Harry Potter Director Recalls Guillermo Del Toro Calling Him "Arrogant ***hole" After Getting Movie Offer

Summary Guillermo del Toro called Alfonso Cuarón "an arrogant asshole" for not having read Harry Potter.

Alfonso Cuarón's directorial change for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was successful, with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Despite initial skepticism, Cuarón's Harry Potter film made $807.1 million, becoming the best-reviewed in the series.

Alfonso Cuarón recalls Guillermo del Toro’s unamused words regarding his role in Harry Potter. Cuarón directed the third Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, in 2004. This directorial role came shortly after Cuarón had directed his breakout film Y Tu Mamá También in 2001.

Speaking with Total Film, Cuarón explains the reaction of another prominent director, del Toro, after hearing the news that Cuarón had gotten the Harry Potter film. The director explained that when he was offered to helm Harry Potter, the series was “completely not on [his] radar.” When he revealed this to del Toro, the fellow director was shocked to hear that Cuarón had not read Harry Potter. In response, del Toro reportedly used “very florid lexicon, in Spanish,” to call Cuarón “an arrogant asshole.” Check out the full quote from Cuarón below:

I was confused because it was completely not on my radar.. I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this “Harry Potter” film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.’ He said, ‘Wait, wait, wait, you said you haven’t read “Harry Potter”?’ I said, ‘I don’t think it’s for me.’ In very florid lexicon, in Spanish, he said, ‘You are an arrogant asshole.'

How The Prisoner of Azkaban Measures Up Against Other Harry Potter Films

This befuddled commentary makes sense coming from del Toro, who is an avid fan of a number of different franchises. The Mexican director is also huge into films with fantasy elements specifically, having directed films such as Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water. At the time of The Prisoner of Azkaban’s release, del Toro was working on a number of major franchise movies himself, including Blade II and Hellboy.

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban represented a pivot for the fantasy series. The first two movies, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, were directed by Chris Columbus. Thus, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban represented the first break from this continuity of voice. Said change was fairly successful for the franchise, as The Prisoner of Azkaban was relatively well-received. The film managed to score a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 86% approval rating among fans.

Harry Potter Film RT Critics Score RT Audience Score Worldwide Box Office Gross Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) 81% 82% $1.02 billion Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) 82% 80% $882.5 million Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) 90% 86% $807.1 million Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) 88% 74% $897.4 million Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) 78% 81% $942.6 million Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009) 84% 78% $934.8 million Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows: Part 1 (2010) 77% 85% $960.8 million Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) 96% 89% $1.34 billion

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban also made $807.1 million at the worldwide box office, representing significant returns on its estimated $130 million budget. While this total was lower than its previous two predecessors, an over $800 million take home was impressive considering the directorial change. Its 90% Rotten Tomatoes score also made Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban best-reviewed Harry Potter film in the series at the point of its release. Even if he may not have been familiar with the franchise, Cuarón did his part to keep Harry Potter great.

Source: Total Film