How to Nail a Job Interview with Guillermo del Toro: Advice From the Director of “Pacific Rim Uprising”

Steven S. DeKnight tells us how he impressed Guillermo del Toro. Now, you can too!

Job interviews are nerve-racking at the best of times, even when there isn’t a $US150 million budget on the line or one of cinema’s most beloved auteurs deciding your fate.

But Steven S. DeKnight, a 20-year veteran of TV shows like Buffy and Marvel’s Daredevil, wasn’t too worried about convincing Guillermo del Toro to let him take over the reins of the Pacific Rim franchise, despite being told beforehand, "You have to get Guillermo’s blessing, or this is not going to happen."

"I thought, 'Look, I’ll just get to meet Guillermo and if it doesn’t happen, I’ll be a happy fanboy,'" Steven tells Student Edge.

Smash cut to 2018, and DeKnight is promoting his feature debut: Pacific Rim Uprising. It’s fair to say the interview went well.

"I went in and was just myself," he says.

"I’m still shocked."

So, if anyone ever wants to work for Guillermo del Toro in the future, they’d be smart to read Steven’s story and take his advice. Who knows? The Shape of Water 2: Still Water-Shaped could be yours.

The Meeting

"I got to meet Guillermo at his famous Bleak House—his museum of movie memorabilia and oddities and art from around the world," Steven remembers.

"The first thing I saw when I walked in was the spacesuit that Kane wears in the original Alien movie. And then everywhere I looked, there were props and maquettes from Pacific Rim; there were the actual miniatures that Ray Harryhausen used for Jason and the Argonauts.

"It’s everything I’ve grown up loving, so my first reaction when I met him was to marvel at all of his stuff. I think we must have spent at least the first hour of this meeting just talking about our love of the genre."

Steven’s ability to identify and fanboy over del Toro's collection turned out to be a decisive factor in getting this gig.

"His knowledge of movies and genre and art is deeper than anyone I’ve ever met; I don’t know nearly as much as he does, but I love it as much, and I think that really came through and was one of the reasons he liked me for the job," he says.

Of course, he still had to prove his bona fides as a suitable candidate for continuing the Pacific Rim story.

"I told him my thoughts on where I’d like to take the sequel," Steven explains.

"He had some great ideas and suggestions. And at the end he said, 'Look, I’m going off to prep and direct a little personal movie of mine.'"

(That film, The Shape of Water, wound up receiving 13 Oscar nominations and winning Best Picture, as well as Best Director for del Toro.)

"He said, 'I’m going to be in Canada, I’m going to be pretty busy, but anything you ever need, please reach out.' He said, 'I want you to make this your own movie. Do your thing. I will help when you need it, otherwise I’ll stay out of your hair.'

"He was so gracious and supportive, it really gave me the confidence to jump in head first."

Making the Movie

Getting the gig and completing the gig are two different things, and suddenly Steven had to deliver on fan expectations and live up to del Toro’s legacy, while still making this story of giant robots battling intergalactic aliens as fun and entertaining as possible.

Initially, he had planned to dip his toes into feature filmmaking with a small thriller—"literally three people in a house"—he’d written.

However, producer Mary Parent called midway through casting that flick to say, "You know what, maybe this wasn’t meant to be your directorial debut."

"I thought, 'Oh s***, my producer is pulling out, that’s not a good sign,'" he laughs.

"And then she said, 'What do you think about Pacific Rim 2?' And I was like, ''That’s a lot bigger than three people in a house.'"

Much of the shoot took place in Sydney, though, Steven laments, there wasn’t much time for sight-seeing: “I was working non-stop.”

"That was a huge, huge push, with so much to do, and such a time crunch."

More fun was had in China, where the production eventually moved.

"At the end of every day, we were always at the bar," he says.

Steven described it like “being in college again,” except, most people don’t get to share their uni experience with John Boyega, the reformed stormtrooper from Star Wars, expert Instagrammer and, now, star of Pacific Rim Uprising.

One of the most exciting things about producing Pacific Rim Uprising was the opportunity to influence the creative choices. So I put @wizkidayo song “Daddy yo” in the movie. Jaegers need afrobeats too!

Oh yeah... here’s a video of me listening to this very song. Listening ish.. pic.twitter.com/3LIxAkkTtn

— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) February 21, 2018

"Every time he stepped on the set, it didn’t matter if it was a long day, it didn’t matter if the previous day was gruelling, he came onto set like a force of nature, which is so much good humour, and a laugh and a smile for everyone," Steven gushes.

"Whenever you see John in an interview or on Instagram or Twitter, and you see how charming and funny he is, that is him, 24/7. I never saw him have a bad day."

What’s Next?

When your CV boasts a Pacific Rim movie and a blessing from Guillermo del Toro, where do you go next?

For one thing, Steven doubts he’ll return to Daredevil. ("I think they’re doing a fine job with the creative team they have now.")

But maybe another superhero project could be on the cards?

"I’d love to work with Marvel TV again," he says.

"And absolutely I’d love to do a Marvel movie. More than anything, I grew up reading all the comics and I still read the comics, so to be able to operate in that world, or the world of DC, would again be another childhood dream come true."

Pacific Rim Uprising is now in Australian cinemas.

Photo: Universal