Guadalajara homeboy Guillermo del Toro, a filmmaker of diverse, prodigious talents, has another movie set to be released on the horizon.
Del Toro, born and raised in Jalisco’s capital, is part of a small, tightly-knit group of Mexican filmmakers who have made a significant impact on the world cinematic stage. Others in this assemblage include fellow directors Alfonso Cuaron (“Gravity,” “Children of Men”), Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu (“The Revenant”) and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (“Gravity,” “The Revenant,” “Children of Men”).
“The Shape of Water,” which judging from a viewing of the brand-new trailer might be described as a Cold War-era creature feature with a dystopian, steam punk aesthetic, is ready for a December release.
After several massive budget features (“Pacific Rim,” “Crimson Peak”), del Toro says he is happy to be back directing a more “personal” film over which he has total creative control.
The trailer is creating quite a buzz online, especially with regards to its striking visual tone. Sally Hawkins, an established British actress and the under-sung hero of “Blue Jasmine,” Woody Allen’s nod to the work of Tennessee Williams, assays the movie’s lead role.
Doug Jones, who has acted in numerous del Toro productions under heavy prosthetic makeup (the faun in “Pan’s Labyrinth,” for instance), plays the amphibious “monster” who forms a bond with Hawkins’ protagonist.
The formidable Michael Shannon plays the film’s heavy; fellow award-winners Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Jenkins and Octavia Spencer round out the rest of the main cast.
Jones told the Hollywood media recently that he would be very surprised if “The Shape of Water” does not receive any Oscar nominations in 2018.
On a side note, del Toro fans vulnerable to Disney-related nostalgia may find the announcement of his plans to remake “Pinocchio” almost too much to handle.