Welcome back Guillermo - The Fantasy Man Returns With The Shape of Water

Yesterday was a very special day indeed, as the sophisticated fantasy maestro himself, Guillermo del Toro, treated fans with a trailer for his upcoming film, The Shape of Water. Many fans were upset when the Mexican auteur abandoned his directing duties on the forthcoming sequel to his 2013 blockbuster, Pacific Rim. However, now the trailer for his new film has been released, fans may see his departure from Pacific Rim: Uprising as a blessing in disguise.

Del Toro has been reportedly working on The Shape of Water long before the first Pacific Rim film, so it is understandably exciting to finally see such beautiful evidence of his long-awaited project realised on the screen. With a cast including Michael Shannon (Take Shelter, Midnight Special), Sally Hawkins (Submarine, Happy-Go-Lucky), and Del Toro regular Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy), audiences are surely in for something memorable when the film is released this December.

It is 1963, and lonely mute, Elisa (Hawkins) works in a high- security government laboratory set against the backdrop of the Cold War. On one pivotal day, she and a colleague (Octavia Spencer) discover a classified experiment, which appears to be a humanoid/fish hybrid. It is easy to get excited, seeing as the last time Del Toro set a fantasy against a war backdrop, it was his masterpiece, Pan’s Labyrinth. The trailer makes promise of problematic, swooning romance with the added intrigue of 1954’s The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

As always, the Hellboy Director’s upcoming feature appears gorgeously intricate, with authentic colour and alluring visuals. It is great to see Del Toro making something he is overtly passionate about, rather than pursuing a sequel, of which his passion was fulfilled in completing the first film. His ravishing 2015 horror spectacle, Crimson peak, truly showcased the director’s individual style, and that he would not be lost to the Hollywood blockbuster. Although the script was far from perfect, the attractions that one would expect from a Del Toro production were there in spades: lush set design, astounding creatures and creations, wonderful costuming, and most importantly, a sense of terror blending with the misunderstood beauty of the unexplained. Crimson Peak may have suffered from rather flat characterisation, but the trailer for this original fairy-tale already promises interesting characters and emotional depth.

It would be fascinating to see Del Toro to venture back into making Spanish cinema once again. Cronos, The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth are considered masterpieces by many a cinephile - but, as long as the genius behind these films is producing work he is passionate about, there is no need to fear the directions his career will take. His new film looks superb; it is time to be excited for fairy tales once again.

Written by Chris Weston