Guillermo Del Toro Rejected A Fantasy Movie Adaptation To Make Pan's Labyrinth
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Guillermo del Toro is arguably one of the most roundly respected Oscar-winning filmmakers working today. He's also largely done things his way since the early days of his career (as much as any artist can in Hollywood, anyhow). That's why it may not be that surprising to learn that he flat-out turned down the chance to direct 2005's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" for Disney. Instead, he made his wildly acclaimed 2006 fantasy feature "Pan's Labyrinth," though his reason for doing so is fascinating.
"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is, of course, based on author C.S. Lewis' famous novel from his "Chronicles of Narnia" book series. The movie centers on four siblings who inadvertently enter a magical land inhabited by fantastical creatures, only to find themselves having to battle a powerful witch. Andrew Adamson, who was coming off the mold-breaking box office hit "Shrek 2," wound up in the director's chair.
As for why del Toro turned Disney down? A 2006 article by Star Beacon explained that "as a lapsed Catholic, he couldn't see himself bringing Aslan the lion back to life." Elaborating on that, del Toro clarified:
"I'm not proselytizing anything about a lion resurrecting. I'm not trying to sell you into a point. I'm just doing a little parable about disobedience and choice. This is my version of that universe, not only 'Narnia,' but that universe of children's literature."
"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" was a massive hit (grossing $745 million theatrically), so a sequel quickly followed in the form of 2008's "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian." That movie, however, only made $420 million at the box office against a $225 million budget. As a result, Disney left the "Narnia" franchise not long after.
Guillermo del Toro was better off without Narnia
Beyond the financials of it all, Guillermo del Toro had very understandable creative reasons for not wanting to take on the material in "Narnia" (which is, in its own way, Biblical). Instead, he made "Pan's Labyrinth," which is still widely hailed as del Toro's masterpiece. It's, as the director said, his version of darkly fantastical children's literature.
"Pan's Labyrinth" takes place in Spain circa 1944 and centers on Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a young girl who moves with her ailing, pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil) to live with her new husband (Sergi López), a sadistic army officer who is trying to halt a rebel uprising. Ofelia is then drawn into a mysterious maze where she encounters a strange faun (Doug Jones) who tells her she's a legendary lost princess. With the promise of returning to her true father, she must complete a series of dangerous tasks as the line between reality and fantasy blurs.
The film proved to be a major commercial success and went on to be nominated for six Oscars, winning three. After that, del Toro proceeded to direct films like "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," "Pacific Rim," "Crimson Peak," and his Best Picture-winner "The Shape of Water" (which del Toro managed to make for less than $20 million).
Undoubtedly, if del Toro had made "Narnia," his career would have shaken out quite differently. Now, Netflix is seeking to reboot the franchise under the direction of "Barbie" mastermind Greta Gerwig (who is understandably terrified to direct new "Narnia" movies). Meanwhile, del Toro just made his acclaimed "Frankenstein" adaptation and is currently unencumbered by the demands of a beloved, big-budget property with lots of interested parties controlling its creative direction.