Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, renowned for his ability to meld horror and fantasy through captivating monster stories, is working on a new project that has already generated significant excitement. Building on the success of his recent 2025 film Frankenstein, del Toro is adapting Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel The Buried Giant into a stop-motion animated film for Netflix, showcasing his continued innovation in the fantasy genre.
The Buried Giant: Bringing Ishiguro’s Fantasy Novel to Life
Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2015 novel The Buried Giant presents a compelling historical fantasy tale that seemed destined for a screen adaptation. The author, celebrated for his literary achievements including the 2017 Nobel Prize and the 1989 Booker Prize, crafts stories that delve deeply into memory, trauma, and reconciliation—making his work attractive to filmmakers.
The story is set in a mist-enshrouded post-Arthurian Britain during the 6th or 7th century, where Saxons and Britons coexist after a prolonged conflict. The narrative follows an elderly couple, Axl and Beatrice, who journey to find their son, despite an oppressive mist created by a dragon’s breath that causes collective amnesia. This fog erases memories of past wars and family ties, raising the stakes as the couple risks losing all recollections of their loved ones.
Along their journey, they encounter a band of characters, including Wistan, a Saxon warrior; Edwin, a child marked by an ogre’s bite; and Sir Gawain, a legendary figure from Arthurian lore. Together, the group embarks on a quest to break the spell of forgetfulness, though the outcome remains uncertain given the loss of their shared history.
This rich narrative, filled with magical creatures such as ogres, dragons, and sprites, weaves themes around collective trauma and the painful necessity of remembering one’s past. The historical fantasy’s growing appeal, particularly following phenomena like Game of Thrones, positions The Buried Giant as a compelling story for film audiences.
Netflix has enlisted Guillermo del Toro to helm this adaptation using stop-motion animation, a medium well-suited to evoke both fairy tale wonder and unsettling atmospheres required by the story’s tone. Collaborating with screenwriter Dennis Kelly, known for his work on Matilda the Musical, del Toro promises a faithful yet visually unique rendition of Ishiguro’s novel.
Del Toro’s affinity for stop-motion is evident from his previous endeavors, including the 2022 film Pinocchio, which earned him the Golden Globe, Oscar, and BAFTA for Best Animated Feature. His talent for crafting melancholy and deeply emotional fables makes him a natural fit for adapting narratives steeped in sorrow and wonder.
How The Buried Giant Connects to del Toro’s Earlier Work
The Buried Giant aligns closely with themes explored in del Toro’s Pinocchio. While Pinocchio reimagined the classic tale within the harsh realities of 1930s fascist Italy, using war and grief as central motifs, Ishiguro’s novel expands on the enduring effects of trauma on entire communities.
In Pinocchio, the wooden boy was created by Gepetto to cope with the loss of his son Carlos, who died in World War II, evidencing the personal cost of conflict and the strain of blind obedience under authoritarian rule. Similarly, The Buried Giant explores how amnesia about past wars affects society’s collective consciousness, a poignant look at how forgetting pain can be both a blessing and a curse.
Instead of fantastical locations like Pleasure Island, Pinocchio featured a fascist training camp where the protagonist wrestled with orders to follow cruel commands, serving as a cautionary tale about obedience and morality. Ishiguro’s book resonates with this caution, reflecting on the guilt and trauma soldiers endure after following wartime orders to kill.
The link between these two projects reveals del Toro’s ongoing exploration of how war impacts individuals and societies emotionally and psychologically, reinforcing his reputation for addressing weighty themes through visually arresting fantasy storytelling.
Current Progress and Expectations for The Buried Giant Film
The exact status of The Buried Giant movie remains somewhat unclear, but anticipated timelines offer some guidance. Guillermo del Toro has mentioned an aspiration to start production about two years after the film’s initial announcement, placing the expected commencement around the present time, given it has been roughly 2.5 years since the announcement.
Stop-motion films typically require one to two years to complete, which suggests that if production begins soon, the film might be ready for release by early to mid-2028. This timeline aligns with del Toro’s known meticulous approach to filmmaking and his expertise in stop-motion animation.
However, del Toro is currently juggling multiple projects simultaneously, which means production scheduling could be influenced by competing priorities. Despite this, fans and viewers can anticipate that the project will eventually reach completion under del Toro’s distinctive creative vision.
With Guillermo del Toro’s reputation and passion for bringing fantastical yet emotionally complex stories to life, The Buried Giant stands as a highly anticipated film. It promises to deepen the genre of fantasy animation and continue del Toro’s legacy of fusing imaginative storytelling with profound human themes.
“feel spiritually torn from Mary Shelley’s mind.”
