For Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, Hollywood’s awards season is a movie he has seen many times before. It is a film in which he has played the roles of spectator, guest, leading man, and—on three occasions—winner: in 2018 for *The Shape of Water* (Best Director and Best Picture), and in 2022 with *Pinocchio*, which earned him the statuette for Best Animated Feature.
Yet, all that prior experience does not diminish his excitement one bit at being nominated once again—this time for Netflix’s *Frankenstein*—a project he has dreamed of bringing to life ever since he first discovered Mary Shelley’s novel at the age of 11.
During the conversation—which also featured his producers, J. Miles Dale and Scott Stuber—the filmmaker explained that his responsibility as a director is to deliver authentic emotions to the viewer.
“Our commitment is to deliver two things: the word and the emotion; through them, we seek to transport people to places that are new and unknown to them.
“And that is exactly what this film represented to me. Now, it is impossible not to get emotional about something I have dreamed of for 50 years—because I’ve dreamed of making it since I was 11,” added the Guadalajara native.
Finally, he affirmed that he is enjoying the rituals of awards season as rarely before.
“I feel very—truly very—calm. I believe that with age, things tend to settle down, just as my mother used to say.
“I now view the industry as a very close-knit circle, and I love that. I take a specific stance on these matters: whoever wins, we all win. As long as there are good movies being made, we all win. And I happen to be a huge fan of several of this year’s films.”
The filmmaker revealed that his next project will be *The Sleeping Giant* (El gigante dormido), a stop-motion feature he is set to begin filming in a few months.
