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Guillermo del Toro, a filmmaker celebrated for his masterful storytelling and striking visual style, especially when depicting monsters, is known for his impressive body of work. His acclaimed films like “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Shape of Water,” and “Frankenstein” have left a lasting impact on audiences. However, del Toro looks back on one of his earlier projects, the 1997 horror film “Mimic,” with less fondness.
Sony Pictures Releasing
“Mimic,” featuring a cast that includes Mira Sorvino, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Northam, and Charles S. Dutton, tells the story of genetically engineered insects meant to eradicate a plague of disease-carrying cockroaches, only to evolve into a more lethal threat. While Reddit users have praised it as one of the top killer insect horror films, del Toro has been candid about the real-life horror he faced working with the Weinstein brothers and Miramax Films. Reflecting on this period during the 2017 BFI London Film Festival, he 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” (via IndieWire).
Despite the challenges, there was a silver lining during the difficult production of “Mimic.” Del Toro discovered the “Hellboy” comic book, which would later inspire him to adapt it into a live-action film in 2004. In a behind-the-scenes segment for “Hellboy,” del Toro shared, “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” (watch here).
Although the theatrical release of “Mimic” did not reflect del Toro’s vision, it has garnered a reputation as an underrated horror gem from the 1990s. In 2011, audiences were offered a glimpse of what the director had originally intended through a director’s cut. However, as del Toro explained to Den of Geek, this version still diverged from his original concept.
“I always said I needed to return to ‘Mimic,’ as a way of making amends with myself,” del Toro reflected. “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 eliminated much of the second unit footage, restoring scenes that enriched the characters and themes.
Guillermo del Toro released a better cut of Mimic
Miramax Films
In the end, del Toro’s journey with “Mimic” proved to be a unique win. He was able to present a version of the film that better aligned with his creative vision, and the experience, though fraught, led him to discover “Hellboy,” resulting in a beloved superhero film outside the Marvel and DC realms. Now, fans can only hope for the completion of the “Hellboy” trilogy with Ron Perlman in the role once more.
“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 …
