Guillermo del Toro is putting too much on his plate. In addition to the still in pre-production Hobbit (which will consist of two films), the director is slated to direct four films for Universal: Frankenstein, Doctor Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, Drood, and the one I want to see the most: Slaughterhouse-Five. He's also wanting to do a third Hellboy film, is slated to direct the Marvel comics adaptation Doctor Strange, and wants to make the "Citizen Kane of video games." He's also writing The Strain, a trilogy of vampire novels, alongside a screenplay for a remake of Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. Looks like he won't be doing anything else for a while, right? Wrong.
Del Toro is heaping an even bigger portion onto his plate with a recent deal with Disney, during which he will create an animation label, Double Dare You. Del Toro created the design and concept of the label, which will produce more darkly-themed animated films, and will supervise each film produced by the label, and quite possibly direct a few. All films produced by DDY will share a common theme, Del Toro said, but kept quiet on what exactly that underlying theme was.
At the D23 Expo, a tape of Del Toro explained that, "As a director, I love to take audiences into fantastic new worlds and provide them with some anxious moments in the process. It is part of the Disney canon to create thrilling, unforgettable moments and villains in all their classic films. It is my privilege for DDY to continue in this tradition. To partner up with The Walt Disney Studios, with the support of Dick Cook and John Lasseter, is to belong to a storytelling partnership that I admire deeply. It is a true honor. I look forward to coming up with fresh and original stories that will take Disney films in a whole new direction. The emphasis is on fun, and we have some great ideas already on the storyboards."
The first film to be made under the label is titled The Troll Hunters, written though not directed by Del Toro. The film, like all others to follow, will expand into the literary realm.
As great as this is for both Del Toro and Disney, I'd much rather have Del Toro stay a little more focused, so we can get to that Slaughterhouse-Five adaptation before he just forgets about it entirely.
