Right on the precipice of Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s latest—Frankenstein, don’t ya know—making its Netflix debut, his first Oscar-winning movie, Pan’s Labyrinth, gets new life. Like sands through the hourglass, Pan’s Labyrinth is about to turn 20 years old. Twenty years of Spanish Civil War horror mixed with dark, woodland fantasy. It really is an incredible film, and ahead of that milestone, Cineverse has stepped in to bring it back to theaters. In news we saw at Deadline, the film distributors have picked up the North American rights to Pan’s.
Cineverse’s deal includes all North American distribution rights including home entertainment, VOD, streaming, plus original content including podcasts. Cineverse is also planning to release the movie in premium wide-format screens. Del Toro is singing the praises of Cineverse and its plans for 20th anniversary goodness.
“[I]n Cineverse we have found the perfect partner to make it live again on the big screen and in new and improved home presentations. Cineverse is committed and bold, and their track record for reaching a maximum audience is magnificent. Together we will reconnect the generations that have shared the film through the years and long to experience it theatrically again.”
Pan’s Labyrinth received six Academy Award nominations and won three. One was for Best Production Design, one for Best Makeup, and the final for Best Cinematography for Guillermo Navarro. Though Del Toro didn’t win an Oscar himself for the movie, he’d make it back to the Big Show again. He won Best Director and Best Picture for 2018’s The Shape of Water and Best Animated Feature in 2023 for Pinocchio.
“Partnering with Guillermo del Toro and his team around this masterpiece is a dream come true,” said Cineverse Chief Motion Pictures Officer Yolanda Macias. “We can’t wait to bring it back to theaters for fans to enjoy it as they did 20 years ago, and to find exciting and creative ways to introduce the film to new audiences who will be discovering this amazing cinematic story for the first time.”
We assume this will also mean a physical media release at some point, likely in 4K. Or at least, folks like me can hope.
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.