Hollywood has yet to find a filmmaker who can do what Guillermo del Toro can. With films like Cronos and Pan’s Labyrinth, he has time and again proven why he is simply the best of the best. However, when it was time to unveil the first look of his 2013 film, Pacific Rim, even he couldn’t keep his nerves under control. While it is now considered to be one of the best films to have paid appropriate tribute to Japan’s anime and kaiju culture, Guillermo del Toro was not too confident about the film.
As the filmmaker prepared himself for the release of the film’s trailer to a live crowd, he simply couldn’t keep his calm. Just moments before the fans, who love him so dearly, could see what Guillermo del Toro had in store for him, the filmmaker voiced his fears to his wife. Even though he clearly had nothing to worry about, he had a pretty valid reason to panic.
Why Pacific Rim Gave Guillermo del Toro A Panic Attack
Variety’s senior features editor, David S. Cohen, described Guillermo del Toro’s worries and fears about Pacific Rim in his book, Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters — The Inner Workings of an Epic Film. Just a few moments before the film’s trailer was revealed to a crowd at the San Diego Comic-Con, del Toro could feel a panic attack building up.
Cohen recalls how del Toro couldn’t keep his cool and confided in his wife. An excerpt from his book reads,
“’It hit me like a ton of bricks,’ he recounts. ‘I grabbed my wife and I said ‘I’m absolutely petrified.’ ‘You have a beautiful movie, don’t worry,’ she said. That set him at ease — but only for a moment.”
It’s not like Pacific Rim was del Toro’s first film or his previous films were a disaster. Then why did this particular movie have the filmmaker so frantic? Well, the reason is quite simple. This was the first film he had directed in five years since Hellboy II.
Needless to say, his fans had a lot of expectations from him. Not to forget that the Pacific Rim’s release date was so close to that of two iconic films – The Wolverine and Man of Steel. Clearly, the pressure was on.
Guillermo del Toro’s Worries Soon Faded
The filmmaker recalls how everybody around him “was very happy, confident” while he was absolutely sweating before the unveiling of the trailer. He stated, “I was sh-tting my pants.” Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for had arrived. As the fans take in del Toro’s masterpiece, the filmmaker didn’t know that he was in for a treat! Upon the trailer’s completion, the room roared into an applause of approval.
Cohen’s book reads, “As the trailer ends, the crowd roars.”
‘That was huge,’ says del Toro ‘It was completely a life-affirming experience. I was very moved by the chitter-chatter, the hush, the whispers. I felt the room was really, really excited,’ he says. ‘That’s what affected me in a beautiful way.’”
He went ahead to say that he was left “overwhelmed” by the response, which was a rare occurrence for him. It looks like del Toro had nothing to worry about right from the start!
Pacific Rim is available to stream on Hulu.
