Guillermo del Toro confirmed to direct animated adaptation of The Buried Giant for Netflix

Guillermo del Toro is ready to dive back into the world of stop-motion animation after the enormous success of Pinocchio. Deadline has confirmed that Guillermo del Toro’s next animated project for Netflix will be an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nobel Prize-winning fantasy novel, The Buried Giant.

The Buried Giant “follows an elderly Briton couple, Axl and Beatrice, living in a fictional post-Arthurian England in which no one is able to retain long-term memories.” Guillermo del Toro will direct and produce The Buried Giant and will also co-write the script with Dennis Kelly (Matilda the Musical). In a statement, Netflix Film Chairman Scott Stuber said, “Guillermo del Toro is a visionary filmmaker and master of his craft. We couldn’t be more proud of the prestigious recognition for his Pinocchio, and we’re pleased to continue our creative partnership as he develops his next project with Netflix.” Guillermo del Toro added, “The Buried Giant continues my animation partnership with Netflix and our pursuit of stop-motion as a medium to tell complex stories and build limitless worlds. It is a great honor and greater responsibility for me to direct this screenplay which Dennis Kelly and I are adapting from Kazuo Ishiguro’s profound and imaginative novel.“

Guillermo del Toro first revealed his plans to adapt The Buried Giant earlier this month, but it sounds as though we’re still quite a ways off before we see the project hit our screens. “We start the design process in two months,” Del Toro said. “I’m shooting a live-action feature first. But in the meantime, we’re developing a look-book, and in about two years, if everything goes well, we’ll start production.” ShadowMachine, the animation studio that worked on Pinocchio, will serve the same role in the production of The Buried Giant.

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio has received rave reviews and also took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. It has also received a Best Animated Feature nomination for the 95th Academy Awards, which will air on March 12th. You can check out a review of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio from our own JimmyO right here.