Del Toro Chose to Do the 3D Conversion the Slow Way

Guillermo del Toro brought "Pan's Labyrinth" back to San Diego Comic-Con on July 24 to announce its 20th anniversary re-release, in 3D and HDR for the first time, hitting theaters October 9. His one rule for the conversion: no AI involved, at any point.

Key Points

• Del Toro said the 3D conversion was done entirely by hand, with a human making every depth decision rather than using AI tools to speed up the process
• He framed the choice as protecting "a lineage of art," arguing that removing craft-based work from a generation of filmmakers cuts off the rest of that medium's history for the ones who follow
• The re-release also includes a 2D HDR version and 4K theatrical releases through Cineverse and Fathom, all personally overseen by del Toro
• A companion documentary on the making of the original film will feature commentary from Jacob Elordi, Cate Blanchett, and Charlie Day
• The original "Pan's Labyrinth" earned $83 million worldwide in 2006 and won three Oscars, for best makeup, cinematography, and art direction, out of six nominations

The Choice Was Time, Not Just Principle

Del Toro described the decision as a straightforward tradeoff: he could convert the film to 3D quickly, or he could do it well, and those weren't compatible options. He chose the slower path, saying every element was handled by hand so an actual person made each decision about depth in the frame. That's a specific, practical claim about how the work got done, not just a statement of preference against AI in the abstract.

The Argument Is About Craft Continuity, Not Job Protection

Del Toro was explicit that his objection isn't about who gets hired for a given project. His concern is generational: if a cohort of filmmakers never has to learn the manual craft of a 3D conversion, they don't just skip a task, they lose access to skills that connect them to the history of the medium. That's a different argument than the more common "AI takes jobs" framing, and it's worth treating as its own point rather than folding it into that debate.

This Lands in the Middle of a Live Industry Argument

Del Toro's stance arrives as studios, agencies, and creative teams across entertainment and marketing are actively deciding where AI belongs in production pipelines and where it doesn't. His answer for this specific project is a hard line, but the reasoning he gives, protecting the development of craft skills in the people doing the work, is a framework other creative organizations are wrestling with regardless of which side they land on. That's directly relevant to any brand or studio building an AI-use policy as part of its broader growth strategy, since the "quick versus good" tradeoff del Toro describes shows up in marketing production decisions too, not just film restoration.

What This Means Beyond One Filmmaker's Preference

Del Toro's choice won't set policy for the industry, but it's a visible, well-covered example of a working filmmaker treating the AI decision as a craft question rather than a purely economic one. For teams thinking through their own AI-use guidelines around creative work, that framing is worth sitting with before defaulting to whichever option is fastest. Building that kind of intentional policy into a content or creative operation is exactly the sort of work our AI marketing services team helps clients think through.