Guillermo del Toro had one rule when bringing “Pan’s Labyrinth” back to theaters for its 20th anniversary: ​​“No damn AI.”

The filmmaker returned to San Diego Comic-Con to talk about the 20th anniversary of the film, which returns to theaters on October 9 in 3D and HDR for the first time.

The filmmaker said he converted “Pan’s Labyrinth” into 3D by hand and opted not to use AI.

“Obviously I said, ‘Absolutely no fucking AI,’” he said, which was met with applause from the audience. “What we are protecting is the beauty and redemptive power of art. It’s not about who gets the job. We are protecting a lineage of art. If we prevent a generation of people from learning their craft, we are depriving them of the rest of the history of that medium, for what?”

When making the conversion, Del Toro said he had two options: do it quickly or do it right.

“I chose the good. You have to dedicate time to it. You have to make each element by hand. A human being made a profound decision,” he said.

During the panel, del Toro previewed a documentary exploring the creation process of the original film, featuring appearances and commentary by Jacob Elordi, Cate Blanchett and Charlie Day.

Also offered in 2D HDR, Cineverse and Fathom 4K will bring the re-release to the big screen, and each version will be overseen by Del Toro himself. Tickets will be available to purchase on September 9.

“Pan’s Labyrinth” follows a young woman named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), who travels to a fantasy world after fleeing the danger of Francoist Spain in 1944 following the Spanish Civil War. While there, she befriends a mysterious faun and navigates the realm of deadly beasts. Doug Jones, Maribel Verdú and Sergi López star alongside Baquero.

“Pan’s Labyrinth” grossed $83 million at the worldwide box office in 2006 and received six Oscar nominations and three awards for best makeup, cinematography and art direction.

Del Toro returned to the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year to premiere a 4K restoration of the film, which was met with several minutes of applause. Two decades ago, the film made history at Cannes for the longest standing ovation, with a total of 22 minutes.