There’s nothing better than a good redemption story, and we’re rooting for Terry Gilliam to finally let go of the cross he’s had to bear with “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.” We won’t rehash the tortured history of the movie, but after years of disaster, curses, bad luck, and awful timing, he’s finally made the movie. The picture is in post-production with work still be done, but Gilliam has already started screening the movie for those in his circle, and response has been positive. As it turns out, he’s digging it as well.
Jonathan Pryce, Adam Driver, Olga Kurylenko, Joana Ribeiro, and Stellan Skarsgard. all star in the movie that reportedly follows an arrogant publicist returning to the village where he shot his student film adaptation of “Don Quixote.” He discovers the terrible effect his project had on the town, leading to an unlikely adventure. So, high concept stuff from Gilliam which is nothing new, and he’s trying to keep this excitement about the project at a reasonable pitch.
“Well, we’ve almost finished the cut. We’re just fiddling now, figuring out a few things here and there so it’s pretty much what it is. We’ve got still months of work to do on visual effects, sound, music. But as far as the tale, it’s pretty tight now and it’s surprisingly wonderful,” he told The New York Times.
“I always hesitate to get too optimistic or too excited about the work I’m doing. I’d rather try to stay cynical and slightly distant from it,” Gilliam continued. “When you fall in love with something, it’s painful when it doesn’t work for everybody else. But all the people who’ve seen it so far — they used the words, ‘We’re in love with this.’ So let’s see if they’re right.”
That’s exactly what we want to hear, and it sounds like ‘Don Quixote’ is well on its way. No word yet on when it will debut, but the producers are aiming for a Cannes Film Festival premiere. Amazon Studios will release the film in U.S., Canada and the UK.