Guillermo del Toro Says Contemporary Animation Has Been “kidnapped by a bunch of hoodlums” and He “hate[s] that s**t”
Guillermo del Toro held a master class at the Annecy International Animation Festival when he was promoting the release of his Oscar-winning animated feature, Pinocchio. THR was on the scene and reported that the filmmaker took care to share his undying appreciation for the animated medium with the crowd and ultimately revealed that he hopes to pivot to primarily animated films going forward.
“There are a couple more live-action movies I want to do but not many,” del Toro told the audience. “After that, I only want to do animation. That’s the plan.”
Why is Guillermo del Toro fed up with contemporary animation?
The beloved creator eventually went on to share how discouraged he is with the current state of animated filmmaking, saying: “[If] I see a character raising his f**king eyebrow, or crossing his arms, having a sassy pose — oh, I hate that s**t. [Why] does everything act as if they’re in a sitcom? I think is emotional pornography.”
The Oscar-winning filmmaker went on to say: “Animation to me is the purest form of art, and it’s been kidnapped by a bunch of hoodlums. We have to rescue it. [And] I think that we can Trojan-horse a lot of good s**t into the animation world.”
I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to hear this hot take from a filmmaker I respect as much as del Toro. The vast majority of contemporary animated films come across as saccharine and soulless to me. But it wasn’t always like that. When I was a lad, cartoon films felt riskier and darker. I would love to see a resurgence of that going forward.
How the director rose to prominence
The auteur creator came onto the filmmaking scene in the ‘80s. He began his career with a series of short films, eventually directing his first feature, Cronos, in 1992. In 1997, del Toro directed his first Hollywood film, Mimic. He had such an awful time making that picture that he nearly left the industry. Fortunately, he persevered. In the years since Mimic, the director has carved out quite a niche for himself. He has won multiple Academy Awards and stands as one of the most consistently bankable filmmakers working today.
That’s all we have at present, dear reader. Stay tuned to Dread Central in the near future for more spicy takes from your favorite cinematic luminaries. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter (X) so you never miss out on one of our updates.
Categorized:News
