To use the kind of metaphor Terry Gilliam might enjoy, it feels like the release of his new film “The Zero Theorem” has been getting closer and closer for eternity now without ever arriving, like that Greek paradox about the tortoise. It’s now played a number of major festivals, been released in several countries and scheduled in many more, and released endless promo clips, stills and featurettes, but there’s still no sign of a U.S. release date.
In the meantime, however, to keep that tortoise moving—and thanks to the many overseas releases of the film that are now pending—a new trailer has dropped via io9, showcasing again the spectacular, shabby, psychedelic and surreal imagery of the film and the central premise of our hero, played by shaven-headed Christoph Waltz, wrestling to prove—or disprove—the titular theory, which appears to be that life has no point. Could it be that, like the answer to this eternal problem, this film will remain constantly beyond the reach of man, and yet the search for it, the watching of French-subtitled trailers and examination of gorgeously bizarre still images, is exactly what does give our lives meaning?
Or is it that release dates for gonzo surrealist philosophy movies are quite hard to find? We may never know, but in theory, Well Go U.S.A. and Amplify will be releasing the film sometime later this year. But while we continue to wait, enjoy the new trailer, and if you want to spoil yourself, check out our review from Venice here .
Update: In further Gilliam news, the filmmaker just premiered the latest opera he directed, “Benvenuto Cellini,” in Europe, and in talking to fansite Dreams, he revealed a bit of sad, if inevitable news: “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,” his long-gestating dream project, won’t make the fall filming date that had been eyed. Instead, it’s been pushed into 2015, the director saying “we pushed Quixote off till next Spring time because this is all proving to be a bit too much for me. I’ve got to go to France for the premiere of ‘The Zero Theorem,’ then Moscow for the same thing. Then I’m back to start rehearsing the new Python show. I have no spare time really.” Still, with John Hurt now linked to the project, we’re optimistic that this might be the last in a long series of delays on the film.