In 1963, in the thick of the Cold War, a scaly, bizarre creature is being held forcefully in a top secret, high-security facility where Elisa (Sally Hawkins) and her colleague Zelda (Octavia Spencer) are custodial workers.
During one of her janitorial duties in the facility’s lab, Elisa, who is mute, happens to come across the creature which is little more than a freaky specimen to the evil scientist Strickland, played by Michael Shannon, waiting to be taken apart and experimented upon.
“This may very well be the most sensitive asset to ever be housed in this facility,” a lab worker is heard saying in the trailer. “I don’t want an intricate, beautiful thing destroyed.”
If the trailer is anything to go by, this amphibious man, which was once worshiped by the natives in the Amazon, possesses humanlike traits and feelings. Elisa soon develops an emotional bond with the being which appears to be heading towards love – the footage does show the creature and Elisa sharing an underwater kiss which, admittedly, could be just a casual display of affection, but unlikely.
“When he looks at me, he does not know how I am incomplete. He sees me as I am,” Elisa says about the Amazonian god-creature in sign language.
The movie will see Elisa attempting, against all odds, to free the creature from its captors.
Cast
- Sally Hawkins (Academy Award nominee) as Elisa
- Michael Shannon as Strickland
- Octavia Spencer (Academy Award winner) as Zelda, Elisa’s co-worker
- Richard Jenkins as Giles, Elisa’s neighbor
- Doug Jones as the creature
- Michael Stuhlbarg
- Lauren Lee Smith as Elaine
- Nick Searcy
- David Hewlett
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Produced by: Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale
Screenplay by: Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor
Story by: Guillermo del Toro
Music by: Alexandre Desplat
U.S. Release – December 8, 2017
All in all, the trailer appears to have gone down well with movie buffs. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter.
I can’t wait for this movie!!? #TheShapeofWater #illustration pic.twitter.com/aSNGKFI8bY
— Nipuni (@NipuniDraws) July 20, 2017
Guillermo Del Toro’s #TheShapeofWater looks magical, I’m getting serious Pan Labyrinth vibes. Can’t wait. pic.twitter.com/lprxpBPM1j
— Austin (@AustinCTweets) July 19, 2017
There is no way the new @RealGDT movie #TheShapeOfWater is NOT an Abe Sapien origin story.
— ?Matt Halliday ? (@Ythelastmatt) July 19, 2017
Oh my. #TheShapeOfWater looks absolutely gorgeous. Already obsessed with these 16 shots: https://t.co/hMXnuq38D0 @foxsearchlight @RealGDT pic.twitter.com/MtdqmwHw8i
— Zack Sharf (@ZSharf) July 19, 2017
GUILLERMO DEL TORO DID IT AGAIN#TheShapeofWater pic.twitter.com/5K6jWSiUjK
— drama lama (@pondgitsune) July 20, 2017