Set during the Cold War in early-1960s Baltimore, The Shape of Water follows Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins), a lonely mute woman who has a mundane daily routine as a night-time janitor in a top-secret underground research facility. With literally only two friends, Zelda (Octavia Spencer), the solicitous co-worker who does all the talking for both of them, and Giles (Richard Jenkins), her closeted neighbor, Elisa finds herself thrilled with the unexpected arrival of an Amazonian Amphibian Man (Doug Jones) at the cavernous corporation. Kept on a short leash inside a confined water tank, the mysterious scaly creature is, inevitably, the center of attention. However, as an empathetic and almost mystical bond begins to timidly bloom between species, the very survival of this rare specimen lies in the hands of an improbable and frail saviour.
The idea for The Shape of Water was formed during filmmaker Guillermo del Toro's breakfast with author Daniel Kraus in 2011, with whom he later co-wrote the novel Trollhunters. It was also primarily inspired by del Toro's childhood memories of watching Creature from the Black Lagoon and wanting to see the characters of Gill-man and Kay Lawrence succeed in their romance. When del Toro was in talks with Universal to direct a remake of Creature from the Black Lagoon, he tried pitching a version focused more on the creature's perspective, where the Creature ended up together with the female lead, but the studio executives rejected the concept. Guillermo del Toro then decided to set the film during the 1960s Cold War era as a way to counteract today's heightened tensions.
After having premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on August 31st, The Shape of Water began a limited release on December 1st, 2017, before expanding one week later. On a budget on $19,500,000, the film managed to gross over $126,400,000 at the worldwide box office. On March 4th, 2018, The Shape of Water won 4 Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Guillermo del Toro), Best Production Design, and Best Original Score. It also became the second fantasy film to have ever won Best Picture as well as the first since The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King back in 2003.
After having premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on August 31st, The Shape of Water began a limited release on December 1st, 2017, before expanding one week later. On a budget on $19,500,000, the film managed to gross over $126,400,000 at the worldwide box office. On March 4th, 2018, The Shape of Water won 4 Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (Guillermo del Toro), Best Production Design, and Best Original Score. It also became the second fantasy film to have ever won Best Picture as well as the first since The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King back in 2003.