Guillermo del Toro Inks Exclusive DreamWorks Animation Feature Deal

Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has signed a multi-year exclusive deal with DreamWorks Animation to write, produce and direct animated family films, and has taken offices at the studio’s Glendale, Calif. Campus. The announcement was made Thursday by Chris deFaria, President of DreamWorks Animation Film Group.

A longtime collaborator with the studio, del Toro most recently teamed with DreamWorks Animation Television (headed by Margie Cohn) as the creator and executive producer of the multiple Emmy Award-winning series Trollhunters. The Netflix original series is part of del Toro’s larger Tales of Arcadia trilogy, with two more original series, 3 Below and Wizards, slated to premiere on Netflix in 2018 and 2019. On the feature film side, del Toro has served as an executive producer for Rise of the Guardians, Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda 3, and as a creative consultant for Kung Fu Panda 2 and Megamind.

“We are thrilled that Guillermo is adding a film partnership to the already successful television relationship he has with DreamWorks Animation. He is truly a one-of-a-kind artist, and we are eager to see his imagination on full display in the family animated feature space,” deFaria stated. “Guillermo has a unique talent for creating memorable worlds and characters, and we believe the films we create with him will resonate with animation audiences for many generations to come. I am personally very excited to extend the long working relationship I have enjoyed with Guillermo and look forward to him also collaborating with us on some of our breakthrough advancements in technology and innovation.”

Del Toro added, “Animation is an art form that has influenced my work greatly since childhood. To me, it’s the perfect medium to bring to life any and all ideas, no matter how outlandish or wild. I am eager to work with Chris and the talented artists at DreamWorks – some of the most talented people in the business – to make these images a reality. I have worked with DreamWorks for about a decade and the horizon just keeps getting wider.”

Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican filmmaker whose The Shape of Water, won four Academy Awards this year including Best Picture and Best Director, after receiving an impressive 13 nominations. Del Toro’s films have alternated between Spanish-language and mainstream American films, creating a diverse body of work across many genres from fantasy and science fiction, to action, horror and the supernatural. An acclaimed writer, director and producer, del Toro’s credits also include such notable films as Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Pacific Rim, The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Book of Life and Blade II.

Guillermo del Toro hoists his two awards for The Shape of Water at the 2018 Oscars. [© Photo AFP, Frederic J. Brown]