When James Cameron helped to save Guillermo del Toro’s father from kidnappers
Known for his otherworldly movies, Guillermo del Toro has swept viewers away into his magical fantasy worlds for decades, blending horror, folklore and fairytale into his own unique cinematic style. The director released his first movie, Cronos, in 1993, which was heralded by critics.
Since then, del Toro has released brilliantly revered movies such as The Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, Pacific Rim and The Shape of Water. The director often explores themes of nostalgia, memory, family and monsters, with many of his films closely reflecting his Mexican identity.
However, del Toro now spends his time between Toronto and Los Angeles due to a traumatic event that occurred in the late 1990s, an incident which prevented him from returning to his native country. In 1997, the filmmaker’s father, Federico, was kidnapped, with del Toro left scrambling to find the mighty sum of money required to pay the ransom.
Unfortunately, he could not afford to pay the amount being asked since he had just spent his money on his second film, Mimic, which was released that same year. Luckily, a fellow filmmaking friend stepped up to help del Toro as soon as he heard about the incident.
James Cameron, director of The Terminator and Titanic, became friends with del Toro earlier in the decade, so he immediately decided to help a friend in need. Cameron did the best he could, providing del Toro with the money for a hostage negotiator, which led Federico out of captivity after 72 days.
Del Toro told the ReelBlend podcast about Cameron’s involvement in the traumatic ordeal. He said: “When my father was kidnapped … there’s information that is not correct, that he paid the ransom. He didn’t. We did. But he paid for the negotiator. He paid for the negotiator, and we paid [Cameron] back a little while after. Because it was a really, really harrowing situation.”
He continued, “And he came in, and he took charge. He said, ‘The hostage negotiator will be in your house in 72 hours to help you go through the process.’ He did it on his own. And we didn’t ask, he volunteered. And he did offer, he said, ‘I’ll pay for the ransom.’ He did offer. He is that kind of guy. He is incredibly loyal. Incredibly strong.”
The kidnapping of del Toro’s father was a life-altering event for the director, who was left, understandably, experiencing significant trauma. He even told Time Magazine, “Every day, every week, something happens that reminds me that I am in involuntary exile.”
