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Fans familiar with Oscar-winning filmmakers Guillermo del Toro and James Cameron likely know that the two have been close friends for decades. Cameron also came to del Toro’s aid during one of the darkest moments of his life: In 1997, del Toro’s father was kidnapped, and the family was ordered to pay a $1 million ransom for his release.
Del Toro did not have that kind of money at the time. As soon as Cameron learned what had happened, he loaned his friend the full $1 million without hesitation and spent another $250,000 to hire a professional negotiator. Del Toro’s father eventually returned home safely, but the kidnappers were never caught, and the ransom money was never recovered.
(Image source: Los Angeles Times)
The ordeal had a profound impact on del Toro, prompting him to relocate the rest of his family from Mexico to the United States. His father, however, later insisted on continuing to live in Mexico.
Now, decades later, del Toro appears interested in bringing that experience to the big screen. While promoting the 20th-anniversary theatrical re-release of a new 4K restoration and 3D version of “Pan’s Labyrinth,” the filmmaker told the Los Angeles Times that he already has an idea for a movie he hopes to shoot in his native Mexico. Asked why he has not filmed there since completing “Pan’s Labyrinth,” del Toro revealed: “There’s a story I really want to tell, but I want to make it as a drama, not a fantasy. It’s a great story, and I hope I get to make it someday. It would be a kidnapping told from three perspectives: the victim, the kidnapper and another character I’m keeping secret for now.” Del Toro stopped short of confirming that the screenplay is based on his family’s ordeal, but it is difficult to imagine the project was not inspired by it in some way.