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Guillermo Del Toro Leaves Disney Animation, Sets Up Shop At DreamWorks; To Direct Trollhunters

For the past half decade or so, DreamWorks Animation has become the red headed step child of the animation world.

Save for exceptions like Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon, the studio has been less than superb, particularly while standing in the shadow of the giant of the animation world, Pixar.   However, according to THR, that may have just changed with one hell of a coup for the studio.

The outlet is reporting that Guillermo Del Toro (Cronos)  is moving his animation shingle from Disney, to DreamWorks Animation, and will launch with a new film to be written and directed by del Toro, Trollhunters.   He will also play producer and consultant on DreamWorks’ upcoming slate, including Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss-in-Boots and even Megamind, where he’s been helping to edit the film.

Hell, the guy has an office there even.

That all said, he’ll still play producer on Disney’s upcoming Haunted Mansion film, which shows that this move may not be as controversial as one would expect.   Inspired to make the jump after seeing Dragon, del Toro is going to be a really interesting fit at DreamWorks, a studio that hasn’t really mattered in the animation game for years.

However, who knows when this film is going to happen.   Del Toro still has Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Slaughterhouse Five, Drood, Saturn and The End Of Days, Pinocchio and Van Helsing all on his slate after directing At The Mountains of Madness, so who the hell knows when we’ll see this one.   That said, this is a really interesting pick up for the studio, and may mark a shift in tone and hopefully quality for DreamWorks.

What do you think?

Source: THR

Joshua Brunsting

Josh is a critic, a member of the Online Film Critics Society, a wrestling nerd, a hip-hop head, a father, a cinephile and a man looking to make his stamp on the world, one word at a time.