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Guillermo del Toro, the visionary filmmaker renowned for his exceptional storytelling and mesmerizing visual artistry, has captivated audiences with masterpieces such as “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Shape of Water,” and “Frankenstein.” However, when it comes to his earlier work, particularly the 1997 horror film “Mimic,” del Toro’s reflections are mixed, revealing a challenging chapter in his storied career.
Sony Pictures Releasing
“Mimic,” featuring a star-studded cast including Mira Sorvino, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Northam, and Charles S. Dutton, unfolds a chilling narrative where a genetically engineered insect, designed to eradicate disease-carrying cockroaches, mutates into a more lethal threat. While the film has found its niche among horror aficionados, particularly on Reddit where it’s hailed as one of the best killer insect films, del Toro’s experience working with the Weinstein brothers and Miramax Films left a more haunting impression. During the 2017 BFI London Film Festival, del Toro candidly remarked, “Two horrible things happened in the late nineties: my father was kidnapped, and I worked with the Weinsteins. I know which one was worse… the kidnapping made more sense, I knew what they wanted,” as reported by IndieWire.
Amidst the turmoil of “Mimic’s” production, a silver lining emerged for del Toro when he discovered the “Hellboy” comic book series, a pivotal moment that would later lead him to craft the 2004 live-action adaptation of the beloved character. Reflecting on this discovery, del Toro shared in a behind-the-scenes segment for “Hellboy,” “The best thing that happened for me on the entire shoot of ‘Mimic’ was that I was reading ‘Hellboy.’ I admired what Mike [Mignola, ‘Hellboy’ creator] had done so enormously.”
Despite the compromised release of “Mimic,” which led del Toro to disown the theatrical version, some enthusiasts regard it as an underrated horror gem of the ’90s. In 2011, audiences were given a glimpse into del Toro’s intended vision with the release of a director’s cut. However, as del Toro explained to Den of Geek, it still fell short of his original concept.
Laughing off the challenges, del Toro remarked, “I always said I needed [to return to ‘Mimic’], like making amends with myself. Although the movie I wanted to make was never done, I knew there was a better cut of the movie laying somewhere in boxes in Miramax’s warehouse.” His quest to recover lost footage resulted in a director’s cut that not only excised substantial second-unit material but also reinstated scenes that enriched character development and thematic depth, offering a closer glimpse into the film he had aspired to create.
Guillermo del Toro released a better cut of Mimic
Miramax Films
Even though Miramax clearly didn’t release the version of “Mimic” that Guillermo del Toro wanted, and he subsequently disowned the theatrical cut, some consider it to be an underrated ’90s horror movie gem. In 2011, the audience received the opportunity to see the filmmaker’s actual vision — sort of. A director’s cut of “Mimic” was released, but as del Toro explained to Den of Geek, it was never going to be his initial concept.
“I always said I needed [to return to ‘Mimic’], like making amends with myself,” he laughed. “Although the movie I wanted to make was never done, I knew there was a better cut of the movie laying somewhere in boxes in Miramax’s warehouse. So we went looking for all the footage, which was a big quest, and reinstated a bunch of material which is 10 or 12 minutes or more.” For del Toro, the director’s cut removed considerable second unit footage and brought back the moments that expanded on characters and theme.
At the end of the day, it’s a win-win here. The filmmaker managed to show his better cut of “Mimic” to the world years later. Also, if it weren’t for the negative experience of “Mimic,” del Toro may not have found the escapism of “Hellboy,” which led to him creating a great superhero movie that isn’t part of Marvel or DC. Now, if only someone would let him complete the “Hellboy” trilogy with Ron Perlman …