Guillermo Del Toro has begun production on his new film The Shape of Water

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

The fact that Guillermo Del Toro has begun production on a new film should be cause for celebration. The HELLBOY and CRIMSON PEAK director is notorious for becoming attached to dozens of projects that eventually fall apart or move to other filmmakers. But, Del Toro’s long gestating Cold War era film has officially begun production and now will be known by the title THE SHAPE OF WATER. Studio Fox Searchlight issued a press release that the film has begun principal production in Toronto.

Very little is known about THE SHAPE OF WATER outside of the cast that includes Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer. Del Toro will share screenwriting credit on THE SHAPE OF WATER alongside Vanessa Taylor (Game of Thrones, DIVERGENT). The plot is being kept under wraps but we do know that it is set in 1963 America during the height of the Cold War. It involves a mute janitor (Hawkins) working in a laboratory where she falls in love with an amphibious man. The two escape and are hunted down by Michael Shannon‘s character.

Guillermo Del Toro confirmed via his Twitter that THE SHAPE OF WATER begins production in Toronto precisely at 4pm local time today. He also was quoted in the press release about the project

“I started working on The Shape of Water right around the time we moved to Toronto for Pacific Rim. Working with Fox Searchlight and being supported by this beautiful group of actors and artists, I feel extremely blessed and brave.”

Del Toro is a magical filmmaker but the box office returns for his big budget productions like CRIMSON PEAK, PACIFIC RIM, and the HELLBOY films have been less than stellar. The fact he is returning to a smaller scale film for a studio known for their independent fare instills confidence in me that this movie may be the director’s next PAN’S LABYRINTH.

THE SHAPE OF WATER has no set release date but expect to see it sometime in 2017.