After the huge success achieved last year by Guillermo del Toro’s latest film The Shape of Water (2017), getting all the positive reviews and public response imaginable and collecting a never-ending line of awards including the Oscars for Best Director and Best Movie among others, it seems that the people from Fox Searchlight has decided to make a bet on whatever the Mexican filmmaker has in mind to do next.
Deadline.com reported this month that Del Toro has signed a deal with the FOX genre movies division to have the freedom for anything he wants to write, produce or direct. He will also have his own label, the name of which is still unknown. For sure, this is good news for all fantasy and horror lovers.
Guillermo del Toro made a statement to describe the deal. “For the longest time, I’ve hoped to find an environment in which I can distribute, nurture and produce new voices in smart, inventive genre films and channel my own. In Fox Searchlight, I’ve found a real home for live-action production — a partnership based on hard work, understanding of each other and, above all, faith. After the wonderful experience I had with Fox Searchlight on The Shape of Water (2017), I am honored to have the opportunity to continue the relationship”.
Besides being an amazing director, creator of other titles like Cronos (1993), The Devil’s Backbone (2001), Hellboy (2004), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), Guillermo del Toro has a gifted eye to search for talented filmmakers and help them to raise their projects. Thanks to his support as a producer, movies like The Orphanage (2007), Julia’s Eyes (2010), Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010) or Mama (2013) had the chance to bloom, giving the chance to filmmakers like J.A. Bayona, Guillem Morales, Troy Nixey and Andy Muschietti to exploit their talents.
The first title resulting from this new and exciting association will be the fantasy horror thriller Antlers, already announced and currently starting its pre-production. The movie will be directed by Scott Cooper, whose previous movies include the excellent Crazy Heart (2009), Out of the Furnace (2013) and Black Mass (2015). The screenplay is authored by Nick Antosca, based on his own short story “The Quiet Boy“. Antlers is about a young teacher who discovers that her troubled student’s father and younger brother harbor a deadly supernatural secret. Taking the boy into her care, the teacher must fight for their survival against horrors beyond imagination. The perfect plot for a man like Guillermo del Toro to work hand in hand with the filmmakers!
