Here’s a look back at some of Guillermo del Toro’s most notable made-in-Ontario projects, all with unique and specific visual identities envisioned and executed by Tamara Deverell, last night’s 2026 Academy Award Winner for Best Production Design.
“He’s very much involved in fantasy and not following the rigours of reality and science. He wants to push it as far as he can, and I think I compliment him as a collaborator in a big way, because I pay attention to the more historical aspects based on reality. It’s that mix of fantasy and realism that gets us to a place that we’re both happy with.”
-Watch: Tamara Deverell on her creative collaboration with Guillermo del Toro
1997: Mimic
Guillermo del Toro’s first film in Ontario was 1997’s Mimic, where Tamara first collaborated with GDT as an Art Director. The film is considered a cult classic, and del Toro has noted widely in interviews that he first fell in love with Toronto and Canada while shooting Mimic.
2014-2017: The Strain
The FX horror drama series shot in and around Toronto and based on novels by del Toro and Chuck Hogan, was the Director’s first foray into television. Tamara designed all four seasons of The Strain, helping to shape the series’ visual identity throughout its run.
2021: Nightmare Alley
Nightmare Alley, Guillermo del Toro’s first non-fantasy dramatic noir, adapts a classic novel through the Director’s distinctive eye. Tamara’s Production Design for the film features a unique mix of references from Depression-era photography, Art Deco architecture, and 1920’s carnivals. Nightmare Alley earned four nominations at the 2022 Oscars, including Best Production Design for Tamara.
Listen to our podcast episode on the making of Nightmare Alley with Tamara Deverell, Costume Designer Luis Sequeira, and Producer J. Miles Dale, with host and Director Annie Bradley.
2022: Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Tamara’s work with del Toro continued with Cabinet of Curiosities, an anthology miniseries for Netflix created by GDT that features eight different episodes made by eight different Directors (including DGC Ontario’s Vincenzo Natali). Her work on the series, designing eight distinctive worlds for each Director’s tone and style, earned her a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Production Design.
2025: Frankenstein
For Frankenstein, Tamara once again joined Guillermo del Toro on his most personal project yet, one he’s openly discussed being his dream since he first became a filmmaker. From creating Victor’s lab inside an abandoned water tower to a landlocked ship in a Toronto harbour, Frankenstein was a massive technical and creative undertaking, one that earned her the Oscar for Best Production Design. Congratulations to Tamara Deverell on this huge achievement!
Watch our Wider Lens interview with Tamara on the Production Design of Frankenstein and TIFF’s panel co-presented by DGC Ontario featuring Tamara, Producer J. Miles Dale and MR.X Founder and Visual Effects Supervisor Dennis Berardi.
