How a pandemic-induced production shutdown reshaped a dark psychological thriller

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: When Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley was forced to halt production in March 2020, the cast and crew were only 45% finished. This unexpected six-month hiatus became a creative blessing, allowing the director and star Bradley Cooper to analyze their characters and refine the film’s narrative structure before returning to set.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro and based on William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel, Nightmare Alley follows the rise and fall of Stan Carlisle, a carny who uses cold reading tricks to manipulate the wealthy elite. Unlike del Toro’s previous work, this film contains no supernatural elements, aiming instead for a grounded, dark noir aesthetic. The production, which began in January 2020 in Toronto, faced a major disruption when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a total shutdown in March. Rather than a setback, del Toro and Cooper viewed the pause as an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the story’s themes of arrogance and human degradation.

The film’s production was defined by rigorous safety protocols upon its return in September 2020, with del Toro even drafting an 80-page safety guideline. The resulting film, released in December 2021, earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Despite critical praise for its visual craft and performances, the film struggled at the box office, grossing $39.6 million against a $60 million budget. Analysts attributed this low opening to a combination of the film’s target demographic avoiding theaters during the pandemic and competition from other major releases.

Following the theatrical run, a black-and-white version titled Vision in Darkness and Light was released in January 2022. The film also found a significant audience on streaming platforms; by March 2022, it had been viewed in 3.1 million households on HBO Max and Hulu. While some critics, such as Robbie Collin, felt the film was an inert homage, others like Martin Scorsese championed it as a true successor to the spirit of classic noir. Ultimately, the project stands as a testament to the collaborative relationship between del Toro and Cooper, who spent two and a half years crafting a story that explores the underbelly of human ambition.

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