Over the years, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has become one of Hollywood’s most successful directors with several high-grossing movies. He’s earned a reputation for his fascination with horror, fairy tales, and monsters. As such, he has received numerous accolades, including being a three-time Academy Awards winner.
Guillermo del Toro was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and began his filmmaking career with shorts in 1985. With a career spanning 39 years, del Toro has directed 12 feature-length movies. His last movie was the 2022 Pinocchio, his first film for a streaming service. Although it didn’t earn much at the Box Office, Pinocchio was critically successful. Using Box Office earnings, these are Guillermo del Toro’s 7 highest-grossing films.
7. Crimson Peak – $74.7 Million
Crimson Peak is Guillermo del Toro’s Gothic romance horror, for which he co-wrote its screenplay. The movie’s plot centers around Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), a young aspiring writer who marries the charming but mysterious Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). Although Edith’s father initially forbade their union, they married after his sudden death. Edith moves into the remote and dilapidated Sharpe family’s Cumberland mansion in England. The couple shares their home with Thomas’s cold, enigmatic sister, Lucille Sharpe (Jessica Chastain).
As Edith settles into her new life, she begins experiencing terrifying visions of ghostly apparitions that seem to warn her about the mansion’s dark secrets. She soon discovers the Sharpe siblings harbor a sinister past that puts her life in danger. Like several of Guillermo del Toro’s films, the 2015 Crimson Peak was a critical success. However, produced on a $55 million budget, Crimson Peak was considered a Box Office disappointment after its $74.7 million earnings. Despite its underperformance, it is still one of Guillermo del Toro’s highest-grossing films.
6. Pan’s Labyrinth – $83 Million
The Spanish-language Pan’s Labyrinth is largely regarded as one of Guillermo del Toro’s finest works and greatest fantasy films. The 2006 Pan’s Labyrinth is set in post-Civil War Spain in 1944. It follows its protagonist, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a young girl who moves with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López).
While exploring the grounds of her newfound home, a large stick insect leads Ofelia to discover a mysterious labyrinth. In the labyrinth, who informs Ofelia that she’s the reincarnation of a lost Princess, Princess Moanna. To reclaim her throne in the underworld, Ofelia must complete three dangerous tasks. Pan’s Labyrinth was a critical and commercial success, grossing $83 million against a production budget of $14 million.
5. Hellboy – $99.8 Million
The 2004 Hellboy was Guillermo del Toro’s second superhero film project. The movie was based on Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse Comics. Set as an origin story, it follows Hellboy (portrayed by Ron Perlman), a demonic creature inadvertently summoned to Earth during an interrupted ritual. While seeking to summon demonic forces to aid their fight in World War II, Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden) opened a portal. After being disrupted by an Allied strike force, a baby Hellboy is rescued and raised by a young scientist, Trevor Bruttenholm (John Hurt).
Hellboy becomes a key agent, helping protect the world from supernatural threats. Despite his terrifying appearance—red skin, horns, and a massive stone arm—Hellboy struggles with his humanity and desire to be accepted. Hellboy is joined by his pyrokinetic love interest, Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), amphibious psychic humanoid Abe Sapien (Doug Jones), and FBI agent John Myers (Rupert Evans). Hellboy was produced on an estimated $60–66 million and grossed $99.8 million at the Box Office.
4. Blade II – $155 Million
Guillermo del Toro was hired to direct the 1988 Blade sequel, Blade II. The movie is still widely regarded as one of Hollywood’s top sequels that delivered a great follow-up plot to its predecessor. Wesley Snipes reprises his role as the titular Blade, a half-human, half-vampire who hunts vampires.
In Blade II, Blade forms an uneasy alliance with the Bloodpack, a group of elite vampire warriors. They align to combat the Reapers, a new and more dangerous mutated breed of vampires. The sequel is reputable for its fast-paced action, innovative fight sequences, and dark, gothic atmosphere. Blade II was largely a critical success and grossed $155 million against a $54 million production budget.
3. Hellboy II: The Golden Army – $168.3 Million
As of 2024, Guillermo del Toro’s third highest-grossing film is another sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Del Toro was hired to direct the 2004 Hellboy sequel. In the sequel, Hellboy teams up with Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien, and Johann Krauss (John Alexander) to stop Prince Nuada (Luke Goss).
Nuada is a renegade elf who seeks to awaken the powerful and ancient Golden Army. At the end of the film, Liz informs Hellboy he’s an expectant father of twins. Hellboy II: The Golden Army had a slightly higher production budget, estimated at $82.5–85 million. However, it was a critical and commercial success, grossing $168.3 million at the Box Office.
2. The Shape of Water – $196 Million
The 2017 romantic fantasy The Shape of Water won Guillermo del Toro his first Academy Award. The movie received 13 nominations at the 90th Academy Awards, with del Toro winning Best Picture and Best Director. The Shape of Water is set during the Cold War era of the 1960s. The movie follows Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins), a mute janitor who works in a secret government laboratory in Baltimore. Elisa leads a lonely life, finding comfort in her friendship with her coworker, Zelda Delilah Fuller (Octavia Spencer), and neighbor, Giles (Richard Jenkins).
Life changes for Eliza after she discovers a mysterious amphibious creature held captive for experimentation at her workplace. Drawn to the creature, Eliza forms a feel, emotional bond with it, communicating through sign language. After learning of plans to vivisect the creature, Eliza orchestrates plans to rescue it. With its screenplay co-written by del Toro, The Shape of Water was produced on an estimated $19.5–20 million budget. It was another critical and commercial success, with Box Office earnings of $196 million to become Guillermo del Toro’s second highest-grossing film.
1. Pacific Rim – $411 Million
As of 2024, the 2013 Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba-led Pacific Rim is Guillermo del Toro’s highest-grossing movie. It is the first installment in the Pacific Rim franchise and del Toro’s most-expensive feature-length movie. It was produced on an estimated $180–200 million budget and grossed $411 million at the Box Office after its theatrical run. Pacific Rim is set in a future where Earth is under siege by Kaiju, giant monsters that emerged from a portal beneath the Pacific Ocean. To combat these colossal creatures effectively, humans built Jaegers, massive robots piloted by two humans whose minds are connected through a neural bridge. Besides these Guillermo del Toro highest-grossing films, check out the highest-grossing films of the last decade.
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