Guillermo del Toro has signed a multi-year exclusive deal with DreamWorks Animation to write, produce, and direct animated family films for the studio, it was announced today by Chris deFaria, President of DreamWorks Animation Film Group. As part of the arrangement, The Shape of Water Oscar winner has taken up offices at the Glendale campus. del Toro’s first project under the new deal will be announced in the upcoming months.

del Toro has had been a longtime collaborator with DWA. His most recent project with with DWA Television as the creator and executive producer of the television division’s multiple Emmy Award-winning series Trollhunters. The Netflix original series is part of del Toro’s larger Tales of Arcadia trilogy, with two more original series, 3 Below and Wizards, slated to premiere on Netflix in 2018 and 2019. On the feature film side, del Toro has served as EP on Rise of the Guardians, Puss in Boots, and Kung Fu Panda 3 (combined global ticket sales for all three standing at $1.38B), and as a creative consultant for Kung Fu Panda 2 and Megamind.

del Toro’s involvement with DWA will extend beyond movie projects to also include working with deFaria and the studio’s artists and technologists on some of their pilot programs that are developing groundbreaking techniques for advancing storytelling on various content platforms.

deFaria in a statement said, “We are thrilled that Guillermo is adding a film partnership to the already successful television relationship he has with DreamWorks Animation. He is truly a one-of-a-kind artist, and we are eager to see his imagination on full display in the family animated feature space. Guillermo has a unique talent for creating memorable worlds and characters, and we believe the films we create with him will resonate with animation audiences for many generations to come. I am personally very excited to extend the long working relationship I have enjoyed with Guillermo and look forward to him also collaborating with us on some of our breakthrough advancements in technology and innovation.”

Del Toro added, “Animation is an art form that has influenced my work greatly since childhood. To me, it’s the perfect medium to bring to life any and all ideas, no matter how outlandish or wild. I am eager to work with Chris and the talented artists at DreamWorks – some of the most talented people in the business – to make these images a reality. I have worked with DreamWorks for about a decade and the horizon just keeps getting wider.”

del Toro’s The Shape of Water won two Oscars for best picture and best director, and has grossed close to $194M at the global box office.