Guillermo del Toro Haunted by Terrifying Hotel Murder Screams

Guillermo del Toro, the renowned filmmaker, recounted a chilling experience that left him deeply unsettled while scouting locations for the prequel to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Though he ultimately did not direct the film due to delays, del Toro’s involvement in location scouting exposed him to eerie paranormal events at New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves Hotel, where he heard what he described as an actual murder occurring inside his room.

Choosing the Most Haunted Room for a Closer Look

In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live!, del Toro explained his habit of requesting the most haunted room in any hotel he visits. He said,

“We were scouting for The Hobbit in an empty hotel in Waitomo, the Waitomo Hotel. Every hotel I go, I know the haunted room. I say, ‘Can you give me the haunted room?’ Nothing ever happened until then.”

— Guillermo del Toro, Director

This time, his curiosity led him to a room that would become the setting for a terrifying supernatural encounter.

Experiencing the Horrors of a Ghostly Murder

While settled in the haunted room watching the television series The Wire, del Toro suddenly heard intense sounds that disturbed his peace. He described the experience vividly:

“I was watching Stringer Bell and, all of a sudden, I hear an entire murder in the middle of the room. The screams and the stabbings and the crying.”

— Guillermo del Toro, Director

The intense and horrifying noises left him too frightened to sleep throughout the night.

Dismissing Rational Explanations for the Disturbing Noises

Host Jimmy Kimmel suggested possible logical reasons behind the noises, but del Toro rejected any explanations involving other hotel guests. He insisted that he was alone in the east wing of the hotel during the off-season, with no staff or visitors nearby. He confirmed,

“There was nobody else in the hotel, not even the manager. They gave us the keys because it was off-season. And I was on the east wing, and everybody else was on the west wing.”

— Guillermo del Toro, Director

Braving the Night Despite the Unrelenting Fear

Despite the fear, del Toro chose not to switch rooms. Instead, he stayed in the haunted chamber for the entire night, avoiding rest while trying to keep his focus sharp. He recounted,

“I put the earphones back, and I stayed looking at the computer the whole night,”

and added,

“I didn’t want to turn around. There was a balcony and I said, ‘What if I look and there’s something there?’”

— Guillermo del Toro, Director

His anxiety and resolve were palpable as he battled the unseen horror.

Upcoming Work and Legacy

Del Toro’s experience at the Waitomo Caves Hotel adds to the mythos surrounding the filmmaker’s fascination with the supernatural and dark stories. Fans will soon have the opportunity to explore more of his work when his adaptation of Frankenstein becomes available on Netflix starting November 7, 2025. The haunting episode underscores del Toro’s unique connection to eerie tales beyond the screen, illustrating how his creative projects often intersect with real-life shadows.