Last time we spoke to Guillermo Del
Toro, “Pan’s Labyrinth” had just been released. Now we’re seeing a
different side of him as Executive Producer of the sure blockbuster Puss in Boots, which
hits theaters TODAY. But don’t expect to see a prequel to the Shrek franchise; as Del Toro explains,
“Puss in Boots is a movie that stands entirely on its own.” His unique point of view is sure to bring a refreshingly new twist to
the fairy-tale genre.

The film, whose story predates Shrek’s, centers
around a bad ass cat who sets out to steal the Goose that Lays the Golden Eggs and stars Antonio
Banderas, Salma Hayek, and Zach Galifianakis. Although
family-friendly, Del Toro’s bold, daring approach is sure to add an edge to the highly anticipated film.

HOMBRE: You’re involved with the film “Puss in Boots” as an Executive Producer. How did you come into the project?

Guillermo Del Toro: I
started working on the movie over a year ago. I thought it was a really great
idea from the start, and I fell in love with it.  My involvement included reshaping some of the
screen play, coming up with new ideas for some of the set pieces, and doing
some character changes. It was very, very elaborate. I started at the right
moment, very early on in the process, so it was very satisfying that I could
have a real hand to shape the movie the way the director wanted it. Chris
Miller had the movie very clear in his head, and I think he just needed a
sparring partner that came from sort of a different point of view.

H: What was it that attracted you about this film?

GDT: The
world that was promised to be created in this movie. The humor, the characters,
everything was very unique. The first thing you’d have as a preconception of
the movie is that it’s a spin off of the Shrek universe, and once you start seeing
the images and the sequence and the idea behind it you realize that this is a
world that stands entirely on its own. And that was the first thing that was
shocking to me. I saw images of enormous beauty, I saw ideas that were bold and
original, full of humor and creation, so I was really taken by all of that. I
was able to bring my unique point of view as a Latin into the flavor of the
movie. I made sure that some choices were made that were architecturally or
culturally more bold or a little crazier, although the fact remains that this
is not Spain or Mexico, it’s a fantasy land. But still you can bring some
flavors that normally would be in a portrayal of Latin culture.

H: Were you a fan of the Shrek movies?

GDT: I was.
I was particularly a huge fan of tthe first two, and the first one especially
was a movie that was incredibly transgressive. People forget about that now
because it’s such a solid franchise, but in the beginning when it came out it
was incredibly transgressive, incredibly bold, and frankly quite fierce.

H: Do you expect that adults will like this movie as much as kids, as was
the case with Shrek?

GDT: I think
yes, but we’re coming to the humor and the character from a very different
point of view. One of the things I appreciate the most is that Shrek took a
very brilliant and funny, but critical, aesthetic. It was a postmodern look at
fantasy. The moments of fantasy in Puss in Boots are so beautiful and earnest
and honest, and there’s no irony in them. They’re just absolutely gorgeous.
That’s a big distinction, for both kids and adults. The humor is also very
different; actually when we were testing the movie, the reaction from both age
groups was fantastic.

H: How close is the story line of the film to the original story of
“Puss N Boots”?

GDT: I think
that the storyline is very similar. i think that the arcs of the characters and
the weight of the set pieces change a bit; particularly, the last part of the
movie was completely reinvented. There were a lot of mythical elements that
were not in the original, like the origin of Puss’s boots, the origin of him as
a hero, the link that he has with his mother and how that is linked to his
identity. It’s an origin movie; with all superhero movies, you have to know the
origin…how Batman got the Bat Mobile,how he got the cape, or how Green
Lantern got the ring. So it’s important to know how Puss got the boots, and
what they mean morally and mythically for him.

H: You’ve done a good amount of horror and thrillers. What was it like to
make the transition into family oriented films?

GDT: Well,
I’m very interested in fantasy, and I think it was the element of fantasy in
Puss that captured me the most.  So I
think that’s a continuation of things that i’ve been very interested in, and I
think that it is in the right tone. It’s a very beautiful movie, but it’s
honest and emotional. It’s not candy coated.

H: Have you always gravitated towards films that involve some element of
fantasy?

GDT: Yes.
ever since i was a child. Hellboy, Pan’s Labrynth, any movie i make tends to
have strong fantasy elements. But not the usual sort of blatantly sanitized
fantasy; I need to have something else with that, and Chris Miller was very
clear that this was a mash up of fantasy and adventure.

H: Any projects you’re working on now that we can expect to see in the
near future?

GDT: I’m
developing a movie with Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers called Pacific
Rim. We start shooting November 14th, and it’s a science fiction/action movie.

H: Any plans to do anymore family-friendly films?

GDT: I’ve
been involved with Dreamworks now for three projects, and we have three more
that we are developing toward production and finishing. It’s been a blast. My
relationship with Dreamworks is just starting, and with very good footing. I
expect to see a lot more of our work together in the next few years.