Guillermo Del Toro is having a good year. Fresh off winning the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on The Shape Of Water, the monster-loving director has now inked a big deal with Fox Searchlight that will see a brand new film label be created within the studio.
The ink is still drying, but the collaboration between the director and the studio means Fox Searchlight will host any live-action feature film projects written, produced, and/or directed by the auteur, with the studio financing, marketing and distributing any any of the projects under their as-yet-untitled new label.
It’s great that an innovative purveyor of original ideas like Del Toro has now got guaranteed financial backing, and it’s pleasantly surprising in a world where Hollywood studios are often just searching for the next money-making franchise. It’s also great that it gives other filmmakers a platform to get their original work distributed and seen by wider audiences.
The deal is a good one from Fox’s standpoint, and is being hailed by some as a bold move considering the impending merger with Disney is on the horizon. Presidents of the studio, Stephen Gilula and Nancy Utley, said in a joint statement:
“Throughout the process of The Shape Of Water coming to life, we have observed first-hand Guillermo at work as a director, a writer, a producer — a creator. We believe in him and the vision for a new Searchlight label and we are eager to embark on this journey with him”.
Del Toro himself stated:
“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”.
The first film that will be presented under this new deal will be Antlers, a story about an elementary school teacher who takes in a troubled student who harbours a mysterious family secret with potentially deadly consequences. Del Toro will be producing, with Scott Cooper (Black Mass) directing from a script penned by Nick Antosca (Hannibal) and Henry Chaisson (Under The Bed).
This is a win-win deal that fans should be very excited about. A great director gets secure financial backing for any of his upcoming projects while being able to give other talented filmmakers a chance to shine as well. Antlers sounds interesting, but the real excitement will come when Del Toro gets started on his follow up to The Shape Of Water.
#Peace.Love.DelToro
