'Shape of Water,' 'Better Call Saul' Scribes to Be Honored With PEN Center USA Writing Awards (Exclusive)

They will be feted at the 27th Annual Literary Awards Festival, set for Oct. 27 in Beverly Hills.

The Shape of Water screenwriters Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor will be honored Oct. 27 with the 2017 PEN Center USA Screenplay Awards.

In addition, Better Call Saul writer Thomas Schnauz will receive the Teleplay Award at the event, taking place at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

The Shape of Water, which del Toro also directed, is a romantic fantasy film that tells the story of Elisa, a mute, isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a hidden, high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore. Elisa's life changes forever when she discovers the lab's classified secret — a scaled creature from South America with whom Elisa develops a bond. The film will hit the big screen Dec. 8.

TV writer-producer Thomas Schnauz will be honored with the Teleplay Award for his writing on "Expenses,” a season three episode of AMC's Better Call Saul. The episode aired May 22.

Better Call Saul follows the transformation of small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkick), into ace attorney Saul Goodman, whose star client, Breaking Bad’s Walter White, leaned on Goodman to help run a meth empire in New Mexico.

The awards will be handed out during the 27th Annual Literary Awards Festival. Nick Offerman is set to host.