Guillermo 'Disney' del Toro Dishes on DOUBLE DARE YOU Production Label & More!

Guillermo del Toro visited the DelToroFilms message board today to update his fans on the new Disney Double Dare You label which we reported on recently; and projects in pre-pro or production.

He confirmed today that although books, games and other merchandise will be part of the Disney Double Dare You label, DDY will release "theatrical, high end" animated feature films. These will be "edgier" animated films that could move into "PG-13" territory.

"For those that know me- I am a Disney nut. One whole room in BLEAK HOUSE is dedicated to the HAUNTED MANSION and I have a huge "Altar" (complete with offerings and candles) dedicated to Disney villians. I have collected original concept art for years and own many key pieces of art by Mary Blair, Kay Nielsen and Eyvind Earle, including FANTASIA, SLEEPING BEAUTY, ICHABOD CRANE, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and about 20 perfect concepts for NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.

I have been going to Disneyland once a year or more -many times alone- for 40 years... and I have been planning this, my new relationship with PIXAR/DISNEY for a couple of years ago> I have a plan and I have been carefully pursuing it- and, no, it didn't start with THE HOBBIT. It predates it by a long while. I am trying to map out the next 10 years of my creative life and I'm touching the narrative forms I am interested on. That will include books, animation and games aside from films. I intend to be fluent in those languages and mediums, not as a user but as a practitioner.

Remember, on my early years, NECROPIA made make up FX and animation. I bought and rebuilt the FIRST 35 mm animation camera in my hometown (still in use) a MITCHELL NC with Berthiot optical lenses. I trained the keystone of new animators there and dabbled myself in stop motion and clay animation. This is one of the rare instances in which life follows a design.

DDY has a ratings ceiling of PG-13 and I think animation can move in that direction. With PIXAR tackling stuff like the MARS novels and other filmmakers pushing the creation of 3-D environments and characters (AVATAR, Zemeckis) I believe we can hope for animation projects that can be edgy and powerful. And, no, GOOSEBUMPS is not my model- As I said, the E-ticket rides of Yore are my inspiration, as are Chernabog or Maleficent or the Witch in Snow White, etc I am planning SCARY stuff to be part of the experience. The books will have a fantastic angle- soon to be revealed. Dick Cook and John Lasseter got excited about this precisely because the model I proposed is completely new."

This clarification rules out that the film projects would be Direct-to-DVD releases. and guarantees a GDT-inspired Disney feature film.

GDT'S SCHEDULE UPDATE

THE HOBBIT design, script and maquettes are going full steam. So is previz-

THE FALL (second book of THE STRAIN) is going back and forth between CH and I. Its in Chuck's court at the moment. Hobbit is on PJ, PB and FW side too, so I dedicate my writing time (daily, 2-3 hours before HOBBIT office work) to polish other stuff or start new projects.

"Don't BE AFRAID OF THE DARK" wraps next week. And I have been guarding and caring for it very closely. Its great!!

TROLLHUNTERS will be developed -from the start- with a real co-director that will be in Wellington for the next couple of years so I can manage this without going bi-coastal.

Three of the UNIVERSAL projects have COMPLETED scripts awaiting a polish. We have completed maquettes and prostethic sculptures for FRANKENSTEIN and in the course of next year will start R&D on my lifetime commitment AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS.

DROOD has a scribe (a great one) and is progressing to draft-

AT WB, my script for THE WITCHES is looking for a new director (still one of Liccy Dahl's favorite adaptations ever).

And we can hardly wait!!! For the latest GDT news join the Guillermo del Toro Facebook Group.

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Source: DelToroFilms.com

Actor Doug Jones talks about his role in Guillermo del Toro's 'The Hobbit' & 'Frankenstein'

Multi-talented actor Doug Jones (Abe Sapien, Pale Man, The Faun) talks about his role in The Hobbit and Frankenstein.

"We have not had any conversations about what he [Guillermo del Toro] wants [for The Hobbit], but he's 'wink-wink, nudge-nudged' me a couple times with that 'Yeah, yeah, The Hobbit, yeah, we'll see you. I don't know what I'm doing or how many characters it will be, because he tends to like to use me the whole time depending."

"[Guillermo's] got a four-picture deal with Universal, so once he's done with The Hobbit, I think the first thing that's up on the docket will be Frankenstein. And reinvention is going to be the name of it, because he's going back to the Mary Shelley book and starting fresh with it." So this new Frankenstein isn't something we'll see until at least 2012 once the second Hobbit movie hits? Then why start work so early? "We are going to do some tests just to see, because he has five years to play with this. He's taking that luxury of time to make this absolutely perfect." This is his dream. He was inspired by Frankenstein when he was a kid. It was the monster that made him want to make monsters. So, because of that, it's been [a] lifelong [dream], and he wants to be perfect with him."

Jones goes on to clarify that this will not be like the famous lumbering Boris Karloff incarnation of the monster. Rather, it will be a slender, more skeletal type creature. Del Toro will be going back to basics, and pulling directly from the Mary Shelly novel. The monster will be based off of comic book legend Bernie Wrightson's artwork.

"The designs I have seen so far of the makeup test we are going to try brought tears to my eyes. I can't tell you what I saw, but just know it brought tears to my eyes. I was emotionally touched that I may get to play this character." Jones said.

Guillermo del Toro has already told the press that Jones is his monster, though nothing is official yet.

Check out The Doug Jones Experience.

source: First Showing.net, ComicBookMovie.com