Guillermo del Toro Heads To Disney

Guillermo del Toro, the acclaimed filmmaker responsible for "Pan's Labyrinth" and the "Hellboy" movies, is heading into a partnership with Walt Disney Studios, launching a production label called "Disney Double Dare You." It's a production outfit that's out to create new animated films that are more edgy and thrilling than the usual Disney fare -- and about time.

Del Toro is known for his fantastic storytelling skills, often coming up with engaging fantasy worlds and gripping plots. Disney Double Dare You seems to be tailor-made for Del Toro's style of filmmaking, and many people in the industry are thrilled at the new development.

The launching of Disney Double Dare You comes off the heels of Disney's $4-billion acquisition of Marvel Comics, which leads many of us to ask -- just what is Disney thinking? It does seem that, with last year's addition of the male-audience-friendly Disney XD channel, that Disney is reaching out to other demographics and coming up with features that can be enjoyed by all ages.

I personally think these are good developments -- after all, if "The Princess And The Frog" was Disney's only major offering this year, I'd probably think twice about the company's future in the animation industry. The addition of the Marvel superheroes and Guillermo del Toro is a step in the right direction.

What I particularly like about Disney Double Dare You is that Disney is bringing a storytelling powerhouse in del Toro into their roster. Del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth" was nominated for six Oscars two years ago, winning three. Currently, del Toro is directing two feature films on "The Hobbit," J.R.R Tolkien's prequel to the "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy.

Great news. Great news.