Over the last three decades,Guillermo del Torohas become one of the most acclaimed, influential, and beloved filmmakers working in film. After establishing his roots in horror with films likeCronos,Mimic, andThe Devil’s Backbone, del Toro has expanded his repertoire significantly, taking on genres such as science fiction, action, romance, drama, and even children’s entertainment through various collaborations with DreamWorks Animation. He’s a director who has proven he can do it all, and he’s not slowing down any time soon.
Over the course of his career, del Toro has directed 11 feature films. A handful of those films are high-budget blockbusters, but the director has also made time to tackle smaller and more personal stories. This varied approach has earned him ceaseless acclaim. He’s been nominated for six Academy Awards, of which he’s won three: Best Animated Feature forPinocchio, Best Director forThe Shape of Water,and Best Picture forThe Shape of Water.
Del Toro has a number of projects lined up for the next few years, includinga live-actionFrankensteinfilmthat will star Andrew Garfield, Oscar Isaac, and Mia Goth, as well as another stop-motion animated film that will adapt the novelThe Buried Giant. With those films on the horizon, we decided to take a look back at del Toro’s career and see how his films have fared at the box office, with data courtesy ofThe Numbers.
12Pinocchio (2022) – $86,906
At first glance, it may be surprising to see thatGuillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, the director’s most recent and Oscar-winning film, is also the lowest-grossing of his career. However, there’s a clear reason for why that’s the case. Del Toro’s stop-motionPinocchiowas produced by Netflix, and as such, it only received a minimal theatrical run. The Numbers reports the total worldwide gross ofPinocchioto be just $86 thousand, but the site only lists grosses from South Korea, the Netherlands, and Portugal.
There are no domestic numbers provided for the film, despite it receiving a limited release in the US in order to qualify for the Academy Awards. With estimates from the US, Mexico, and many other markets missing, it’s hard to say how muchPinocchioactually grossed. However, considering the film’s release on Netflix only a few weeks after its limited release, it’s safe to assume the total theatrical gross is relatively low as the result of the streaming model.
Related:Pinocchio: How Guillermo del Toro’s and Disney’s 2022 Remake Compare
11Cronos (1994) – $597,238
Going back 30 years, del Toro’s directorial debut, 1994’sCronos, has a very interesting box office story. Clearly, del Toro was not yet the massive name in cinema that he is today. As such, his first film’s release in US theaters was minuscule. In fact,Cronosonly played in two theaters in the entirety of the US. Despite this, the film was quite the hot ticket for these two cinemas. Between the two of them,Cronosgrossed almost $600,000, which is $1.3 million when adjusted for inflation.
Though few critics were able to see the film, those that did were raving about it. It was a small start for del Toro, but it was an immensely successful one at that. The movie has since become a cult classic of sorts, and it has even received an official Blu-ray release as part of the Criterion Collection.
10The Devil’s Backbone (2001) – $755,249
Del Toro’s third film,The Devil’s Backbone, was also his first to be distributed by the major Hollywood studio system, primarily Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. It should be noted that the grosses for the film reported by The Numbers and Box Office Mojo differ substantially. This is because The Numbers only has the domestic total of $755 thousand listed.
Box Office Mojo, however, also provides some of the international grosses for this particular film. Those numbers bring the film’s total up to $6.4 million, which was primarily driven by a $5 million gross in Mexico. Regardless of how it performed,The Devil’s Backbonewas very well-received at the time, and it holds up asone of the director’s bestto this day.
9Mimic (1997) – $25,514,479
Mimicwas del Toro’s sophomore outing and his follow-up toCronos. The sci-fi horror film was released in 1997, three years after his debut, and it showed significant box office growth. This is largely a result of the film receiving a wide release from Miramax, which boosted the number of theaters del Toro’s film was playing in from the twoCronosreceived to over 2,200 forMimic.
Domestically, the film grossed $25 million, which is about $51 million by today’s standards when adjusted for inflation. Though that was not enough to make back the reported $30 million budget, del Toro confirmed toInversethatMimic“was MASSIVE on home video” and made twice its budget back through that avenue.
8Nightmare Alley (2021) – $37,537,773
Another one of del Toro’s most recent films, 2021’sNightmare Alley,is an adaptation of the 1946 novel of the same name, which was also adapted into the classic Golden Age film from 1947, directed by Edmund Goulding. Del Toro’s film, which starred Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, and more, was given a semi-wide release in December 2021, before it was released to stream on Hulu and HBO Max (now Max) in early February 2022.
The movie brought in $11 million domestically and a total of $37 million globally. It may not be del Toro’s biggest hit, but the movie was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Production Design, Costume Design, and Cinematography.
7Crimson Peak (2015) – $74,966,854
After del Toro had played in the major studio blockbuster sandbox for a while, primarily with 2013’sPacific Rim, theHellboyfilms, and his extended connection to the movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Hobbit, the director returned to horror in a big way with 2015’sCrimson Peak. The movie, which starred Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain, wasa gothic horror storywith a particular emphasis on practical effects and an arresting use of color.
Distributed by Universal, the movie opened in October 2015 with $13 million domestically. It went on to gross a total of $31 million in North America and $74 million globally. With a production budget of $55 million before marketing costs, it’s unlikelyCrimson Peakwas able to make that money back at the box office.
6Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – $87,041,569
The first original film that del Toro directed that earned him the widespread attention of general audiences was 2006’sPan’s Labyrinth. He had already worked on pre-existing IPs likeBladeandHellboy, butPan’s Labyrinthwas the breakout hit that established del Toro as a creative powerhouse of a filmmaker who can also connect with audiences on a wide level. The film brought in $37 million in North America and $49 million overseas, which totaled out to an $87 million global gross. On a budget of just $16 million, that was a solid hit.
Pan’s Labyrinthwent on to be nominated for six Oscars, of which it won three: Original Screenplay, Cinematography, and Art Direction. The film has continued to build its audience in the two decades since its initial release, and it is now considered one of the best films of the 21st century.
5Hellboy (2004) – $99,823,958
After his success withBlade II, del Toro’s next task was adapting the cult-favorite comic-book character Hellboy to the big screen. The result was 2004’sHellboy, which is one of the strangest and most entertaining comic-book movies of the last 20 years. On a budget of $60 million,Hellboyopened with $23 million in North America, where it went on to gross a total of $59 million.
With an additional $40 million coming in from overseas markets,Hellboyfinished its box office run around $99 million. That’s pretty solid for a film of its size and tone, and the additional money from its DVD release almost certainly made the film more than profitable.
4Blade II (2002) – $154,338,601
After his first three low-budget horror films, del Toro entered the world of franchise filmmaking withBlade IIin 2002. Coming off the solid hit that the firstBladefilm with Wesley Snipes was in 1998, there was a lot of excitement forBlade II. Although the movie wasn’t as well received as its predecessor – it’s actually del Toro’s lowest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes –Blade IIbuilt upon the financial success of the first film and became the highest-grossing movie of the series. It brought in $81 million domestically and $72 million overseas, for a combined global total of $154 million.
On a budget of just $54 million, that was a great success for del Toro as well as New Line Cinema, which produced the movie.Blade IIwas del Toro’s biggest film yet, and it established him as a filmmaker who could handle himself well amidst the chaos of blockbuster filmmaking.
3Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) – $160,388,063
Del Toro built on the success ofBlade IIwith his firstHellboymovie, which he then followed with the Oscar-nominatedPan’s Labyrinth. After that three-film run, the director had built a reputation in Hollywood, and he was able to produce the sequel toHellboyhe had been wanting to make. That film,Hellboy II: The Golden Army, was a great continuation of the first movie, and its increased budget demonstrated a firm trust in del Toro from Universal Pictures. The sequel was received even better than the first film, and its box office gross increased by almost $70 million as well.
On an $82 million budget,Hellboy IIbrought in $75 million in North America and $84 million internationally, totaling out to a global gross of $160 million. It’s estimated that the movie brought in at least $50 million more through home-video sales, which cemented the film as a solid hit and another success in del Toro’s filmography.
Related:What Allowed the First 2 Hellboy Movies to Exist Is Gone Says Guillermo Del Toro
