Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro is known as a director, screenwriter, author, and creature effects artist who works extensively in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

Guillermo del Toro began exploring filmmaking and special makeup effects when he was eight years old in Guadalajara, Mexico, creating short films using Planet of the Apes figurines and other toys. His family moved to the United States in 1997, and he has directed movies in both countries for both cultures throughout his career. His first film, Cronos (1993), took top awards at Cannes Film Festival. His 2001 film El Espinazo del Diablo (The Devil's Backbone) also received high acclaim, and 2006’s El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) garnered three Academy Awards as well as numerous awards internationally.

He has since become one of the genre's greatest stylists, with films such as Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004), Pacific Rim (2013), and Crimson Peak (2015) epitomizing his lush, vivid, and often macabre directorial vision.