (2012) Executive Producer
- Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (2012) as Self
- Men in Suits (2012) as Self
- The Captured Bird (2012) Executive Producer
- El Santos vs la Tetona Mendoza (2012) as Gamborimbo Ponx (voice)
- Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss (2012) as Self
- Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) Creative Consultant
- Puss in Boots (2011) as Comandante / Hombre del bigote (voice)
- Puss in Boots (2011) Executive Producer
- Reclaiming 'Mimic' (2011) as Self
- Reclaiming 'Mimic' (2011) Conceptual Illustrator
- Zombie Lover (2011) as Interviewee
- Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope (2011) as Self
- Back Into the Tunnels: The Making of 'Mimic' (2011) as Self
- Back Into the Tunnels: The Making of 'Mimic' (2011) Thanks
- A Leap in Evolution: The Creatures of 'Mimic' (2011) as Self
- A Leap in Evolution: The Creatures of 'Mimic' (2011) Conceptual Illustrator
- Megamind (2010) Creative Consultant
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) Thanks
- BlackBoxTV Presents (2010) Producer
- Splice (2010) Executive Producer
- Biutiful (2010) Associate Producer
- Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010) as Creature (Voice)
- Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010) Producer
- Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010) Screenplay
- Julia's Eyes (2010) Producer
- District 9 (2009) Thanks
- Rage (2009) Producer
- The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style (2009) as Self
- North by Northwest: One for the Ages (2009) as Self
- Fasten Your Seatbelt: The Thrilling Art of Alfred Hitchcock (2009) as Self
- Quantum of Solace (2008) as Additional Voices (voice)
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) as Creature Vocals (voice) (uncredited)
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) Screenplay
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) Director
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) Story
- Partners in Crime: Hitchcock's Collaborators (2008) as Self
- While She Was Out (2008) Executive Producer
- Rudo & Cursi (2008) Producer
- Saul Bass: Title Champ (2008) as Self
- Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound (2008) as Self
- El último truco (2008) as Self
- Insignificant Things (2008) Producer
- Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008) as Self
- Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock (2008) as Self
- The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't (2008) as Self
- Hellboy: In Service of the Demon (2008) as Self
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Zinco Epilogue (2008) Screenplay
- In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy (2008) as Self
- Bernard Herrmann: Hitchcock's Maestro (2008) as Self
- Drew Struzan: An Appreciation of An Artist (2008) as Self
- Drew Struzan: An Appreciation of An Artist (2008) Thanks
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Prologue (2008) Screenplay
- Edith Head: Dressing the Master's Movies (2008) as Self
- The Orphanage (2007) Executive Producer
- Diary of the Dead (2007) as Newsreader (voice) (uncredited)
- Diary of the Dead (2007) Thanks
- 07 Spaceys (2007)
- Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007) Creative Producer
- Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007) as Self
- Red Princess Blues Animated: The Book of Violence (2007) Thanks
- Pan and the Fairies (2007) as Self
- Nexus Generation: Fans & Filmmakers (2007) as Self
- The Color and the Shape (2007) as Self
- Year of the Nail (2007) Thanks
- The Power of Myth (2007) as Self
- Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard (2007) as Self
- The Melody Echoes the Fairy Tale (2007) as Self
- Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Director
- Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Producer
- Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Writer
- Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms (2006) Creative Producer
- It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005) as Pappy McPoyle
- Torrente 3: The Protector (2005) as Contacto Giannina (scenes deleted)
- Home Delivery (2005) Presenter
- Home Delivery (2005) Executive Producer
- Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy (2005)
- Hellboy (2004) as Guy Dressed as Dragon (uncredited)
- Hellboy (2004) Screenplay
- Hellboy (2004) Director
- Hellboy (2004) Fight Choreographer
- Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation (2004) as Self
- Crónicas (2004) Producer
- Que es un Fantasma?: The Making of 'The Devil's Backbone' (2004) as Self
- Que es un fantasma? (2004)
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) as Self - Guest
- Noin (2003) as Guillermo del Toro
- Blade II (2002) Director
- HypaSpace (2002) as Self
- Masters of Horror (2002) as Self
- I Murder Seriously (2002) Executive Producer
- The Blood Pact: The Making of 'Blade II' (2002) as Self
- Y Tu Mamá También (2001) Thanks
- The Devil's Backbone (2001) Screenplay
- The Devil's Backbone (2001) Director
- Torrente 2: Mission in Marbella (2001) Thanks
- Mimic 2 (2001) Characters
- The Devil's Backbone: Behind the Scenes (2001)
- Amores Perros (2000) Editorial Coordinator
- Bullfighter (2000) as Bullboy #2
- Futurama (1999) as Guillermo del Toro's Head (voice)
- Under a Spell (1999) Producer
- Torrente: The Dumb Arm of the Law (1998) Thanks
- Mimic (1997) Screenplay
- Mimic (1997) Director
- Mimic (1997) Screenstory
- Algunas nubes (1995) Makeup Effects
- Cronos (1993) as Man Walking Dog (uncredited)
- Cronos (1993) Director
- Cronos (1993) Screenplay
- Sólo con tu pareja (1992) Thanks
- Cabeza de Vaca (1991) Makeup Effects Designer
- Dying in the Gulf (1990) Makeup Effects
- Dying in the Gulf (1990) Storyboard
- The Simpsons (1989) as Guillermo del Toro (voice)
- Goitia: A God for Himself (1989) Special Effects Makeup Artist
- Love Lies (1989) Makeup Effects
- Love Lies (1989) Special Effects Makeup Artist
- The Marked Hour (1988) Writer
- The Marked Hour (1988) Director
- Geometry (1987) Director
- Geometry (1987) Writer
- Geometry (1987) Producer
- Obdulia (1986) First Assistant Director
- Mrs. Lupe (1986) Director
- Mrs. Lupe (1986) Screenplay
- Mrs. Lupe (1986) Executive Producer
- Mrs. Lupe (1986) Casting
- Mrs. Lupe (1986) Assistant Editor
- Doña Herlinda and Her Son (1985) Executive Producer
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee
- The Bloody Benders Producer
- The Boy in the Iron Box Screenplay
- The Boy in the Iron Box Producer
- The Boy in the Iron Box Novel
- Sira and the Secret of the Park Executive Producer
- Fury Director
- Fury Writer
- Fury Producer