The Book of Life
“Two worlds. One love.”
Synopsis
The journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Book of Life - Xibalba Breakdown
Type: Behind the Scenes • Published 2026-01-22
Top Cast
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Diego Luna
Manolo (voice)
Zoe Saldaña
Maria (voice)
Channing Tatum
Joaquin (voice)
Ron Perlman
Xibalba (voice)
Christina Applegate
Mary Beth (voice)
Ice Cube
Candle Maker (voice)
Kate del Castillo
La Muerte (voice)
Héctor Elizondo
Carlos Sanchez (voice)
Danny Trejo
Skeleton Luis (voice)
Carlos Alazraqui
General Posada / Dali / Chuy (voice)
Ana de la Reguera
Skeleton Carmen (voice)
Emil-Bastien Bouffard
Young Manolo (voice)
Elijah Rodriguez
Young Joaquin (voice)
Genesis Ochoa
Young Maria (voice)
Plácido Domingo
Skeleton Jorge (voice)
Jorge R. Gutierrez
Skeleton Carmelo (voice)
Eugenio Derbez
Chato (voice)
Gabriel Iglesias
Pepe Rodriguez (voice)
Release History & Theatrical Window
October 17, 2014
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 27, 2015
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$50M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$97.4M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.95x
+$47.4M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Jorge R. Gutierrez
- Screenplay & Story
- Jorge R. Gutierrez, Doug Langdale, Ricardo Curtis
- Original Score
- Gustavo Santaolalla
- Original Title
- The Book of Life
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 35m
- Production Budget
- $50M
- Worldwide Gross
- $97.4M
- Production Studios
- Reel FX Creative Studios, 20th Century Fox Animation, Chatrone
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Jorge R. Gutierrez
Jorge R. Gutierrez, Doug Langdale, Ricardo Curtis
Gustavo Santaolalla
Ahren Shaw
Guillermo del Toro, Brad Booker, Carina Schulze, Aron Warner, Aaron Berger
Department Leadership Roster
Guillermo del Toro
Producer
Jorge R. Gutierrez
Director
Jorge R. Gutierrez
Writer
Doug Langdale
Writer
Ahren Shaw
Editor
Gustavo Santaolalla
Original Music Composer
Brad Booker
Producer
Simon Valdimir Varela
Production Design
Carina Schulze
Producer
Paul Sullivan
Production Design
Aaron Berger
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
PG: Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
International Certification Matrix
Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Book of Life.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Book of Life.
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Letterboxd's Top 250 Animated Films
Letterboxd's official Top 250 Animated Feature Films, ranked by average member rating. Letterboxd 官方 Top 250 最佳动画长片榜单： 根据平台用户的平均评分进行排序。入选影片必须为动画长片，且排除了无法独立观看的剧集衍生剧场版。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:35:36 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Book of Life
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Book of Life about?
The journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears.
Who directed The Book of Life?
The Book of Life was directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez.
Who stars in The Book of Life?
The principal cast of The Book of Life includes Diego Luna, Zoe Saldaña, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate.
When was The Book of Life released and how long is it?
The Book of Life was released in 2014 with a total runtime of 1h 35m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Book of Life?
The Book of Life had a reported production budget of $50M and grossed $97.4M at the worldwide box office (1.95 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for The Book of Life?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Book of Life was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Book of Life?
The Book of Life holds official age classifications: AU: PG (Parental Guidance — Recommended for mature viewers.); DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.); US: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested — May contain mild violence or suggestive material.).