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Pan’s Labyrinthremains the best film of Guillermo del Toro among the many projects he’s done throughout his career, and its success is a testament to its timeless quality and an enduring storyline that resonated with many fans.
He released the movie at a very crucial time in the industry, and he admitted to feeling the temptation of choosing a big-budget movie over his passion project.
We cannot blame him, though, because this was also when the superhero genre was taking off. As one of the most brilliant filmmakers in Hollywood, he was offered to take on commercial projects, which was also a big deal, but in the end, he chose to doPan’s Labyrinthafter receiving a sign from the heavens.
Guillermo del Toro had a difficult time deciding whether or not to doPan’s Labyrinth
In 2006,Guillermo del Torogifted fans with a hauntingly beautiful dark fantasy movie that went on to win three Oscar awards. At the time, the director was contemplating taking a superhero film overPan’s Labyrinthbecause the former was gaining momentum. He said (viaThe Hollywood Reporter):
After Hellboy and Blade II were successful, I got offered every superhero movie — they were starting to pick up. I was thinking about it because it was very tempting and I said, ‘Do I do Pan’s Labyrinth or do I do a big movie?’
He mused about hopping from big to small movies because it keeps him grounded and gives him a sense of thrill and fear. For del Toro, a filmmaker needs to venture on both. Torn and confused, he accidentally left his notebook of ideas in a cab. He was able to get it back after the driver returned it to him, and since then, he saw it as a sign that he should push through withPan’s Labyrinth.
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Interestingly, the film had a tumultuous production. “Everything that could go wrong on Pan’s Labyrinth went wrong. And the crew also thought that we were insane,” he revealed.
Creating an original fantasy after the success ofHellboy, a movie he directed two years prior, was quite a bold decision. Even his team could not comprehend why there was an American dressed as a faun in a fascist period film.
Guillermo del Toro might never go the superhero movie route again
Perhaps we could say that del Toro ultimately chose to doPan’s Labyrinthbecause he’s more interested in monsters than superheroes. He didHellboybecause, well, there’s a demon in it.
We cannot expect him to make anothercomic book movieunless there were otherworldly creatures involved. “For me to like a superhero, the superhero needs to be a monster… I’m always in favor of monster narratives,” he once toldComicBook.
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The veteran horror director pretty much loves doing original concepts anyway, so it’s not a huge missed opportunity if he won’t tackle any superhero films in the future.
Pan’s Labyrinthis currently available to watch on Max.
Ariane Cruz
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3532
Ariane Cruz is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 3,000 articles published. Her love for pop culture and the creative arts fuels her passion to deliver engaging and informative stories. Her daily consumption of films, shows, and books keeps her energized for the day, along with her mission to serve as the bridge between fans and their favorite franchises.
