What happened in this episode?
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro joins Dax Shepard to discuss his creative process, childhood influences and the 20th anniversary re-release of Pan’s Labyrinth. Del Toro brings production journals and talks about the value of process over shortcuts, linking concerns about AI and other tools to what he says happens to human judgement when technology replaces thinking.
He recounts formative experiences in Guadalajara, including being raised in a highly Catholic environment alongside a deep attachment to horror cinema and fairy tales, which he describes as intertwined in his work. Del Toro also tells personal stories about his family’s sudden wealth after his father won the lottery, his early hypochondria, and how fear became material for his monsters.
The most consequential section centres on del Toro’s account of his father’s 1998 kidnapping, including initial ransom demands, the family’s lack of access to funds, and the role of a professional negotiator he says James Cameron paid for. Del Toro also revisits his fraught experience making Mimic, describing studio conflict and alleging that Miramax damaged his reputation, leaving him “unhireable” for years.
On Pan’s Labyrinth, he says he has repeatedly revisited colour timing for new formats and claims it took him 15 years to buy back the film so he could oversee a 3D version created through manual conversion rather than AI shortcuts. He closes with reflections on performance and craft, praising Oscar Isaac’s lack of vanity and describing how trust and vulnerability shape his directing.
