Guillermo del Tororemains one of the most respected filmmakers working in Hollywood. He will be best known to many audiences for his twoHellboymovies starring Ron Perlman, as well as 2013’sPacific Rim, but his filmography extends far beyond these blockbusters into a wide variety of genres and tones. His most recent film, for example, isGuillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, which was told entirely using stop-motion animation.
HisPinocchioadaptation won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, but it’s far from the first del Toro movie to strike a chord with critics and awards bodies. AfterBlade II(2002) andHellboy(2004),del Toro directedPan’s Labyrinth(2006), which earned him a Best Original Screenplay nomination. His next showing at the Oscars was in 2017 withThe Shape of Water, which won Best Picture and Best Director, in addition to scoring a Best Original Screenplay nomination. Another del Toro movie, however, also earned an impressive Oscars nomination, and it’s now set to get a new cut.
Guillermo Del Toro Reveals A Nightmare Alley Extended Cut Is Coming
Del Toro Is Remastering His 2021 Thriller
Nightmare Alleyis set to get an extended cut, Guillermo del Toro reveals, along with a remaster. Released in 2021, the horror-thriller stars Bradley Cooper as Stanton Carlisle, a grifter who ascends from being a struggling carny to a celebrated psychic medium.Nightmare Alleyreviewswere positive, earning the film an 80% score onRotten Tomatoes, with critics praising the film for its gorgeous presentation of 1940s New York, as well as del Toro’s signature sense of style. The movie was nominated for Best Picture, ultimately losing toCoda.
In a new post on Bluesky,del Toroshares that he’s currently working on an extended cut of the black-and-white version ofNightmare Alley. Though the director doesn’t reveal when audiences can expect this extended cut, he reveals in his post that the cut will accompany his own personal remaster of the film. “I am remastering the B&W Nightmare Alley w an extended cut,” del Toro writes, “Stay tuned.”
The theatrical cut ofNightmare Alleyruns two hours and 30 minutes long.
What Del Toro’s Extended Cut Means For Nightmare Alley
The Film Was Always Meant For Black & White
A black-and-white version ofNightmare Alley, dubbedNightmare Alley: A Vision in Darkness & Light, was released in select theaters and on Hulu following the conclusion of the original film’s theatrical run. Though this new cut won’t be the first time the film is presented in black and white,del Toro’s post confirms that audiences can expect the next version to look a little different, in addition to featuring extra footage.
Nightmare Alley Ending Explained
Nightmare Alley has a fittingly grim ending that ties everything together, but it leaves plenty of deeper thematic meanings to be further explained.
Del Toro has long been vocal aboutNightmare Alley’s noir roots, previously revealing (viaVariety):“Although we shot ‘Nightmare Alley’ in color, we lit it as if it were black and white.“Though it’s not clear what extra footage will accompany the new cut, it certainly has the potential to improve the already-positive perception of the movie.Nightmare Alleyisn’t widely regarded as one of del Toro’s best films, but this new version has the potential to more fully immerse viewers in the world of 1940s noir.
Nightmare Alley
Cast
Based on the 1946 novel of the same name, Nightmare Alley follows drifter Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) as he joins a carnival to learn the art of grifting. Addicted to the thrills and the potential for personal gain, Stan takes his show on the road accompanied by fellow carnival worker Molly (Rooney Mara), where he makes a living as a false medium and mentalist. Stan is soon drawn into a much darker web of opportunity that sees him risk it all for one big score.
