Deep in production on futuristic sci-fi epic Pacific Rim, fantastical multitasker Guillermo Del Toro has also signed up to produce a CGI-animated feature tentatively titled Day of the Dead.
Described as a Romeo-and-Juliet adventure set in Mexico, the film will be directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez, who earlier created animated show El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera for Nickelodeon.
With that Emmy-winning series, which centered on a claw-bearing 13-year-old superhero, Gutierrez earned a reputation for creating funny action scenarios emboldened with zippy graphics. (See a sampling of Gutierrez's style in the El Tigre clip below.)
In a statement, Del Toro described himself as a longtime Gutierrez fan. "Jorge has a unique aesthetic and sense of humor," Del Toro said. "Day of the Dead is a colorful, vibrant, vital fable.... The object of the tale is not only to talk about life but to jolt us – into living to the fullest."
The Reel FX production of Day of the Dead is slated for a fall 2014 release.
