Jorge Gutierrez Outlines Future Plans at Annecy Animation Festival

The Annecy Animation Festival is in full swing as of right now. And with it are coming exciting new announcements. Including “Maya and the Three,” “Book of Life” director Jorge Gutierrez announcing some of his upcoming projects, while simultaneously giving young students hope for their own futures. The Annecy Animation Festival is focusing especially on Mexican animation this year, with Gutierrez even designing this year’s poster.

Jorge Gutierrez Comic-Con 2014 – photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Wikicommons

The first of Jorge’s projects is currently in the development process. Titled “I, Chihuahua!,” it’s an adult animated series centering on a Chihuahua who dreams of being a Luchador. “But it’s about this underdog Chihuahua who enters the World Cup tournament for fighters, and there’s going to be fighters from all over the world, he’s going to fight tigers and panthers and cheetahs and jaguars and he’s just this little dog,” Gutierrez said. “It’s about the underdog that is Latin America competing with the world.”

Exciting Projects Ahead

But that’s all Gutierrez is willing to share on the series, which is being worked on with such animation greats as Alex Hirsch (“Gravity Falls“) and Mike Rianda (“The Mitchells vs. The Machines“). But Gutierrez is even more secretive about his upcoming installment for Netflix. The most he’s willing to share is that it will take place in the same universe as his acclaimed “The Book of Life” and “Maya and the Three.” Gutierrez teases that there will be reincarnations of familiar faces from both universes. But it’s too early in development for Gutierrez to be more forthcoming.

MAYA AND THE THREE (L to R) GABRIEL IGLESIAS as PICCHU, ZOE SALDAÑA as PRINCESS MAYA, ALLEN MALDONADO as RICO and STEPHANIE BEATRIZ as CHIMI in MAYA AND THE THREE Cr. NETFLIX © 2021

Gutierrez also had some encouraging words to share with students who were attending his talk. It took him 13 years to bring “Book of Life” to the screen. And turn downs from Guillermo Del Toro 15 times. Gutierrez talked at length about being recently diagnosed with autism, and that there are many creatives who are neurodivergent. He encouraged all those listening to keep trying. That perseverance is more important than success. And that the unique visions those with ADHD and autism can bring to creative spaces should be cherished.