HOLLYWOOD, California — There seems to be no shortage of bizarre creatures and fantasy worlds lurking in the mind of Guillermo del Toro.
The multitalented Hellboy director is currently involved in a dozen or so projects in various capacities.
His most pressing task, writing the extended script for the screen version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, is also his most closely guarded: Del Toro, who always carries a notebook so he can make character notes, sketch creatures and develop shot ideas, says he won’t travel with his Hobbit notebook for fear of exposing his secret vision for the film to the world.
"With something as big as The Hobbit, if I were to lose that notebook, there would be legal hell to pay," he said. "So, I have a safe place for that one, and it stays there."
Del Toro (pictured above) is producing and sometimes writing projects that range from sci-fi and thrillers to comedy, and the list includes such storied stories as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Slaughterhouse-Five and H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness. Add ’em all up, and del Toro’s committed to full-time moviemaking until 2017.
The busy filmmaker took Tuesday night off from screenwriting, designing and advising on the various productions to celebrate this week’s release of his most recent film, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, on DVD and Blu-ray. Del Toro joined cast members Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Doug Jones and a few of Hellboy II’s bizarre creature creations at a packed premiere party at Hollywood nightclub Element (see video, embedded).
During the party, del Toro sat down with Wired.com to discuss Hellboy II‘s DVD features, the possible future of the comic-book franchise and dealing with the Hobbit and the rest of his seemingly endless slate of new projects.
After getting his kids off to school every morning in Los Angeles, del Toro sits down to write Hobbit for two hours. Afterward, he’ll deal with whatever project is on the agenda — whether he’s serving as a producer, writer and/or director for the film in development.
"Not every movie needs my attention at the same time every day," del Toro said. "So, I deal with the film in front of me — one at a time. The secret is to compartmentalize. As long as you’re only working 12 hours a day, it’s OK."
The amiable and self-effacing filmmaker describes the final day of Hellboy II‘s creation as anything but OK — he and his crew stayed up more than 24 hours straight to make certain the last-minute adjustments to the film were complete. Del Toro insisted the final crazy hours of the long and grueling shoot were worth it.
"I’m most proud of the final product for Hellboy II — from the story to the sound to the timing of the print," he said. "I’ve never been more proud of anything I’ve done."
That pride and dedication show in del Toro’s approach to the film’s extensive DVD features and his commentary track. "The DVD is the final, definitive version of the film that will stand the test of time," he said. "So, I want to present the most complete and realistic record of the process of filmmaking."
Del Toro said he considers a DVD’s special features and filmmaker comments to be opportunities for students who can’t make it to a film school to learn the process of making movies. To that end, he spends a week preparing thorough notes and outlines to guide his director’s commentary.
Someday, del Toro will be sitting down to record commentaries for the two Hobbit movies he’s writing and directing for producer and Oscar winner Peter Jackson. He said he’s in close communication with the original Lord of the Rings director daily, whether it’s by phone, via video conference or after a 14-hour flight to New Zealand.
There’s still plenty of Tolkien lore to hammer into shape for the screen.
"We envision The Hobbit as one film told in two chapters," del Toro said. "We’re not looking at where we’ll separate the story yet because you have to look at the novel as one story."
Del Toro must be closing in on wrapping the Hobbit script, though — he said he sees preproduction beginning in January.
Meanwhile, with Hellboy fans buzzing around him, del Toro said he’d be willing to direct a third heroic demon film: "The second Hellboy clearly sets up questions for a third, so there’s a place to go with it. It took five years to get Hellboy II made, so I’ll see what the next five years bring."
He might as well. It’s not like he has anything else to do.
Images courtesy Universal
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