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Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro

Producer, writer, actor and director · Born October 9, 1964 (62) · Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

3 Oscars · Golden Globe winner · 3 BAFTA Awards · 7 other major award bodies

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.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 9, 1964 (62)
From
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Works as
Producer, writer, actor and director
Titles
79 on MovieCove · 121 credits in all

What are Guillermo del Toro's films like?

Across their 69 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

What they feel like to watch

their average across 64 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

A split, not a type: Light 32 · Serious 11 · Dark 21

A split, not a type: Grounded 27 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 19

A split, not a type: Gentle 19 · Charged 17 · Intense 28

A split, not a type: Steady 26 · Shifting 35 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced 37 · Some laughs 21 · Funny 6

Slow burn 24 · Even-paced 32 · Relentless 8

Casual 21 · Engaged 35 · Full focus 8

A split, not a type: Easy watch 34 · Affecting 12 · Heavy 18

Resolved 48 · Open-ended 14 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
27
Dread
19
Warm
20
Contemplative
18
Melancholic
20
Other
77

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy16
  • Bittersweet36
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous14
  • Cyclical2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Guillermo del Toro's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 55 of their 79 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (12).

Subscription and free streaming for Guillermo del Toro's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

121 credits, 79 with a MovieCove page; 81 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • I Love Boosters(2026)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
  • Wake Up Dead Man(2025)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • Frankenstein: The Anatomy Lesson(2025)

    Director · Writer · as Self - Writer / Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
  • Mollusk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Actor

  • Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Frankenstein(2025)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • The Monkey(2025)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
  • Disclaimer(2024)

    Show 7 episodes · Thanks

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows
  • The Apprentice(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Megalopolis(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
  • George Pal: Un Marciano De Hollywood En Argentina (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Actor

  • Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Executive Producer · as Self

  • Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio(2022)

    Director · Lyricist · Producer · Screenplay · Screenstory

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Short Story · Teleplay · as Self - Host (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows
  • Nightmare Alley(2021)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
  • Antlers(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
  • Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans(2021)

    Book · Creator · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
  • The Witches(2020)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
  • Wizards(2020)

    Show 10 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Teleplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows
  • Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark(2019)

    Producer · Screenstory

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
  • 3Below: Tales of Arcadia(2018)

    Show 13 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows
  • Guillermo del Toro: Un director y su Oscar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    as Guillermo del Toro

  • Konbini Vidéo Club (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Barry(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as El Toro

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows
  • Pacific Rim: Uprising(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Light in the Darkness: The Impact of Night of The Living Dead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Thanks · as Self

  • The Shape of Water(2017)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • When Romero Met Del Toro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Actor

  • Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia(2016)

    Show 52 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Story · Teleplay · as Señor Muelas (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows
  • A Living Thing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Crimson Phantoms (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Kung Fu Panda 3(2016)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
  • Crimson Peak(2015)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
  • Extraordinary Tales(2013)

    as Narrator (voice) (segment 'The Pit and the Pendulum')

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
  • The Thin Yellow Line(2015)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
  • The Book of Life(2014)

    Producer · as Land of the Remembered Captain's Wife (voice)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
  • The Strain(2014)

    Show 13 episodes · Director · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows
  • Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • Guillermo del Toro Interviews Paul Williams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Thanks · as Self

  • Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
  • Gravity(2013)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • Pacific Rim(2013)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
  • Mama(2013)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
  • El Santos vs la Tetona Mendoza(2012)

    as Gamborimbo Ponx (voice)

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
  • Rise of the Guardians(2012)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
  • The Captured Bird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Executive Producer

  • Puss in Boots(2011)

    Executive Producer · as Comandante / Hombre del bigote (voice)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • Zombie Lover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Interviewee

  • A Leap in Evolution: The Creatures of 'Mimic' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Conceptual Illustrator · as Self

  • Back Into the Tunnels: The Making of 'Mimic' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Thanks · as Self

  • Reclaiming 'Mimic' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Conceptual Illustrator · as Self

  • Kung Fu Panda 2(2011)

    Creative Consultant

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • Don't Be Afraid of the Dark(2010)

    Producer · Screenplay · as Creature (Voice)

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
  • Megamind(2010)

    Creative Consultant · Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • Biutiful(2010)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • BlackBoxTV Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 1 episode · Producer

  • Julia's Eyes(2010)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
  • Splice(2009)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films
  • Rage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Producer

  • District 9(2009)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • Rudo y Cursi(2008)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
  • Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Zinco Epilogue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Screenplay

  • Quantum of Solace(2008)

    as Additional Voices (voice)

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
  • While She Was Out(2008)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
  • Insignificant Things (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Producer

  • Hellboy II: The Golden Army(2008)

    Director · Screenplay · Story · as Creature Vocals (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
  • Drew Struzan: An Appreciation of An Artist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Thanks · as Self

  • Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Prologue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Screenplay

  • Red Princess Blues Animated: The Book of Violence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Thanks

  • Diary of the Dead(2007)

    Thanks · as Newsreader (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
  • The Orphanage(2007)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
  • Year of the Nail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Thanks

  • Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron(2007)

    Creative Producer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
  • 07 Spaceys(2007)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
  • Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
  • Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms(2006)

    Creative Producer · Producer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
  • Pan's Labyrinth(2006)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia(2005)

    Show 3 episodes · as Pappy McPoyle

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
  • Home Delivery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Executive Producer · Presenter

  • Que es un fantasma? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Actor

  • Crónicas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Producer

  • Hellboy(2004)

    Director · Fight Choreographer · Screenplay · as Guy Dressed as Dragon (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
  • Noin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Guillermo del Toro

  • Asesino en serio(2002)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
  • Blade II(2002)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
  • Mimic 2(2001)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
  • The Devil's Backbone: Behind the Scenes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Actor

  • The Devil's Backbone(2001)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
  • Bullfighter(2000)

    as Bullboy #2

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films
  • Amores Perros(2000)

    Editorial Coordinator

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
  • Futurama(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Guillermo del Toro's Head (voice)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
  • Under a Spell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Producer

  • Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
  • Mimic(1997)

    Director · Screenplay · Screenstory

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
  • Algunas nubes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Makeup Effects

  • Cronos(1992)

    Director · Screenplay · as Man Walking Dog (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
  • Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
  • Cabeza de Vaca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Makeup Effects Designer

  • Dying in the Gulf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Makeup Effects · Storyboard

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Guillermo del Toro (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows
  • Love Lies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Makeup Effects · Special Effects Makeup Artist

  • Goitia: A God for Himself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Special Effects Makeup Artist

  • The Marked Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 37 episodes · Director · Writer

  • Geometry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Obdulia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    First Assistant Director

  • Mrs. Lupe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · Assistant Editor · Casting · Executive Producer · Screenplay

  • Dona Herlinda and Her Son(1985)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
  • Fury (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Sira and the Secret of the Park (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

  • The Bloody Benders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • The Boy in the Iron Box (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Novel · Producer · Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 119 titles, 115 of them dated from 1985 to 2026.

Film career

MilestoneAward win

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting31 of 119: 23 only acting, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndDirecting20 of 119: 1 only directing, 19 with another role · typical Midcredits score81stWriting34 of 119: 8 only writing, 26 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thProducing46 of 119: 24 only producing, 22 with another role · typical Midcredits score76thOther crew43 of 119: 32 only other crew, 11 with another role · typical Midcredits score77th

119 titles, 31 with more than one role — producing and other crew overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1980s8 · 1 acting · 7 crew1990s9 · 2 acting · 8 crew2000s34 · 11 acting · 26 crew2010s44 · 14 acting · 34 crew2020s20 · 3 acting · 17 crew

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 0% of 6 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

Awards

3 Oscars, a Golden Globe, 3 BAFTA Awards and 9 other major awards from 41 major nominations, 1993–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Motion Picture of the Year
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • +4 other major bodies · 5 nominations
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Adapted Screenplay
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Adapted Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
  2. 2025
    • Venice award, won · Graffetta d'Oro for Best Film
    • Venice award, nominated · Best Film
  3. 2023
    • Oscar, won · Best Animated Feature Film
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Animated Feature Film
    • +1 other major body · 1 win
      • Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
  4. 2022
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Motion Picture of the Year
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Adapted Screenplay
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
  5. 2018
    • Oscar, won · Best Achievement in Directing
    • Oscar, won · Best Motion Picture of the Year
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, won
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay (Original)
    • +4 other major bodies · 3 wins and 2 nominations
      • Directors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Original Screenplay
      • Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Director
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
  6. 2017
    • Venice award, won · Best Film
    • Venice award, won ×2
  7. 2015
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures
  8. 2007
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Writing, Original Screenplay
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best Film not in the English Language
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Screenplay - Original
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Feature
Show 2 earlier years
  1. 2006
    • Cannes award, nominated
  2. 1993
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Guillermo del Toro's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 69; across their 64 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 78th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Reach · how many have seen their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 64

Midcredits score across 79 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up38
  • 50th to 74th24
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

36 of their 79 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved21
  • Divisive2
  • Crowd Pleaser36
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed13

Reviewers score the dialogue 51/100 and the plot and story 46/100 in their films, across 48 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Guillermo del Toro's work okay for kids?

Across up to 35 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and frightening / intense run heavier than most films and sex & nudity lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore34 titles39–87 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity35 titles6–54 · median 17 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity33 titles6–65 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs34 titles7–37 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense34 titles40–83 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Guillermo del Toro work with?

People who share at least 2 of Guillermo del Toro's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ron Perlman shares the most, 14.

Directors

Writers

Actors

  • Ron Perlman14 titles
    See newest 12 of 14 shared titles with Ron Perlman
  • Doug Jones8 titles
    See all 8 shared titles with Doug Jones
  • Diego Luna4 titles
    See all 4 shared titles with Diego Luna
  • John Hurt4 titles
    See all 4 shared titles with John Hurt

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles