Acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro supports Sira and the Secret of the Park, a new animated feature currently in development by El Taller del Chucho, Martfilms, and Spain’s Fasten Films. This highly anticipated project brings together creative talents from both Spain and Mexico and showcases a blend of fantasy and coming-of-age themes set against the backdrop of Barcelona.
International Teams Unite for an Ambitious Animated Film
The collaboration involves Goya Award-winning director Adrià García, best known for Nocturna, and Ariel-winning filmmaker, writer, and actor Ángeles Cruz, acclaimed for Nudo Mixteco. Supported by the ICEC, Creative Europe MEDIA, and Ibermedia funding bodies, the film is a Spanish-Mexican co-production. The production aims to create a visually ambitious story that explores identity, generational memory, and ancestral myths, expanding on both personal experience and broader cultural narratives.
A Magical Journey Rooted in Barcelona’s Parks
Set in a sprawling urban park in Barcelona, Sira and the Secret of the Park centers on Sira, a twelve-year-old girl living in a modest hidden home. While wandering the park, Sira discovers an enchanted necklace that draws her into a magical world reflecting her own emotional journey. As reality and fantasy begin to overlap, Sira is compelled to reconcile the two realms, restoring a delicate balance that only she perceives.
Innovative Visual Storytelling Through Hybrid Animation
According to García, the animation style intentionally underscores the story’s duality by blending different techniques.
“In ‘Sira,’ the world of the park is almost a projection of the character’s inner life,”
—Adrià García, Director
“It’s not just about escaping into another world — it’s about making that world meaningful, intertwined with who the character is and what they’re going through.”
—Adrià García, Director
To express these contrasts, García plans to represent Sira’s structured daily life with stop-motion animation, conveying a sense of rigidity and weight. In contrast, her enchanted sanctuary in the park will be illustrated with fluid, hand-drawn animation, visually highlighting the collision between ordinary and magical experiences for viewers.
“Sira’s everyday world which feels rigid, structured and formal might be represented through stop-motion, giving it a solid, tangible weight,”
—Adrià García, Director
“Meanwhile, the magical hideout in the park would be hand-drawn: organic, fluid, in constant motion. The collision of these two worlds will create a unique visual experience.”
—Adrià García, Director
Cultural Roots and Generational Memory Shape the Script
Ángeles Cruz is penning the screenplay, drawing deeply from her Indigenous Mixtec heritage and the traditions passed down from her grandmothers. Her perspective infuses the narrative with authentic ancestral legend and personal mythology.
“The stories I’ve written are shaped by the perspective that forms me — not something recent, but inherited from my grandmothers, from the community I belong to, from the forest that nourished my spirit,”
—Ángeles Cruz, Writer-Director
“That’s why I feel that ‘Sira’ also tells my story — those legends and tales that nourished me as a child, my nagual that protects me, and those things we must see with the soul.”
—Ángeles Cruz, Writer-Director
Director García emphasizes how essential Cruz’s vision is to this creative process, noting the unique blend of sensitivity and connection to the magical that her background brings.
“Her deeply human vision brings a sensitivity and a connection to the ancestral and the magical that we truly need,”
—Adrià García, Director
Strong Producer Partnership with International Appeal
The original story concept comes from Spanish author Aixa de la Cruz. An accomplished team of producers leads the project, including Adrià Monés Murlans for Fasten Films, Claudia Calviño representing Cuban interests, Martha Orozco for Martfilms, and Angélica Lares, who previously collaborated on Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, for El Taller del Chucho.
“We see this as a producer-driven project,”
—Angélica Lares, Producer
“When Adrià Monés reached out to Martha Orozco with the idea, she directly contacted me to start building Sira’s world. We want to tell a deeply touching coming-of-age story of a young person finding her path and diving into a rich otherworld filled with mythical creatures from our different cultures. That makes it a perfect fit for El Taller. Adding Ángeles Cruz also seemed natural to give Sira a voice. We’re very excited to be working with her.”
—Angélica Lares, Producer
Next Steps: Seeking Global Partners
Sira and the Secret of the Park is currently in the development phase, with producers actively searching for international partners to participate in the film’s production. This partnership between respected industry leaders across Mexico, Spain, and Cuba, guided by the creative vision of García, Cruz, and Guillermo del Toro, is set to deliver a compelling tale that merges tradition, fantasy, and universal themes of growth and discovery. Global audiences can look forward to an animated adventure where myth and memory shape the journey of a memorable new heroine.
