Guillermo del Toro is about to hit the big screen in a huge way with December’s “The Shape of Water.” The fairy tale drama won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year and is considered one of the biggest Oscar contenders of the season, but you better cherish it because it’ll be the last we see of director del Toro for at least a little while.
Speaking to press at Morelia’s Hotel Virrey de Mendoza in Mexico (via Variety), the filmmaker revealed he’s taking at least a one-year break from directing. “I’m taking a sabbatical for a year as a director,” del Toro said. “I was going to do ‘Fantastic Voyage,’ but after ‘The Shape of Water’ I need to take pause.”
Fortunately, just because del Toro is taking a little break from filmmaking doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing his name in any credits over the next couple years. He’s still got producing duties in the pipeline, including projects with producer Bertha Navarro and director Patricia Riggen (“The 33,” “Miracles From Heaven). The del Toro-produced documentary “Ayotzinapa” screened as a work in progress at this year’s Impulso Morelia festival. The movie tells the story of the 2014 mass kidnapping of 43 students in Iguala, Mexico.
Del Toro also revealed he’s still planning on making his long-gestating “Silver” in the future. He’s had the script half-written for years now but has never gotten around to completing the movie. “Silver” tells the story of a masked Mexican wrestler who learns that all politicians are vampires.
“The Shape of Water” opens in select theaters December 1.
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