Netflix to bring the Spanish-language stop-motion animated film I Am Frankelda to life with the help of Guillermo del Toro
Move over, LAIKA Studios (just kidding, you know I love you), because Netflix is getting back in the stop-motion animation game for Soy Frankelda (I Am Frankelda), an upcoming Spanish-language feature hailing from Mexico about dreams, nightmares, and reclaiming your voice. The studio plans to release I Am Frankelda globally in 2026, with directors Arturo and Roy Ambriz at the helm.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Guillermo del Toro advised the Ambriz Brothers on Mexico’s first-ever feature-length stop-motion production. “Frankelda is a landmark in Mexican stop-motion animation and a true triumph of vision, tenacity and love for the craft,” said del Toro.
What’s I Am Frankelda about?
The project hails from Cinema Fantasma, the Mexico-based studio of the Ambriz brothers. According to the film’s description, I Am Frankelda is set in 19th-century Mexico and centers on Frankelda, a gifted writer whose dark tales are ignored and dismissed.
“Forced to suppress her voice, she refuses to give up, even as many try to silence her. But when she is thrust into her subconscious, the very monsters she created come to life. Guided by Herneval, a tormented prince trapped between dreams and nightmares, she must restore balance between fiction and reality before both realms collapse. Meanwhile, the sinister writer Procustes and his conspirators plot to seize control. As Frankelda and Herneval grow closer, their bond becomes both a strength and a curse. To rewrite their fate, she must confront a love that defies existence and reclaim her power as a storyteller—before dark forces consume her imagination and reveal horrors beyond her creation,” a synopsis from the film’s producers reads. Mireya Mendoza, Arturo Mercado Jr., and Luis Leonardo Suarez lead the voice cast.
Stop-motion animation forever!
Is anyone else getting Corpse Bride vibes from the film’s preview image? I’m really digging the film’s overall look. The costuming is ornate, and the character design reminds me of something from the Don Bluth era, a la The Secret of NIMH, with a hint of del Toro’s Crimson Peak. The plot for I Am Frankelda sounds inspiring and epic, and I’m dying to get my paws on a trailer. Hey, Netflix, hit me up and I’ll cover this intriguing-looking animation with the care it deserves. Stop-motion is my favorite type of animation, and not enough studios are embracing the medium. I’m overjoyed to see another project of this kind coming our way later this year. Let’s go!
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