Guillermo del Toro said no AI for Pan's Labyrinth 3D return
Guillermo del Toro said he banned AI from the 20th-anniversary 3D conversion of Pan's Labyrinth, telling a Comic-Con crowd he chose hand-crafted depth over speed to protect art's lineage. The film returns to theaters Oct. 9 in 3D and HDR. Tickets go on sale Sept. 9 for the Cineverse and Fathom 4K theatrical run, which he personally oversaw.
Key Takeaways
- Guillermo del Toro said "absolutely no goddamn AI" would be used on the Pan's Labyrinth 3D conversion.
- The 20th-anniversary re-release hits theaters Oct. 9 in 3D and HDR, with a 2D HDR option also available.
- He told San Diego Comic-Con the work was done by hand so "a human made a decision of depth."
- Del Toro framed the choice as protecting "a lineage of art," not merely who gets a job.
- Tickets go on sale Sept. 9 via Cineverse and Fathom 4K; each version was overseen by the filmmaker.
What did Guillermo del Toro say about AI and Pan's Labyrinth?
At San Diego Comic-Con, discussing the film's return for its 20th anniversary, Guillermo del Toro said he had one rule: no AI. "Obviously I said, 'Absolutely no goddamn AI,'" he told the audience, drawing applause.
He argued the stance goes beyond labor alone. "What we're protecting is the beauty and the redeeming power of art. It's not about who gets the job. We are protecting a lineage of art," he said. Cutting a generation from learning craft, he warned, cuts that medium's history away from them.
How was the Pan's Labyrinth 3D conversion done without AI?
Del Toro said he converted the film into 3D by hand and declined AI tools. Faced with doing the job quickly or doing it well, he chose quality. "You have to put in time. You have to do every element by hand. A human made a decision of depth," he explained.
That approach fits the film's craft-heavy legacy. The 2006 fantasy drama earned $83 million worldwide, six Oscar nominations, and three wins for makeup, cinematography, and art direction. Fans of theatrical and streaming fantasy can follow more industry alerts in our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
When can audiences see the 3D re-release?
Pan's Labyrinth returns Oct. 9 in 3D and HDR for the first time, and is also offered in 2D HDR. Cineverse and Fathom 4K will bring the re-release to the big screen, with each version overseen by del Toro. Tickets will be available Sept. 9.
During the panel, he also teased a documentary on making the original film, featuring commentary from Jacob Elordi, Cate Blanchett, and Charlie Day. Earlier this year, a 4K restoration debuted at Cannes to several minutes of applause—echoing the film's historic 22-minute standing ovation two decades ago.
The story follows Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) as she flees danger in 1944 Francoist Spain into a fantasy realm of a mysterious faun and deadly beasts, co-starring Doug Jones, Maribel Verdú, and Sergi López. For del Toro, keeping that world human-made is the point: the anniversary is not only a reissue, but a stand for craft.