Guillermo del Toro To Produce DAY OF THE DEAD Animated Movie

The filmmaker behind Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, and the upcoming monster epic Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro is attached to produce a new animated horror film with Reel FX called Day of the Dead. The movie will be CG animated, and Emmy Award winner Jorge R. Gutierrez (El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera) will be directing the movie which he is also co-writing with Doug Langdale. 

According to the press released "The film is an action-packed, fully CG-animated picture, with a 'Romeo and Juliet' style love story set against a Mexican 'Day of the Dead' backdrop. It represents the first time in almost twenty years -- since 1993's Cronos -- that del Toro has collaborated on a feature project set in Mexico. Music is also integral to the story; the film will feature an international roster of A-list recording artists performing new songs as well as re-imagined iconic songs."

Sounds like fun! For those of you who don't know, Del Toro recently worked on the CG animated film Puss in Boots for DreamWorks, and if you've seen it you can see his hand in helping develop the film. It turned out to be much better than I was expecting. He's also working on several other animated features. I'm excited to see that the filmmaker is going to add yet another project to his list of things to do. Reel FX’s Brad Booker is producing the film, and here's what he had to say in a statement:

We're thrilled to have Guillermo on board for 'Day of the Dead. As individuals, Guillermo and Jorge share a cultural background and love for Mexican folklore, which brings a palpable authenticity to our project; however, as artists, each brings to the picture a vastly different aesthetic sensibility. Working together for the first time, we feel that they bring a truly unique balance to the style and story of the film.

Del Toro added the following:

I have admired Jorge's work for a long time. He has a unique aesthetic and sense of humor. 'Day of the Dead' offers a perfect opportunity for his sensibilities to shine. This is a colorful, vibrant, vital fable that utilizes the animation medium in an incredible way. The object of the tale is not only to talk about life but to dazzle us - jolt us- into living to the fullest. To join Reel FX, Cary Granat and Jorge in this adventure is a privilege and a joy.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this project turns out. Is this a film project you would be interested in? Are you looking forward to seeing Del Toro dive farther into the animated feature film world?