Fresh Air Guillermo Del Toro would ‘rather die’ than use generative AI
20 snips
Jan 30, 2026 
Guillermo del Toro, Oscar-winning filmmaker known for gothic fantasy and empathy, discusses why Frankenstein gripped him as a child. He talks about structuring the film, centering the creature’s perspective, religious parallels, and designing a new creature look. He also shares personal stories about mortality and his firm refusal to use generative AI.
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Childhood Epiphany With Frankenstein
- At age seven Guillermo del Toro had a religious epiphany watching the 1931 Frankenstein and adopted the creature as his personal avatar.
- That moment shaped his lifelong creative identity and obsession with monsters.
Structuring The Story Around The Creature
- Guillermo notes Mary Shelley's novel already contains the creature's perspective and he used that to restructure his film into distinct narrative chapters.
- He says hinging the movie in the middle gives audiences a jolt and reveals a rarely-articulated portion of the novel.
Three Distinct Visual Energies
- Del Toro deliberately made the film's three parts differ in style, camera work, and color palette to create distinct energies.
- He believes that combination makes his version both epic and intimate in a way he finds unique.
