I've written about del Toro here before, several of us have; he's an absolute master of modern cinema. The worlds he creates are often intricate, unsettling, and evoke deep emotions within heady atmospheres with insane creature design. (Check out his Fantasia 2016 masterclass on creature design here.)
When I heard that there's an upcoming biography on the maestro, I had to know more. See more details below, and check back here for an upcoming review of the book this fall. UK author Ian Nathan has written the biography; he is a former editor and executive editor of "Empire" magazine, and is also known for books on Quentin Tarantino, the Coen brothers, Ridley Scott, and more.
To find out where to preorder the book in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, head to the publisher's website here.
From the press release:
"Guillermo del Toro: The Iconic Filmmaker And His Work" is a complete and intimate study of the life and work of one of modern cinema's most truly unique directors, whose distinct aesthetic and imagination are unmatched in contemporary film. Widely regarded as one of the most imaginative directors working in cinema today, Guillermo del Toro has built up a body of work that has enthralled movie fans with its dark beauty and edge-of-the-seat set pieces.
In this book, acclaimed author Ian Nathan charts the progression of a career that has produced some of contemporary cinema’s most revered scenes and
idiosyncratic characters. This detailed examination looks at how the strands of del Toro’s career have woven together to create one of modern cinema’s most ground-breaking bodies of work.
Delving deep into del Toro's psyche, the book starts by examining his beginnings in Mexico, the creative but isolated child surrounded by ornate Catholicism and monster magazines, filming stop motion battles between his toys on a Super-8 film camera. It follows him to film school, where we learn of his influences, from Kafka to Bunuel, and explores his 1993 debut Cronos, the independent horror debut which draws on the religious and occult themes which would recur throughout del Toro's work.
It goes on to cover his development as a director with 1997's Mimic, his blockbuster success with the Hellboy films and goes on to study the films which have cemented his status as a legendary auteur, Oscar award winners Pan's Labrynth and The Shape of Water, as well as his sci-fi masterpiece Pacific Rim, as well as looking at his exciting upcoming projects
Nightmare Alley and Pinocchio.
An enlightening look into the mind of an auteur blessed with a singular creative vision, Guillermo del Toro analyses the processes, themes and narratives that have come to be recognized as distinctly del Toro, from practical effects to an obsession with folklore and paganism. It looks into the narrative techniques, stylistic flourishes and creative decisions
which have made him a true master of modern cinema.
Presented in a slipcase with 8-page gatefold section, with scores of illuminating photographs of the director at work on set as well as iconic stills from his films and examples of his influences, this stunning package will delight all Guillermo del Toro devotees and movie lovers in general.
The Author
Ian Nathan, who lives and works in London, is one of the UK’s best-known film writers. He is the author of nine previous books, including Alien Vault, the best-selling history of Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, Terminator Vault, Tarantino, Tim Burton, The Coen Brothers and Anything You Can Imagine: Peter Jackson and the Making of Middle-earth. He is the former editor and executive editor of Empire, the world’s biggest movie magazine, where he remains a contributing editor. He also regularly contributes to The Times, The Independent, The Mail on Sunday, Cahiers Du Cinema and the Discovering Film documentary series on Sky Arts.
