Guillermo Del Toro Talks Screening His Movies For Pals Like Steven Spielberg And James Cameron, And I Wish I Could Be A Fly On The Wall

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Guillermo del Toro is widely considered one of the best film directors working today, and that’s not a controversial opinion. But even great artists aren’t flawless and can benefit from feedback. Interestingly, del Toro often turns to other highly respected directors for help in refining his films.

In an interview with Variety, Guillermo del Toro discussed how he finalizes his films and whether making cuts is a struggle. While many directors rely on feedback from test audiences, del Toro explained that he doesn’t screen his movies for them. Instead, he prefers to show them to a small group of friends for their opinions.

Since we don’t formally review films, I rely on feedback from my closest, most insightful friends – I’m lucky to have such great people in my life.

It’s natural to expect biased opinions when showing your work to friends. But when Guillermo del Toro screens his films, his “friends” are actually some of the most respected directors in the industry. While his close relationship with James Cameron and the existence of a “Secret Film Club” were already known, it seems the group is larger than previously believed. Apparently, a scene from his Frankenstein film was cut at the suggestion of the Avatar director. Del Toro recently shared the story…

You can see their names at the end of the film. People like Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro Iñárritu, James Cameron, Rian Johnson, and Steven Spielberg have all given me feedback. We agreed to be completely honest with each other. For example, James Cameron told me there was a seven-minute section that, while beautiful, needed to be cut, and it ended up not making the final version.

I admired Guillermo del Toro before, but now I really want to be his friend! Being in a room with legendary filmmakers, listening to them passionately discuss their work, sounds amazing. It’s impressive how they can be honest and critical of each other’s films while still remaining professional – that kind of environment must lead to really insightful discussions about the art of filmmaking.

James Cameron simply suggested that about seven minutes of footage based on the Frankenstein story felt unnecessary, and it was cut. While I’m curious to see those scenes – they were reportedly visually stunning – I honestly never felt anything was lacking in the final version of the film.

I’ve always admired how Guillermo del Toro operates. He trusts his friends completely. If they suggest something for one of his films, he goes with it. He believes that if you’re going to ask for advice, you really need to listen to what people tell you. That’s what he shared with me…

If someone asks me to do something directly, I usually agree without questioning it. It doesn’t make sense to seek out people you believe in and then not rely on their judgment. It’s simple to correct a mistake if you do happen to misplace your trust.

These directors have consistently created excellent films, as evidenced by their numerous awards, suggesting that their collaborative approach to filmmaking is highly effective.

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2026-01-28 06:41