Hot off his acclaimed stop-motion adaptation of Pinocchio, Guillermo Del Toro is teaming up with Netflix again for another animated adaptation.
Del Toro will direct The Buried Giant, based on the fantasy novel by Nobel Prize-winning British writer Kazuo Ishiguro. Del Toro will also produce, and is co-writing the script with Matilda the Musical writer Dennis Kelly.
The novel follows an elderly Briton couple, Axl and Beatrice, living in a fictional post-Arthurian England in which no one is able to retain long-term memories. As on Pinocchio, ShadowMachine’s stop motion studio will serve as the production’s home base.
Netflix Film Chairman Scott Stuber said in a statement: “Guillermo del Toro is a visionary filmmaker and master of his craft. We couldn’t be more proud of the prestigious recognition for his Pinocchio, and we’re pleased to continue our creative partnership as he develops his next project with Netflix.”
Del Toro himself added: “The Buried Giant continues my animation partnership with Netflix and our pursuit of stop-motion as a medium to tell complex stories and build limitless worlds. It is a great honor and greater responsibility for me to direct this screenplay which Dennis Kelly and I are adapting from Kazuo Ishiguro‘s profound and imaginative novel.”
Pinocchio spent a month near the top of Netflix’s global film standings; the streamer claimed the film had more than 50 million views in its first 28 days. The film won the BAFTA for Best Animated Feature this past weekend, and is up for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.
Netflix are obviously ecstatic to have Del Toro as a frequent collaborator. Along with Pinocchio, 2022 also saw the release of Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, a gothic horror anthology series that was very well received. So with them giving the director the freedom to make what he wants, and him giving them acclaimed content, it’s a perfect match.
There’s no word yet on when The Buried Giant will head into production. Because of the nature of stop motion, don’t expect to see the film for another few years.
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