CLOCKWORK FABLES: THE FANTASY WORLDS OF GUILLERMO DEL TORO press release

November 2008: Film critic, author and broadcaster Alan Jones announces the title of his forthcoming book on the amazing life and extraordinary films of multi award-winning writer/producer/director Guillermo del Toro.

CLOCKWORK FABLES: THE FANTASY WORLDS OF GUILLERMO DEL TORO is the first lavishly produced volume to focus on the Mexican-born larger-than-life personality, the genius responsible for the Oscar-winning PAN’S LABYRINTH whose unique perspective on horror fantasy and visionary creature features has assured him an ever-expanding audience.

From feature directing debut CRONOS in 1993 to latest hit HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, del Toro has grown in artistic stature to become a major industry force to be reckoned with. His enviable gift of appealing to both adoring fan boys and ardent cineastes alike is a rare entertainment accomplishment. One bound to reap even greater dividends come the release of his highly anticipated duo of epics based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s THE HOBBIT.

CLOCKWORK FABLES explores del Toro’s childhood and early teenage years in depth, the family, friends and experiences that would impact on his future filmmaking career. Through his humble beginnings as a special effects man with his own company Necropia. Working on the seminal Mexican horror TV series ‘Hora Marcada’. To the production nightmare of MIMIC and the Oscar glory of PAN’S LABYRINTH, del Toro relates his life, motivating thoughts and work ethos with the candour and keen intelligence that has made him a journalist favourite.

Guillermo del Toro says, “The link between my areas of interest, curiosity and the movies, and how intrinsically blended they are, is something that has never been discussed before by me. Until now!”

Exhaustive interviews with the key people in his life augment the understanding of what makes del Toro’s universe tick. School friend Rigoberto Mora, producers Bertha Navarro and Pedro Almodovar, Hollywood pals John Landis and James Cameron, and business partners Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu are just a few of the many people adding their incisive reflections to his story. Not to mention the stars of his movies (including Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Wesley Snipes, Federico Luppi, Doug Jones), his preferred crew and the multi-national talent he’s now backing in his executive producer capacity like THE ORPHANAGE’s J.A. Bayona and SPLICE’s Vincenzo Natali.

Author Alan Jones explains, “I’ve known Guillermo since MIMIC, been a guest on his sets and have covered all his movies for worldwide publications. He has been a good friend and I will be eternally grateful for his untiring endorsement of my British horror festival FrightFest. I pitched the book idea to him just prior to PAN’S LABYRINTH because he liked ‘Profondo Argento’, my tome on Italian director Dario Argento. When PAN’S LABYRINTH became a global phenomenon, I knew I’d chosen wisely. I’ve always been fascinated by how Guillermo’s gentle soul has remained unbroken throughout many setbacks, his unusual ‘One for Hollywood, one for me work ethic’ and his unswerving devotion to a much-maligned genre that, thanks to him, now has the glow of respectability. We talked extensively while he was in London editing HELLBOY II and our lengthy conversations about every intimate part of his existence forms the heart of CLOCKWORK FABLES: THE FANTASY WORLDS OF GUILLERMO DEL TORO”.

CLOCKWORK FABLES: THE FANTASY WORLDS OF GUILLERMO DEL TORO will be published by FAB Press Ltd in 2010 – Contact FAB Press Ltd., 2 Farleigh, Ramsden Road, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1QE, England, UK, Tel/fax: +44 (0)1483 527424.