--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem with 'Don't Be Afraid of the…" description: "\"The problem with 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' was that it was designed to be a PG-13 movie. It was literally a horror movie for a younger generation. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/guillermo-del-toro-986_books_the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the_78173.jpg" --- # The problem with 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' was that it… ![“The problem with 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' was that it was designed to be a PG-13 movie. It was literally a horror movie for a younger generation. I was trying to do the film equivalent of teenage, young adult readers, and when they gave it an R rating, the movie couldn't sustain an R.” quote by Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/guillermo-del-toro-986_books_the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the_78173.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/guillermo-del-toro-986_books_the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the_78173.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/guillermo-del-toro-986_books_the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the_78173.jpg) > “The problem with 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' was that it was designed to be a PG-13 movie. It was literally a horror movie for a younger generation. I was trying to do the film equivalent of teenage, young adult readers, and when they gave it an R rating, the movie couldn't sustain an R.” [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The creator laments that the film's intended mature horror tone conflicted with a PG-13 rating, limiting its ability to deliver true R-level intensity. **In simple terms:** Mismatched rating stifles artistic intent. Key Takeaway Rating constraints can dilute genre impact. Themes genre expectations rating impact target audience creative compromise film marketing Mood frustration determination Type director commentary industry insight When to use this quote - young adult horror fans - studio executives - censors - film festivals Key Concepts rating systems genre fidelity audience segmentation Practical Applications - adjust script for rating - market as R‑rated horror Questions to Reflect On - How might the film have succeeded with a different rating? - What trade‑offs arise when targeting younger viewers with mature themes? A Different Perspective Some argue a PG‑13 label can broaden audience without sacrificing quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afraid Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afraid-dark/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Horror movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror-movie/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movie Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie-younger-1005704/) [Rating Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rating-movie-1005703/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young adult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-adult/) ## Related quotes > [I pretty much lived movie to movie in my younger years because I loved spending money, and I didn't really have a concept of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-dorff/i-pretty-much-lived-movie-to-movie-in-my-younger-years-because-i/) [Stephen Dorff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-dorff/) > [Hey, if I had my choice for social engineering, I'd declare an automatic R-rating for any movie that depicts television commercials. There's a truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-herskovitz/hey-if-i-had-my-choice-for-social-engineering-i-d-declare-an/) [Marshall Herskovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-herskovitz/) > [“I used to be afraid of the dark until I learned that I am light and the dark is afraid of me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-r-silva/i-used-to-be-afraid-of-the-dark-until-i-learned-that-i-am-light-and/) [D.R. Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-r-silva/) > [“There's no point being afraid of your dark side. Learn to embrace it and you might be surprised at how it can feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cage-j-madison/there-s-no-point-being-afraid-of-your-dark-side-learn-to-embrace-it/) [Cage J. Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cage-j-madison/) > [With a tone so rich, I would never be afraid of the dark. Steinway is the only and the best!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-connick-jr/with-a-tone-so-rich-i-would-never-be-afraid-of-the-dark-steinway-is/) [Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-connick-jr/) > [“People are always looking into the dark. We're afraid of what we might see. It might be the dark outside, it might be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-jones/people-are-always-looking-into-the-dark-we-re-afraid-of-what-we-might/) [Carrie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-jones/) > [If she is afraid of the dark she's too young for you bro!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-she-is-afraid-of-the-dark-she-s-too-young-for-you-bro/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy is when men are afraid of the light”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/we-can-easily-forgive-a-child-who-is-afraid-of-the-dark-the-real/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“So you are afraid of what you might find in a dark war of words?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-koukol/so-you-are-afraid-of-what-you-might-find-in-a-dark-war-of-words/) [Zachary Koukol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-koukol/) > [“I was a creature of the night, I wasn't supposed to be afraid of the dark. Not that it was the dark I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-vaughn/i-was-a-creature-of-the-night-i-wasn-t-supposed-to-be-afraid-of-the/) [Carrie Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-vaughn/) > [When I was a kid, I used to be afraid of the dark. I would stand at my door, turn the light off and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-krause/when-i-was-a-kid-i-used-to-be-afraid-of-the-dark-i-would-stand-at-my/) [Brian Krause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-krause/) > [In some parts of the ancient world, the hawk symbolized the sun. Back when I got this, I figured if I always had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/in-some-parts-of-the-ancient-world-the-hawk-symbolized-the-sun-back/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [We cannot be afraid of the dark that they live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burnie-burns/we-cannot-be-afraid-of-the-dark-that-they-live-in/) [Burnie Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burnie-burns/) > [“He became a surgeon because he was afraid of knives. He got married because he was afraid of women. He had a child because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ventura/he-became-a-surgeon-because-he-was-afraid-of-knives-he-got-married/) [Michael Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ventura/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) ## More by Guillermo del Toro > [“Tom Hiddleston is so fucking nice. It used to be in the past you were either nice, or you were good-looking and an asshole.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/tom-hiddleston-is-so-fucking-nice-it-used-to-be-in-the-past-you-were/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [When you work with a great director, you can have a great partnership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/when-you-work-with-a-great-director-you-can-have-a-great-partnership/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [You think if you work hard enough, you can fix the precious things you've broken - rather than being careful with them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/you-think-if-you-work-hard-enough-you-can-fix-the-precious-things-you/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [“What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? A moment of pain, perhaps. Something dead which still seems to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/what-is-a-ghost-a-tragedy-condemned-to-repeat-itself-time-and-again-a/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [If you want to know how to handle a crew, it's great to be part of a crew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/if-you-want-to-know-how-to-handle-a-crew-it-s-great-to-be-part-of-a/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [For any actor to have Oliver Stone call him or her up It’s a compliment. He expects you to be on your toes. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/for-any-actor-to-have-oliver-stone-call-him-or-her-up-it-s-a/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [My favorite novel in the world is Frankenstein. I'm going to misquote it horribly, but the monster says, "I have such love in me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/my-favorite-novel-in-the-world-is-frankenstein-i-m-going-to-misquote/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [I'm a lapsed altar boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-m-a-lapsed-altar-boy/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [“I say making movies is like eating a sandwich of shit. Sometimes you get more bread, sometimes less bread, but you always get shit."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-say-making-movies-is-like-eating-a-sandwich-of-shit-sometimes-you/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > ['Crimson' is written in a very particular style, and it's very precise in the way it graduates into a gothic romance. The souls that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/crimson-is-written-in-a-very-particular-style-and-it-s-very-precise/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [Any actor I admire and enjoy working with - Sergi Lopez as the bad guy in 'Pan's Labyrinth,' or the little girl who played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/any-actor-i-admire-and-enjoy-working-with-sergi-lopez-as-the-bad-guy/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [“All belief systems are elaborate fabrications, if logic is followed out to the end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/all-belief-systems-are-elaborate-fabrications-if-logic-is-followed/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [Studios look backward. Filmmakers look forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/studios-look-backward-filmmakers-look-forward/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [Normally a period movie has a lot of problems with the graphics. They look modern made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/normally-a-period-movie-has-a-lot-of-problems-with-the-graphics-they/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [In Mexico, you're close to death all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/in-mexico-you-re-close-to-death-all-the-time/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) [Explore all 310 Guillermo del Toro quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem with 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' was that it was designed to be a PG-13 movie. It was literally a horror movie for a younger generation. I was trying to do the film equivalent of teenage, young adult readers, and when they gave it an R rating, the movie couldn't sustain an R.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Guillermo del Toro" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the-dark-was-that-it-was-designed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the-dark-was-that-it-was-designed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/guillermo-del-toro-986_books_the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the_78173.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/guillermo-del-toro-986_books_the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the_78173.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c57/guillermo-del-toro-986_books_the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the_78173.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The problem with 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark' was that it was designed to be a PG-13 movie. It was…” — Guillermo del Toro", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Guillermo del Toro", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The problem with 'Don't Be Afraid...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the-dark-was-that-it-was-designed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/the-problem-with-don-t-be-afraid-of-the-dark-was-that-it-was-designed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```