Guillermo Del Toro Just Made Oscars History

Guillermo del Toro — already one of the world's most accomplished directors — has just become even more impressive. Not only did the Mexican filmmaker take home the award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards for his take on "Pinocchio," he became the first person ever to be awarded Best Director, Best Picture, and now Best Animated Feature Film. His dark, carefully crafted vision of the Italian story rose above two other adaptations this season (including one from the house of mouse), as well as fellow nominees like the critically lauded "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" and Disney's "Turning Red."

Del Toro's win cements him as a uniquely diverse talent, one who has been recognized for his unmatched excellency in both live-action and animation. His work on "Pinocchio" is particularly astonishing as it represents the culmination of an ambitious stop-motion project that's been in development since 2008 — ten years before he won his first Oscar in 2018.

While developing his most recent (and quasi-self-titled) masterpiece, "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio," the director broke into the Academy Awards as a serious contender with his 2018 romantic-fantasy film, "The Shape of Water." Though his seminal 2007 work "Pan's Labyrinth" earned him his first nomination (for Best Original Screenplay), he didn't receive another nomination for over a decade later.

In a stacked season that included such Best Picture nominees as "Call Me By Your Name," "Get Out," "Dunkirk," and "Lady Bird," del Toro's bizarrely beautiful and tragic tale about a woman falling in love with an aquatic creature seemed to be the clear dark horse. Ultimately, the visionary behind "Hellboy" and "Pacific Rim" took home both Best Picture and Best Director. He was nominated for several awards in 2021, including Best Picture, for the noir thriller "Nightmare Alley."