Kapanlagi.com - Guillermo del Toro and James Cameron are known as two great Hollywood directors with their globally recognized works. But behind their success, there is actually a rather unique friendship story. Long before their names became famous, they lived together and often spent nights watching anime. Starting from that habit, they frequently spent time discussing narratives, emotions, actions, and fantasy worlds.
Cameron and del Toro often recommended their favorite anime to each other. Cameron introduced Patlabor to del Toro, while del Toro responded with the series Gunnm. This exchange of ideas inspired both of their future works. Curious about the details? Check out this news!
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1. The Story of the Friendship Between Two Great Directors

Photo Together with James Cameron & Guilermo del Toro (Credit: x.com/@ZuzuOnFire)
Guilermo del Toro explains that his friendship with James Cameron has lasted for more than three decades. The two first met around 1991 or 1992 and felt a connection. Later, del Toro stayed for a few months at James Cameron's house. During that time, they often watched anime together every night. This habit became a kind of creative ritual for the two directors. Cameron introduced the anime Patlabor to del Toro, while del Toro introduced Gunnm, which would later become the project Alita: Battle Angel. This habit was not just a way to relax; del Toro once said that Japanese anime offers a very broad creative freedom, which then influenced their own ideas.
2. The Influence of Anime in the Works of Cameron and del Toro

The film Pacific Rim by Guilermo del Toro (Credit: x.com/@sid_chava)
The influence of the habit of watching anime can be observed through their works. For example, del Toro mentioned that Patlabor became one of the main inspirations when he was working on the film Pacific Rim; the concept of mecha versus monster on a large scale is very much identical to the style of Japanese anime. Meanwhile, the story of Gunnm was developed by James Cameron into a live-action adaptation, which was eventually released as the film Alita: Battle Angel. Guilermo del Toro also praised Cameron's work, the Avatar trilogy. He mentioned that there are very few Americans who create mythology like that.
(kpl/vaj)
Disclaimer: This translation from Bahasa Indonesia to English has been generated by Artificial Intelligence.