At a time when many franchises are taking to the format live action productions that were initially presented in animated form, Guillermo del Toro wants to go in the opposite direction. Faithful to a part of his filmography, the filmmaker sees in animated cinema a way of making films that he cannot find through other resources.
Although some of his film work has been associated with proposals live action, this tendency does not prevent the filmmaker from valuing another discursive form. It must be taken into account that, with pinocchio (2022), the director has just won the main awards in the film industry in the category of best animated film.
The work during that production may have been the definitive turning point towards his interest in animated cinema. In a recent presentation, Guillermo del Toro described part of the current cinematographic dynamics, reflecting on the pulse between animated cinema and the live actionin other aspects.
Guillermo del Toro’s future plans
The filmmaker was one of the personalities invited to the Annecy International Animated Film Festivalan event that was reviewed by The Hollywood Reporter. Within this framework, Guillermo del Toro referred to his future plans and his interest in getting closer and closer to the animated format. Before the audience, the director said: “There are a couple of films live action More than I want to do, but not many. After that I just want to do animation. This is the plan”.
What makes this format special for the director? In his words: “Animation is the purest form of art and has been kidnapped by a group of thugs. We have to rescue him. I think we can introduce a lot of good things into the world of animation, like a Trojan horse.”
To arrive at that last idea, Guillermo del Toro relied on the recent successes of productions such as Spider-Man: Crossing the Multiverse. In this regard, he said: “The three hits of the Spider-Verse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Super Mario Bros.: The Movie they’re moving things around, which allows a bit more freedom. But there are still big fights.”
The current film industry and a message to the new generations
The filmmaker refers to that fight that, from time to time and even with his reputation, he has to give on the table of the production studios. Regarding that pulse, Guillermo del Toro commented: “They still tell me no. In the last two months, they said no to five of my projects. So it doesn’t go away. Making movies is eating a shitty sandwich. There’s always shit, just sometimes you get a little more.”
In this context, Guillermo del Toro also had words for filmmakers who are starting their careers. To them, he left the following words, which describe part of the film industry and, at the same time, can serve as motivating ideas: “The rate of productivity against your efforts will continue to be frustratingly difficult and long. You will always meet assholes. But have faith in the stories you want to tell and wait for someone to want to buy them.”