The ’90s Nightmare Guillermo del Toro Survived — And It Wasn’t His Father’s Kidnapping
At a recent event, Guillermo del Toro ripped the curtain back on the 90s that nearly broke him—from his father’s kidnapping to bruising run‑ins with Bob and Harvey Weinstein—exposing the scars behind his rise.
Guillermo del Toro does not usually wade into the messier chapters of his past, but he did this week — and he did it bluntly. On stage at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles event on Nov. 15, the Oscar-winning director was asked to choose the worst experience of his 90s: his father’s kidnapping or dealing with Bob and Harvey Weinstein. His answer was not the one you expect.
"The Weinsteins, hands down. Because on the other thing, you knew what they wanted. The Weinsteins, who the f*ck knew what they wanted?"
The 72-day hell of 'Mimic'
Del Toro did not name the project in the moment, but the story tracks with his notorious clash with Miramax/Dimension on his 1997 studio debut, 'Mimic'. He has long said he disowned the theatrical cut after creative battles with Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who produced via Miramax and Dimension Films. He added that the ordeal dragged on for more than 72 days — basically the length of the shoot — which tells you how chaotic it got. And for the record, yes, this is the same guy who went on to make 'Pan’s Labyrinth', 'Hellboy', and 'The Shape of Water'.
The kidnapping that shaped 'Frankenstein'
As harsh as that Weinstein answer sounds, del Toro has also been candid about the other trauma on that list: his father, Federico, was kidnapped in 1998. When he returned, he never spoke about it. Del Toro said that before his father died, he pushed for that conversation because he needed to understand what the man had lived through. At TIFF in September, he connected that experience directly to 'Frankenstein' — not as a one-to-one retelling, but as the emotional backbone. The movie, he said, is really about forgiveness, and how holding a grudge locks two people in the same cell while forgiveness lets both of them out.
Who is in del Toro’s 'Frankenstein' (and yes, it is streaming)
Del Toro’s take on the classic is now on Netflix. He cast Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as the Creature, with Mia Goth and David Bradley among the key supporting players. If you felt a deeper pulse under the Gothic mood, that is by design — he has been simmering on this story for decades, and he is very open about why it finally clicked now.
- Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein
- Jacob Elordi as the Creature
- Mia Goth in a leading role
- David Bradley in support
What he is making next
No word on a 'Frankenstein' sequel, but del Toro’s Netflix partnership is ongoing. After 'Pinocchio' and 'Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities', his reported next feature is called 'Fury', with Oscar Isaac set to star again. Del Toro has described it, playfully, as a dinner-table conversation piece that keeps getting interrupted by murders — think a talky two-hander with blood on the napkins. File that under: only Guillermo.
One more thing: the award
Separate from the Contenders LA panel, Deadline also launched its first Contenders Hall of Fame Award at the DGA Theater, where the Mexican filmmaker was honored. A neat full-circle moment: a guy reflecting on the roughest chapter of his early career while picking up a trophy for everything he built after it.