DreamWorks Animation is about to get a mighty shot in the arm, as Guillermo del Toro confirms that he’s setting up shop at the studio…
Now, here's a welcome piece of news we didn't see coming. Appreciating that Guillermo del Toro has told us before that he's been keen on tackling an animated film, we weren't expecting him to get as knee-deep as he appears to be getting.
For del Toro, who was working with Disney on projects, has set up shop at DreamWorks Animation, and has already been advising on its upcoming movie, Megamind. The news was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, which is also saying that DreamWorks Animation will be making del Toro's animated movie Trollhunters at the studio. Trollhunters is being written by del Toro, and he plans to direct, although he'll be off to shoot his adaptation of H P Lovecraft's At The Mountains Of Madness before that happens.
Furthermore, DreamWorks Animation has confirmed that del Toro will be acting as executive producer on the winter 2011 Shrek spin-off Puss In Boots, and that "del Toro will consult on a number of DreamWorks Animation's upcoming feature film releases".
It's a terrific coup for the studio, which has had something of a bumper year thus far. How To Train Your Dragon proved a critical and commercial smash hit, launching a fresh franchise in the process. And while Shrek Forever After didn't win favour with the critics, across the globe its box office was more than respectable. And then there's Megamind still to launch, with that film hitting US cinemas first in November.
It seems right that we leave the last words, though, to Mr del Toro himself:
"Animation is a singularly unique medium in that it allows an artist to envision, articulate and manipulate whole new worlds that spark the imagination in amazing ways. Nowhere have I found a greater concentration of spirit and creativity than at DreamWorks Animation and I cannot imagine a better place for me to pursue my ambition as a filmmaker: to tell the best possible stories that can reach the biggest number of people around the world."
There's one ticket sold for Trollhunters right here...