Guillermo del Toro nearly lost ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ notes in London taxi

In 2004, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro nearly lost the pre-production materials for his acclaimed film, ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, after accidentally leaving his primary work notebook in a London taxi. The notebook contained years of sketches, creature designs, and irreplaceable story elements essential to the project.

At the time, del Toro was facing a major professional crossroads, weighing a lucrative offer from then-Marvel Studios head Avi Arad to direct ‘Fantastic Four’ against his desire to pursue his own creative vision. The loss of the notebook served as a moment of intense personal crisis, which the director later interpreted as a sign to reject the Hollywood superhero franchise and commit to his personal project.

Despite unsuccessful attempts to track the vehicle through the police and the taxi company, the notebook was eventually recovered. The driver found the notebook along with a scrap of paper featuring the logo of del Toro’s hotel, which allowed the driver to locate the director and return the items.