Guillermo del Toro
Directing
Born: October 9, 1964 (age 61) · Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Highest Rated
Biography
Guillermo del Toro Gómez (Spanish: [ɡiˈʝeɾmo ðelˈtoɾo]; born 9 October 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and artist. His work has been characterized by a strong connection to fairy tales, gothicism, and horror, often blending the genres to infuse visual or poetic beauty into the grotesque. He has had a lifelong fascination with monsters, which he considers symbols of great power. He is known for pioneering dark fantasy in the film industry and using insectile and religious imagery, his themes of Catholicism, and celebrating imperfection, underworld motifs, practical special effects, and dominant amber lighting. Throughout his career, del Toro has shifted between Spanish-language films—such as Cronos (1993), The Devil's Backbone (2001), and Pan's Labyrinth (2006)—and English-language films, including Mimic (1997), Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004) and its sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army(2008), Pacific Rim (2013), Crimson Peak (2015), The Shape of Water (2017), Nightmare Alley (2021), and Pinocchio (2022). As a producer or writer, he worked on the films The Orphanage (2007), Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010), The Hobbit film series (2012–2014), Mama (2013), The Book of Life (2014), Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019), and The Witches (2020). In 2022, he created the Netflix anthology horror series Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, featuring a collection of classical horror stories. With Chuck Hogan, he co-authored The Strain trilogy of novels (2009–2011), which was later adapted into a comic book series (2011–15) and a live-action television series (2014–17). With DreamWorks Animation and Netflix, he created the animated franchise Tales of Arcadia, which includes the series Trollhunters (2016–18), 3Below (2018–19), and Wizards (2020) and the sequel film Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (2021). Del Toro is close friends with fellow Mexican filmmakers Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro G. Iñárritu, collectively known as "The Three Amigos of Mexican Cinema". He has received several awards, including three Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Daytime Emmy Award, and a Golden Lion. He was included in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018, and he received a motion picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2019.
Known for
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012
Gravity
2013
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2014
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2013
Pacific Rim
2013
The Shape of Water
2017
Pan's Labyrinth
2006
The Simpsons
1989
How to Train Your Dragon 2
2014
District 9
2009
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2010
Quantum of Solace
2008
Photos (5)
Movies (22)
Puss in Boots
Comandante / Hombre del bigote (voice)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Creature Vocals (voice) (uncredited)
Quantum of Solace
Additional Voices (voice)
The Book of Life
Land of the Remembered Captain's Wife (voice)
Hellboy
Guy Dressed as Dragon (uncredited)
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Creature (Voice)
Cronos
Man Walking Dog (uncredited)
Diary of the Dead
Newsreader (voice) (uncredited)
Extraordinary Tales
Narrator (voice) (segment 'The Pit and the Pendulum')
The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld
2025
Mollusk
2025
Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics
2013
07 Spaceys
2007
Bullfighter
Bullboy #2
Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy
2005
Noin
Guillermo del Toro
El Santos vs la Tetona Mendoza
Gamborimbo Ponx (voice)
A Living Thing
2016
George Pal: Un Marciano De Hollywood En Argentina
2023
Guillermo del Toro: Un director y su Oscar
Guillermo del Toro
Crimson Phantoms
2016
Que es un fantasma?
2004
TV Shows (6)
The Simpsons
Guillermo del Toro (voice) · 1 eps
Futurama
Guillermo del Toro's Head (voice) · 1 eps
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Pappy McPoyle · 3 eps
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia
Señor Muelas (voice) · 5 eps
Barry
El Toro · 1 eps
Konbini Vidéo Club
1 eps
Self / Appearances (84)
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · 1 eps
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self - Guest · 1 eps
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Nominee · 1 eps
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Self - Guest · 1 eps
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self · 2 eps
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest · 2 eps
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · 1 eps
The Oscars
Self · 3 eps
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
Self - Host (uncredited) · 8 eps
James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction
Self · 2 eps
Directors on Directors
Self · 1 eps
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story
Self
Five Came Back
Self · 3 eps
Love, Antosha
Self
The Game Awards
Self · 1 eps
The Director's Chair
Self · 1 eps
Netflix Tudum 2025
Self
Leonardo da Vinci
Self · 2 eps
78/52
Self
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema
Self
Reclaiming 'Mimic'
Self
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan
Self
Dario Argento: Panico
Self
Partners in Crime: Hitchcock's Collaborators
Self
It’s a Mad Max World
Self
Lennon or McCartney
Self
Frankenstein: The Anatomy Lesson
Self - Writer / Director
THE ORIGIN OF ULTRAMAN
Self
Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner
Self
The Giant's Dream: The Making of the Iron Giant
Self
Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds
Self
The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't
Self
The Blood Pact: The Making of 'Blade II'
Self
The Thing Expanded
Self
Elvis Goes There
Self · 1 eps
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
Self
Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound
Self
Temple of Film: 100 Years of the Egyptian Theatre
Self
Deck-A-Rep: The True Nature of Rick Deckard
Self
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster
Self
Five Came Back
Self
The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy
Self
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Self
Metal Gear Solid: Legacy
Self
Sangre del Toro
Self
Saul Bass: Title Champ
Self
El último truco
Self
Horror Europa with Mark Gatiss
Self
Drew: The Man Behind the Poster
Self
Men in Suits
Self
The House Is Alive: Constructing 'Crimson Peak'
Self
I Remember Crimson Peak
Himself
Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope
Self
Spanish Gothic
Self
Back Into the Tunnels: The Making of 'Mimic'
Self
Surrealistic Nightmares: An In-Depth Look at Walloon Horror Cinema
Self
Hellboy: The Seeds of Creation
Self
Clapboard Jungle: Surviving the Independent Film Business
Self
In the Master's Shadow: Hitchcock's Legacy
Self
Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown
Self
Drew Struzan: An Appreciation of An Artist
Self
Pan and the Fairies
Self
The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style
Self
Pure Cinema: Through the Eyes of Hitchcock
Self
Nexus Generation: Fans & Filmmakers
Self
Hand Tailored Gothic
Self
Masters of Horror
Self
Edith Head: Dressing the Master's Movies
Self
The Color and the Shape
Self
The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak
Self
Light in the Darkness: The Impact of Night of The Living Dead
Self
Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters
Self
Bob Burns' Hollywood Haloween
Self
A Leap in Evolution: The Creatures of 'Mimic'
Self
The First Hundred Feet, the Last Hundred Feet
Self
Hellboy: In Service of the Demon
Self
Guillermo del Toro Interviews Paul Williams
Self
Que es un Fantasma?: The Making of 'The Devil's Backbone'
Self
The Digital Artistry of Pacific Rim
Self
North by Northwest: One for the Ages
Self
Bernard Herrmann: Hitchcock's Maestro
Self
I'm No Longer Here: A Discussion with Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón
Self
The Power of Myth
Self
Bloody And Groovy Baby! A Tribute to Sam Raimi's Evil Dead 2
Self
Upcoming (2)
Directing (20)
The Strain
Director
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia
Director
Frankenstein
Director
Pacific Rim
Director
Pan's Labyrinth
Director
The Shape of Water
Director
Blade II
Director
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Director
3Below: Tales of Arcadia
Director
Nightmare Alley
Director
Crimson Peak
Director
Hellboy
Director
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Director
The Marked Hour
Director
Mimic
Director
Cronos
Director
The Devil's Backbone
Director
Mrs. Lupe
Director
Obdulia
First Assistant Director
Geometry
Director
Writing (41)
The Strain
Writer
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Screenplay
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia
Teleplay
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia
Story
Frankenstein
Writer
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Screenplay
Pacific Rim
Screenplay
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Screenplay
Pan's Labyrinth
Writer
The Shape of Water
Story
The Shape of Water
Screenplay
Wizards: Tales of Arcadia
Writer
Wizards: Tales of Arcadia
Teleplay
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
Teleplay
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
Short Story
Roald Dahl's The Witches
Screenplay
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Screenplay
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Story
Nightmare Alley
Screenplay
Crimson Peak
Writer
Hellboy
Screenplay
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Screenstory
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Screenplay
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Lyricist
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Screenstory
The Marked Hour
Writer
Mimic
Screenplay
Mimic
Screenstory
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Screenplay
Cronos
Screenplay
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
Screenplay
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
Book
Mimic 2
Characters
The Devil's Backbone
Screenplay
Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron
Creative Producer
Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms
Creative Producer
Mrs. Lupe
Screenplay
Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Zinco Epilogue
Screenplay
Geometry
Writer
Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Prologue
Screenplay
Dying in the Gulf
Storyboard
Producing (43)
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia
Executive Producer
Frankenstein
Producer
Pacific Rim
Producer
Puss in Boots
Executive Producer
Pan's Labyrinth
Producer
Kung Fu Panda 3
Executive Producer
Rise of the Guardians
Executive Producer
Pacific Rim: Uprising
Producer
The Shape of Water
Producer
Wizards: Tales of Arcadia
Executive Producer
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
Executive Producer
Mama
Executive Producer
Roald Dahl's The Witches
Producer
3Below: Tales of Arcadia
Executive Producer
Nightmare Alley
Producer
BlackBoxTV Presents
Producer
Crimson Peak
Producer
The Book of Life
Producer
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Producer
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Producer
Splice
Executive Producer
Antlers
Producer
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Producer
The Orphanage
Executive Producer
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
Producer
The Thin Yellow Line
Producer
Biutiful
Associate Producer
While She Was Out
Executive Producer
Julia's Eyes
Producer
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema
Executive Producer
Mrs. Lupe
Executive Producer
Mrs. Lupe
Casting
Rudo & Cursi
Producer
Rage
Producer
Insignificant Things
Producer
Crónicas
Producer
I Murder Seriously
Executive Producer
Under a Spell
Producer
Doña Herlinda and Her Son
Executive Producer
Geometry
Producer
Home Delivery
Executive Producer
Ayotzinapa: The Turtle's Pace
Producer
The Captured Bird
Executive Producer
Other Crew (44)
The Strain
Creator
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia
Creator
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Thanks
Disclaimer
Thanks
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Thanks
Kung Fu Panda 2
Creative Consultant
Megamind
Creative Consultant
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Thanks
Wizards: Tales of Arcadia
Creator
The Monkey
Thanks
District 9
Thanks
Gravity
Thanks
Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
Creator
3Below: Tales of Arcadia
Creator
Y Tu Mamá También
Thanks
Amores Perros
Editorial Coordinator
Hellboy
Fight Choreographer
Megalopolis
Thanks
The Last Voyage of the Demeter
Thanks
In Your Dreams
Thanks
The Apprentice
Thanks
I Love Boosters
Thanks
Diary of the Dead
Thanks
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans
Creator
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Thanks
Torrente: The Dumb Arm of the Law
Thanks
Torrente 2: Mission in Marbella
Thanks
Reclaiming 'Mimic'
Conceptual Illustrator
Mrs. Lupe
Assistant Editor
Cabeza de Vaca
Makeup Effects Designer
Red Princess Blues Animated: The Book of Violence
Thanks
Back Into the Tunnels: The Making of 'Mimic'
Thanks
Sólo con tu pareja
Thanks
Drew Struzan: An Appreciation of An Artist
Thanks
Home Delivery
Presenter
Goitia: A God for Himself
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Love Lies
Makeup Effects
Love Lies
Special Effects Makeup Artist
Algunas nubes
Makeup Effects
Year of the Nail
Thanks
Light in the Darkness: The Impact of Night of The Living Dead
Thanks
A Leap in Evolution: The Creatures of 'Mimic'
Conceptual Illustrator
Guillermo del Toro Interviews Paul Williams
Thanks
Dying in the Gulf
Makeup Effects