Years ago, Hill - a sculptor and special effects artist - was exhibiting his works at a convention in Burbank. Del Toro saw some of Hill's monstrous creations on display and was so impressed that he decided to get in touch, tracking down Hill's contact info from an obscure model kit forum. "I don't know how he found me from some 20-year-old website," says Hill, who describes del Toro's investigation as "very Columbo-esque" work. "But he wrote to me, told me who he was, and asked to commission something."
Earlier this year, Quentin Tarantino, when asked to parse the high points of his filmography in an interview, described the two-part "Kill Bill" (2003-04) as "the movie I was born to make." He added, "I think 'Inglourious Basterds' is my masterpiece, but 'Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood' is my favorite." Might these be distinctions without a difference?
Guillermo del Toro's At the Mountains of Madness may go down in history as the greatest unmade movie ever, up there with Alejandro Jodorowsky's Dune or Tim Burton's Superman Lives. First announced in 2010, the Shape of Water director had been trying to bring H.P. Lovecraft's terrifying novella to life for almost two decades. But each subsequent update has proven that the story, which follows a group of explorers in Antarctica who discover the existence
Spooky season is upon us, and that means the movie theater schedules are stacked with horror movies. This year, more than ever, bigger names are being drawn to the genre as it proves one of the most resilient ways of getting butts in seats. With Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein leading the pack, we've also got Ethan Hawke returning for Black Phone 2, Keira Knightley in The Woman in Cabin 10, and both Justin Long and Kate Bosworth appearing in Coyotes.
Guillermo del Toro will be presented with the Ebert Director Award at TIFF, recognizing filmmakers who have exemplified greatness, during the TIFF Tribute Awards gala.