Your favorite director’s favorite director reveals why Hellboy is so hardcore, why American horror is soft, and why romance is for sissies.

By Matt Barone

“Passion projects” rarely materialize for most directors, but Guillermo del Toro has made a career specializing in them. For more than 15 years, the Mexican-born auteur has written and directed only the films of his choosing, including The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and the Oscar–nominated Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). His Hollywood experience has been equally rewarding, allowing the professional fanboy to adapt his favorite comic book, Hellboy, into a 2004 film. Though modestly successful, the movie wasn’t typical sequel-worthy fare—until its DVD sales paved the way for the devilish antihero’s return this July in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Complex sat down with GDT to discuss censorship, fuck-you’s, and why he’s so good it’s scary.

You turned down Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to make the first Hellboy. Why such love for Big Red?

Guillermo del Toro: He’s a blue-collar guy, but also the beast of the apocalypse. It’s an attractive contrast. Everybody likes superheroes to be badass, tough motherfuckers. Hellboy is probably more powerful than any of them, but he’s a slacker. He’d love to be watching TV and eating pizza.

When you first read the Hellboy comics, did you instantly see movie potential?

Guillermo del Toro: Initially, I never thought anyone would adapt it to film. Just the word “hell” scares marketing guys away. In 2008, when everything is going wrong in the world, there’s still this puritanical shying away from some words. When the first Hellboy came out we had a lot of trouble in the Bible Belt. The big movie at the time was The Passion of the Christ—we were a very bad double bill. [Laughs.] I remember receiving a Polaroid from a cinema marquee in the South. They’d changed the title to “Bellboy.” And another one changed it to “Hello Boy.” Home // CELEBRITIES // THE SHOTCALLER // Guillermo Del Toro