Ghosts, Gods, and Guillermo: Del Toro's UK Adventures

Director Guillermo del Toro is currently in the UK to receive a prestigious BFI fellowship, an honor he deeply values due to the influence of British cinema on his career. He fondly recalls directors like Powell and Pressburger and Ken Russell. Del Toro also revealed his intention to buy a haunted house in England, a country he considers a magical land for encountering spirits. The filmmaker, who experienced his first ghost sighting at age 11 in Mexico, finds such phenomena profoundly impactful.

His unique perspective on monsters, seeing them as misunderstood beings capable of tenderness, resonates with his own creative identity. This sensibility has even been recognized by artists like Taylor Swift, who has referenced his work. Del Toro's career, marked by critically acclaimed films such as 'The Shape of Water' and 'Pan's Labyrinth,' has faced challenges, including conflicts with producers like the Weinsteins early in his U.S. film career.

Despite unrealized projects like 'At the Mountains of Madness,' del Toro remains hopeful and is currently focused on a stop-motion animated adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's 'The Buried Giant,' aiming for an R-rated, adult-oriented film. He finds a new serenity in his current creative phase, reflecting on themes of regret and the profound, mysterious impact of cinema.