Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water lands a December release

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

It's always great to have a Guillermo del Toro film to look forward to, particularly when it's an original story, and Fox Searchlight has just given del Toro's next a very Oscar-friendly release date. It was expected that THE SHAPE OF WATER would hit sometime before the year was out, and the studio confirmed that by announcing that the film will hit theaters on December 8, 2017. Can't wait!

Along with the release date announcement came the following plot synopsis, which confirms much of what we've heard about the film.

From master story teller Guillermo del Toro comes The Shape of Water – an other-worldly fairy tale set against the backdrop of the Cold War era America circa 1963. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of silence and isolation. Elisa’s life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment.

Along with Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer, THE SHAPE OF WATER also stars Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg and Doug Jones, who will be playing the creature at the center of del Toro's other-wordly story. Jones recently dropped a few teases about the film as well as his role in it.

My character is…even if I'm not in every scene, they're talking about me when I'm not there. I am the focal point of the whole movie. They're all having interactions because of me. It is one of the most gorgeous stories I have ever been a part of. And it was filmed beautifully. The art direction for the era – the cars, the clothes, the hair, the sets – it's very Del Toro and very gorgeous.

THE SHAPE OF WATER is set for a December 8, 2017 release.