Mere months after “Pinocchio”s debut, Guillermo del Toro is already at work on his next animated film: an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s “The Buried Giant.”
Under his Netflix deal, del Toro will direct, produce and co-write the screenplay with “Matilda” scribe Dennis Kelly. ShadowMachine’s stop-motion studio, which also worked on “Pinocchio,” will be the production’s home base.
Ishiguro’s 2015 novel revolves around an aging British couple, Axl and Beatrice, who live in a fictional post-Arthurian England where nobody is able to retain long-term memories.
“’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,” del Toro said in a statement. “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.”
Netflix film chairman Scott Stuber added: “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.”
Del Toro, a two-time Oscar-winner for “The Shape of Water,” is favored to win Best Animated Feature at this year’s Academy Awards. Prior to “Pinocchio,” Netflix released the first season of horror fiction show “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.” He signed a deal to produce new content with the streamer in August 2020.
Ishiguro will also be in attendance at the 95th Academy Awards, where he’s nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for “Living.” The Nobel Prize-winner’s works include “The Remains of the Day” and “Never Let Me Go,” both of which have been adapted for the screen.
Deadline first reported the news.
