Guillermo del Toro Would Move to Totoro’s World in a Heartbeat

If there is one thing Guillermo del Toro knows well, it is that making good movies requires one to watch good movies. The acclaimed director-writer has put their whole weight behind some of film’s best movies, so you know he is watching good stuff at home. As it turns out, one thing del Toro always comes back to is anime, and the director recently admitted he’d live in one of the worlds created by Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki.

And which world might that be? It seems del Toro would be happy to try out My Neighbor Totoro’s universe for a spin.

@oscars

We asked Guillermo Del Toro, “If you could live inside the world of any film, what would it be?” #guillermodeltoro #MyNeighborTotoro #HayaoMiyazaki #filmmaker #movieworld #favoritefilms #mexicanfilmmaker #JapaneseAnimation #StudioGhibli #pastoralbeauty

♬ original sound – The Oscars

Recently, the director opened up about the pick during an interview with The Oscars’ social media team. A video was posted to TikTok of the creator praising Studio Ghibli, and following the release of Pinocchio on Netflix, netizens know del Toro’s word on animation carries weight.

“I would live inside the world of My Neighbor Totoro. The pastoral beauty of that place. But at the same time, the fact that it’s a proper house. You’re surrounded by woods that are mythical and old and full of stories and spirits. Miyazaki’s Ghibli films, they create skies and trees like nobody else and you can eat sushi every day,” he shared.

Of course, del Toro is hardly the first person to praise My Neighbor Totoro. The Miyazaki film is one of the most famous in all of animation. Studio Ghibli churned out hit after hit under the anime legend including Spirited Away and Ponyo. But as a fan, del Toro admits he’d be content living in a world where Totoro can visit him.

This pick is hard to critique, and honestly? We’d have to side with del Toro here. Miyazaki created a whimsical world in My Neighbor Totoro that is ripe for exploration. Revisiting the film never gets old, and soon, fans will have new Miyazaki to watch before long. The acclaimed director is working hard on his next film How Do You Live which is expected to debut this July.

What do you think about del Toro’s pitch here? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.