Guillermo del Toro contemplating new adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches

Guillermo del Toro is considering taking on Roald Dahl's The Witches as his next project.

The 1983 novel, about a secret society of child-hating evil witches, was given the Hollywood treatment in 1990, with Anjelica Huston appearing as the Grand High Witch, and Brenda Blethyn and Rowan Atkinson co-starring.

Talking to Mail Online, Guillermo said he was "eating, drinking and thinking philosophically" about four potential new projects, including The Witches. He also still wants to make Pinocchio in stop motion, a feature he has been trying to get off the ground for years.

"I have given myself until September to decide, then I will pick one of the four and prepare to make it," he revealed.

And his lead The Shape of Water actress Sally Hawkins may well feature in his as yet undecided next project.

Hawkins took on the role of mute janitor Elisa Esposito in the movie, which bagged Guillermo his first Oscar. The film won a further three Academy Awards - Best Picture, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures and Best Achievement in Production Design.

"Every time we meet up or speak on the phone or send an email the word 'when' is included. As in: 'When are we to work together again?!'" he said of the English actress.

The Mexican filmmaker also has two TV projects he created currently in pre-production, Wizards and 3 Below, as well as crime drama Nightmare Alley and a new Michael Mann documentary.