The Devil's Backbone
“What is a ghost?”
Spain, 1939. In the last days of the Spanish Civil War, the young Carlos arrives at the Santa Lucía orphanage, where he will make friends and enemies as he follows the quiet footsteps of a mysterious presence eager for revenge.
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Cast
16 people
Marisa Paredes
Carmen
Known for
Life Is Beautiful
The Skin I Live In
Eduardo Noriega
Jacinto
Known for
Open Your Eyes
Beauty and the Beast
Federico Luppi
Dr. Casares
Known for
Cronos
Fermat's Room
Fernando Tielve
Carlos
Known for
The Boarding School
Goya's Ghosts
Íñigo Garcés
Jaime
Also in
Pan's Labyrinth
Secrets of the Heart
Irene Visedo
Conchita
Known for
Cuéntame cómo pasó
José Manuel Lorenzo
Marcelo
Also in
Gipsy
Don't Tempt Me
Francisco Maestre
'El Puerco'
Known for
Bad Education
Mutant Action
Junio Valverde
Santi
Known for
Shiver
Chef's Special
Berta Ojea
Alma
Known for
The Women on the 6th Floor
Mortadelo & Filemon: The Big Adventure
Adrián Lamana
Gálvez
Known for
Isabel
Daniel Esparza
Marcos
Also in
Onán
Happy People
Guillermo del Toro Director · Antonio Trashorras Screenplay David Muñoz Screenplay
Worldwide gross $6.6M · Budget $4.5M · United States release September 2, 2001
Box office
Budget
$4,500,000
Worldwide gross
$6,582,065
Gross vs. budget
1.5×
Production
Tequila Gang
Production
Anhelo Productions
Production
El Deseo
Production
StudioCanal
Studio · Production
Producciones Anhelo
Production
Sogepaq
Production
Spain · Mexico
Produced in
Languages
Original title
El espinazo del diablo
Original language
Spanish
Spoken on screen
Spanish
Release dates
Belgium · April 20, 2001
Limited theatrical
Spain · April 20, 2001
Theatrical
United States · September 2, 2001
Premiere · Telluride Film Festival
Australia
May 16, 2002 · Theatrical
Canada
September 9, 2001 · Premiere · Toronto International Film Festival
France
May 8, 2002 · Theatrical
Germany
July 28, 2002 · Premiere · München Fantasy Filmfest
Greece
September 19, 2001 · Premiere · Athens Film Festival
Mexico
October 19, 2001 · Theatrical
Portugal
November 22, 2002 · Theatrical
Russia
February 1, 2007 · Limited theatrical
Switzerland
August 1, 2001 · Digital
United Kingdom
November 30, 2001 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.