Following up Crimson Peak, we recently learned that after many, many potential projects being lined up, director Guillermo del Toro has decided what he’ll take on next. Teaming with Fox Searchlight, we only previously knew the project was described as an “otherworldly love story set against the backdrop of Cold War-era America circa 1963.” It’s set to begin production in August in Toronto, and we now have a title, new story details, and an expanded cast.
Along with Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer, A Serious Man‘s Michael Stuhlbarg and the Oscar-nominated Richard Jenkins, both stand-outs in virtually every film they take part in, have joined the cast, according to The Tracking Board. They also report the title is The Shape of Water, and the new story details paint a perfectly strange scenario. Check them out below:
We’re hearing that the fairytale, set in 1963, centers around Elisa (Hawkins), a mute janitor working at a lab where an amphibious man is being held captive. When Elisa falls in love with the creature, she devises a plan to help him escape with the assistance of her neighbor (Jenkins). The world outside of the lab, however, may prove to be more dangerous for the amphibious man than Elisa could have anticipated.
While most of his features delve into the world of fantasy, it will be exciting to see him return to a mix of real-world backdrop and imaginative creatures à la Pan’s Labyrinth. Add in a top-notch quartet, with more names likely to be slotted, and it’s lining up to be one of our most-anticipated features of 2017 — when it should be released by Fox Searchlight.
As we await more details, check out a video on the colors in his films:
What do you think of the new plot details?