Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula, who serve as the presidents under Fox Searchlight, have let the world know about their newly-proctored multi-picture deal with Academy Award-winning director Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water), Variety reports. Fox Searchlight has already enjoyed fruitful partnership with Del Toro, having worked together on last year’s massively successful The Shape of Water, which went on to receive thirteen Oscar nominations, winning for Production Design, Best Picture, Original Score, and of course Best Director for Del Toro himself.
Presidents Utely and Gilula jointly commented on this decision, saying that, “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 seems equally happy about this new partnership, declaring that, “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.”
The deal with Fox Searchlight will give Del Toro plenty of room to work on his live-action films. He will be given the creative freedom over the film’s production; all scripts penned; and the directorial position. Even better, the company is revolutionizing the banner under which genre films will be made, among those being Del Toro’s future works, creating a new division in the company for such movies.
This new division will begin with the upcoming movie Antlers, centering on a primary education teacher who takes in one of their students, who is dealing with mysterious and terrifying circumstances due to a concealed familial issue. Scott Cooper (Hostiles) will helm the film. The script, penned by Henry Chaisson and Nick Antosca, gathers its source material from The Quiet Boy, which is actually a short story created by none other than Antosca himself. Del Toro will be involved in this movie as a producer.
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