Fox Searchlight has given an awards season release date in the U.S. to Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy film “The Shape of Water”, Variety said.

The film — starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Nick Searcey and Octavia Spencer — will hit domestic theaters on Dec. 8. The film is being produced by del Toro and J. Miles Dale.

Hawkins portrays a lonely government facility janitor whose life is changed when she discovers and falls in love with an aquatic man — played by Jones — who is being held captive for testing. Spencer portrays her co-worker. The film has been described as “an other-worldly story set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963.”

Jones is a frequent collaborator with del Toro and has starred in “Mimic,” “Hellboy,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Crimson Peak” along with the TV series “The Strain.” He also starred as the lead in “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” and in the upcoming series “Star Trek: Discovery” as Lt. Saru.

Del Toro shot “The Shape of Water” in Toronto starting in August.

“The Shape of Water” is the first film dated for Dec. 8. Disney-Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and Fox’s animated “Ferdinand” are opening a week later on Dec. 15.