Guillermo del Toro’s latest film, THE SHAPE OF WATER, has received a stunning new trailer from Fox Searchlight pictures. Whimsical, dark, and full of his trademark macabre, it might be the most unconventional love story of the year.
Filmmaker del Toro is often reported as working on about a million productins concurrently, so we always take announcements with a grain of salt. The existence of a trailer is probably a good sign. Using the form of a fairy tale, del Toro sets his tale against the backdrop of 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. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Michael Stuhlbarg and Doug Jones.
Beginning with a gentle narration, the trailer immediately draws us into its mythical world. The always excellent Hawkins gives a highly emotive performance without uttering a single word, showcasing a film that will not only be visually stunning, but set to be one where visual storytelling is paramount to the narrative. Sitting somewhere between The Creature from the Black Lagoon and the tiny elves that run del Toro’s mind, this is one to look out for.
THE SHAPE OF WATER is released in the US on 8 December 2017 from Fox Searchlight, and is currently slated for a 25 January 2018 release in Australia from Fox.
