2017 was a banner year for mainstream horror, with It becoming one of the highest grossing films of the year, Get Out finding a huge audience and garnering Academy Award nominations and a win for screenwriter Jordan Peele, and Guillermo del Toro taking home much-deserved Best Director and Best Picture statues for his dark fantasy The Shape of Water. Hollywood has paid attention to this, and the studio behind Shape, Fox Searchlight, has doubled-down, offering del Toro a fresh new contract, and a brand new label to showcase horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films.
In a press release, Fox Searchlight says it has inked a deal with del Toro “that covers live action feature film projects to be written, produced and/or directed by del Toro,” which is very exciting; the world is a better place for having Guillermo del Toro movies in them. But that’s not even the coolest part!
“Fox Searchlight is also creating a new, soon to be named label which will serve as a home for projects in the horror, sci-fi and fantasy genres,” the press release continues, “including those produced and curated by del Toro. Films will be financed, marketed and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures.”
“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. After the wonderful experience I had with Fox Searchlight on ‘The Shape of Water,’ I am honored to have the opportunity to continue the relationship. I am more than grateful to Nancy, Steve, David and Matthew for their trust in me and for joining me on this adventure,†said del Toro.
The first film in this new label will be Antlers, “a story about an elementary school teacher who takes in a troubled student that harbors a mysterious family secret with deadly consequences.” This will be directed by Scott Cooper with a script written by Nick Antosca and Henry Chaisson, based on the short story The Quiet Boy by Nick Antosca. Del Toro will produce along with David Goyer and J. Miles Dale.
This is amazing news. Few people have the knowledge and love for genre del Toro has and his taste is impeccable. It’ll be amazing to see what he can do given the chance to curate an entire wing of a movie studio committed to making that kind of movie. It’s a win for all of us! We can only hope this means del Toro will finally get to make his long-gestating At the Mountains of Madness movie, or at least some H.P. Lovecraft adaptation. The world needs HPL and GDT on the big screen!
Images: Fox Searchlight
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. He is the writer of 200 reviews of weird or obscure films in Schlock & Awe. Follow him on Twitter!
Further reading for the horror fan!
- One time, Guillermo del Toro played a werewolf in a Mexican Alka-Seltzer commercial!
- 6 H.P. Lovecraft stories that deserve to be big Hollywood movies!
- The Outer Limits was actually more terrifying than The Twilight Zone!
