Winner of four Oscars “The Shape of Water” was released in China Friday, and it marks the fastest time, since original release, that an Oscar winner for Best Picture, was screened on Chinese shores. 

After defeating other strong nominees including “Get Out”, “Lady Bird”, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”, in what is widely considered to be one of the closest Oscar races in recent years, “The Shape of Water” won the title for Best Picture at the 90th Academy Awards. Now, Chinese audiences finally get to see this fantasy romance that has everybody talking.

Based in an other-worldly fairy tale setting against the background of a Cold War era America, the story follows a lonely mute custodian called Elisa who works at a high-security government laboratory. After the discovery of a secret classified experiment within the facility, Elisa begins to falls in love with its subject, a humanoid creature living under water. After forming a connection without words, Elisa decides to help the creature escape the laboratory. 

How “The Shape of Water” performs in China will soon be revealed, however, based on Guillermo del Toro's previous works, including his blockbuster "Pacific Rim", it looks as though he won't have too much to worry about.

"When I was a kid, I stumbled upon the story of Monkey King. What I love is that it's a character who is unruly, mischievous and very compelling," del Toro, 53, says during a recent video interview with Chinese media.

"I was affected by the tale of incomplete people coming together in the quest for virtue or good ... I think that philosophy is very moving to me and it's in 'The Shape of Water' in a way, not directly."

After receiving 13 nominations at the Oscars, “The Shape of Water” won the categories for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Production Design, and Best Original Score. It also won the Golden Lion at the 74th Venice International Film Festival on August 2017.