Guillermo del Toro on James Cameron’s Role in a Family Crisis

Guillermo del Toro has spoken candidly about a deeply personal chapter from his life, recalling the extraordinary support he received from James Cameron during a time of acute distress. Their friendship, which stretches back to the early days of del Toro’s career, proved vital when del Toro’s father, Federico, was abducted in Guadalajara nearly three decades ago.

Back then, del Toro was still carving out his place in the film world, while Cameron had just made waves with the groundbreaking visual effects of Terminator 2. The two directors had already forged a close bond.

“He’s my brother, we are that close and I love him so dearly,”

del Toro reflected during a recent appearance on the ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast.

The ordeal began when criminals, apparently aware of Federico’s 1969 lottery windfall, seized him and demanded a ransom. The threats were chilling: $3 million within three days, $5 million in five, or, as they put it, his head would arrive in a box. Despite the family’s supposed wealth, del Toro explained, they’d been raised with blue-collar values and had no real access to the money. When the call came, it was del Toro’s brother who broke the news, prompting Guillermo to rush home in a panic.

James Cameron’s Unusual Intervention

In a move that surprised even del Toro, Cameron arranged for a professional negotiator to fly in from England, covering the costs himself. He did not pay the ransom, but his intervention brought a level of expertise the family desperately needed. The kidnappers, del Toro noted, operated almost like a franchise, with the same individuals orchestrating multiple abductions across the region.

Responsibility for managing the crisis was divided among the del Toro siblings, with Guillermo himself handling the final stretch of fraught phone negotiations. After 72 agonising days, the family managed to secure Federico’s release, ultimately paying $1 million—far less than the original demand, but a sum that still left scars.

Reflections on Mortality and New Creative Paths

Del Toro, never one to shy away from the macabre, has since spoken about his own relationship with mortality. At the Marrakech Film Festival, he mused on the subject with characteristic candour, describing himself as a fan of death and viewing it as a kind of liberation from life’s burdens.

Turning to his professional life, del Toro is preparing to reunite with Oscar Isaac for a new thriller, Fury, which he describes as “very cruel, very violent”—a marked departure from his more fantastical fare. The project, he suggests, will echo the darker, more grounded tone of Nightmare Alley, and he seems eager to push his creative boundaries in unexpected directions.

Looking Ahead: Frankenstein and Beyond

Among his upcoming ventures, del Toro’s adaptation of Frankenstein is set to premiere in October 2025, with Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi leading the cast. The director’s willingness to experiment and his refusal to be pigeonholed continue to define his approach, both in his work and in the way he navigates life’s unpredictable twists.