Timed to the much anticipated upcoming release of SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK of which he is a producer, GUILLERMO DEL TORO received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday. With luminaries like Ron Perlman, Elliot Gould, Ted Danson, and J.J. Abrams, along with the cast of SCARY STORIES and director Andre Ovredal, in attendance, del Toro was humbled and grateful but also took the opportunity to address our turbulent times and the immigration crisis.
Citing two things he wanted all to know, “I’m weird” and “I’m Mexican”, both which garnered knowing laughter from the gathered crowd, talk turned serious, yet hopeful and encouraging.
Acknowledging the significance of this star being given to “a Mexican”, del Toro passionately noted that “No gesture right now can be banal or simple.” Every gesture, every accolade, every star means something in today’s sociopolitical and culture climate.
Speaking not only for immigrants but for everyone, del Toro had words of encouragement and hope for all. “Believe in the possibilities and not the obstacles. Believe in the stories you have inside and believe that we all can make a difference. . . We can all contribute to the art and to the craft and to the world in any way we see fit.”
SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK is based on the series by Alvin Schwartz. Written by Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman with story by Guillermo del Toro and Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan, the film is directed by Andree Ovredal and stars Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint, Austin Zajur, and Natalie Ganzhorn. It’s 1968 in America. Change is blowing in the wind…but seemingly far removed from the unrest in the cities is the small town of Mill Valley where for generations, the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large. It is in their mansion on the edge of town that Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turned her tortured life into a series of scary stories, written in a book that has transcended time—stories that have a way of becoming all too real for a group of teenagers who discover Sarah’s terrifying home. SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK hits theatres April 9, 2019.
