Dreams News Bulletin: January 2003
Edited by Phil Stubbs. Updated 10 January 2003
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1. Gilliam's future looks Grimm 2. Other projects linked to Gilliam in 2002 3. Gilliam to appear in Albert Dupontel film 4. Lost in La Mancha to open US 31 January 5. Time Bandits sequel "not dead, just stalled" 6. Gilliam supports new French Brazil magazine 7. Gilliam feted at LACMA event 8. DVD roundup - Time Bandits & Fear and Loathing 9. Gilliam performs at George Harrison tribute |
1. Gilliam's future looks Grimm
At the end of 2002, Terry Gilliam began working on a project called Brothers Grimm. If all goes to plan, shooting will start in Spring 2003, with Prague as a favoured location.
At the Gilliam tribute at LACMA mid November (more later), AICN reported that "he is spending the next 8 weeks trying to figure out casting, budgeting, etc. So, he says the timeframe on whether or not he'll do Grimm is 2 months. Gilliam said that this one has the most momentum right now, so that's where he's hitched his wagon for the time being."
In October, Chris Gardner wrote in Hollywood Reporter that Terry Gilliam is returning to "the fantastical world of fairy tales and adventure that he explored in Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, signing on to develop with an eye to direct Brothers Grimm for MGM and Mosaic Media Group."
The article went on to say that the project, which has already been with MGM for nearly two years, is a fictional action-adventure tale about folklore collectors and brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, called Jake and Will in this version. While travelling from village to village pretending to protect townsfolk from enchanted creatures, the brothers encounter a real sorceress with terrifying powers and are put to the test.
Mosaic's Charles Roven is producing alongside Daniel Bobker. Roven produced Gilliam's 12 Monkeys, and has also worked with Gilliam in trying to realise The Defective Detective. The script to the project was written by Ehren Kruger. At MGM, the project is being overseen by Elizabeth Cantillon. "It's a great script, and Gilliam is the right director for it," MGM's Chris McGurk said. "He has a unique vision, and we're looking forward to developing it with him."
A source close to the project told Dreams that Gilliam went off to Prague on 9 December in order to scout for locations for Brothers Grimm. At the time, the film had not been green-lit, nor had it been cast. Gilliam is, according to the source, very hopeful that the project will happen.
2. Other projects linked to Gilliam in 2002
Here is a round-up of projects linked to Gilliam in the Autumn of 2002... some of which may be true...
Blue Ribbon Operation
In October it was mentioned by Hollywood Reporter that Gilliam was attached to a project called Blue Ribbon Operation, for Imagemovers in a deal that was set up at DreamWorks Pictures. On the Dreams MessageBoard, sienel (quoting a Nov 4 issue of einsiders) posted that this project is "a heist caper by Bill Wheeler that has Dustin Hoffman and John Cusack attached."
Scaramouche
In August, Variety reported that Terry Gilliam "is in early talks to direct a new adaptation of Scaramouche for Warner Bros Pictures that will be produced by David Heyman. Pic is romance set in French revolution..." Set during the French Revolution, Rafael Sabatini's novel focuses on a swashbuckler who disguises himself as Scaramouche the clown and avenges a friend's death. The novel, having been adapted by Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle, has been picked up by David Heyman, the producer of the WB's Harry Potter franchise. (Thanks to Jeff Kemper)
In September 2002, Hotdog magazine (UK) reported that Scaramouche "looks set to take Gilliam's unique directorial eye back a couple of centuries with Johnny Depp's clown-disguised hero clashing swords with a moustache-twirlingly villainous Jeff Bridges."
Flickers and The Screwtape Letters
Hotdog magazine continued, linking Gilliam's name to two more projects called Flickers and The Screwtape Letters. "Word is that Gilliam will turn to CS Lewis next and bring The Screwtape Letters to life, with a prosthetic-covered John Cleese as the Devil. That is, if the producers of Flickers fail to sign him up for their tale of cinema greats like Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy stepping into reality from a mysterious screen in an abandoned cinema."
The Man who Killed Don Quixote
In early December 2002, Gilliam was still negotiating to buy back the script for The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.
3. Gilliam to appear in Albert Dupontel film
Terry Gilliam has taken an on-screen role in Albert Dupontel's current project Enfermé Dehors. On the Dreams Messageboard, "Paul" posted the news, stating that Dupontel is a French director who also made Le Créateur, which featured an appearance by Terry Jones, a Python colleague of Gilliam, as God. Terry Jones also appears in the new project.
4. Lost in La Mancha to open in the USA on 31 January
The documentary about Gilliam's failure to complete his long-cherished Quixote project - Lost in La Mancha - is to be released in the US on 31 January 2003. The official website contains a wealth of information, interviews and stills from the project.
Further, an article in DVD Review suggest that the UK DVD of Lost in La Mancha will be released very soon, with a host of extras not contained in the film itself. The DVD will be out courtesy of Optimum Releasing on 24 February. The DVD will feature 10 additional scenes, six video portraits, extra auditions and rehearsal material, full sets of production and costume design drawings plus Gilliam's full storyboards, including the puppet, giants and windmill scenes. Extra interviews with the former Python, Depp and crewmembers round off this impressive disc." (Thanks to sienel)
5. Time Bandits sequel "not dead, just stalled"
John Jankow reported to Dreams last year about the current status of the sequel to Gilliam's Time Bandits. In Hans ten Cate's review of the project last year, it seemed that the sequel would appear as a television mini-series produced by Robert Halmi, Sr for Hallmark. Jankow wrote: "I got ahold of Robert Halmi, Sr.'s office in NY. His receptionist told me that nothing's happening with Time Bandits 2 right now, but she made sure to tell me that it's not dead, just stalled. She didn't give me any sort of timeline. If I find out more, I'll let you know!"
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Gilliam's
article and sketches for the launch
issue of Brazil magazine |
6. Gilliam supports
new French Brazil magazine
A new magazine has been published in France, called Brazil as a tribute
to Gilliam's 1985 film. The director has supported the new magazine keenly,
offering sketches and articles for its launch. Christophe Goffette, the editor
of the magazine told Dreams that he has just finished issue #4. "Terry
wrote something in issues #1 and #2 and will soon participate again. Iit will
depend on when he'll begin his new movie." (Thanks to another Chris
who sent in scans of the new magazine).
7. Gilliam feted at LACMA event
On 15 November 2002, during a retrospective of his films, Terry Gilliam was
interviewed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, following a preview screening
of Lost in La Mancha. Dreams reader Mark Demerais was there....
"After watching Lost in La Mancha and being taped during the interview
for IFC Channel, I can honestly say that Mr. Gilliam is as nice as he is talented.
After the interview the audience was able to ask questions and I was the second
one at the microphone. My question was if he was given $35 million, would his
next project be Good Omens or Brothers Grimm. His answer was that
at this time, Grimm had the most momentum and looks to be his next gig.
"He also mentioned that it looks like he will finally get back the rights
to Quixote and now ALL he has to do is raise the 30 million again. (As
his former investors have dried up due to foreign countries closing the loopholes
in the tax code that allowed them to invest in the first place.) As for Good
Omens, when he pitched in Hollywood it seems it was badly timed due to recent
events in New York. (You connect the dots.)
"What an amazing event though. Standing backstage, waiting to shake the
hand of my hero with the like of Julia Ormond, Katherine Helmond, Jonathan Pryce,
Amanda Plummer, and many more. Working in the Industry myself, I'm not susceptible
to being star struck, but being faced with all these amazing actors from the
world Gilliam was just incredible. As this gang's conversation of where to go
eat (which turned into 10 minute debate) finally came to a close, I got my chance
to catch Mr. Gilliam's eye and shake his hand. It's a wonderful feeling when
your hero lives up to the unobtainable vision that you have of them in your
mind's eye."
An AICN contributor called "T. Azimuth Schwitters" was also at the
event. In his letter to Harry, he said,
"Tonight at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art there was a screening
of Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe's excellent Lost In La Mancha, which was
followed by Elvis Mitchell (America's dullest interviewer) talking to the one,
the only, Mr. Terry Gilliam! While Mitchell spent WAY too much time re-hashing
all the stories we all know re: Brazil, Munchausen etc, there
were some interesting tidbits about the present and future of the MAN. First
off, Gilliam says that he's hoping that in about a month he may have regained
the rights to Quixote, which are now owned by the insurance company.
In regards to Good Omens he said that two factors squelched this flick:
"1. Pitching an armageddon comedy in Nov. of 2001 was a matter of bad timing
and 2. the studios are interested in their own in-house projects and not in
those projects brought in from the outside."
8. DVD roundup - Time Bandits & Fear and Loathing
Criterion is to release a feature-packed DVD of Fear and Loathing in Las
Vegas in the USA on 28 Jan 2003. Advertised contents are:
* Two commentary tracks: director Terry Gilliam; stars Johnny Depp and Benicio
Del Toro and producer Laila Nabulsi
* Audio interview with Hunter S. Thompson
* Deleted scenes, with commentary by Terry Gilliam
* Collection of storyboards and production designs
* Collection of original artwork by famed illustrator Ralph Steadman
* Fear and Loathing on the Road to Hollywood: A BBC feature documentary
with Hunter S. Thompson and Ralph Steadman
* A selection of Hunter S. Thompson correspondence, read on-camera by Johnny
Depp
* Rare material on Oscar Zeta Acosta, the attorney on whom the character Dr.
Gonzo is based
* Stills gallery
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The Criterion Fear and Loathing
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The UK Time Bandits DVD release
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On 1 October 2002,
Anchor Bay UK released a Region 2 Time Bandits DVD. It contains all of
the Criterion extras, and more. Its contents are as follows:
* 5.1 surround sound
* Trailer
* Scrapbook
* Biographies: Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, David Rappaport, Sean Connery
* Film Notes
* Dream Facts
* Production Photo Gallery
* Missing Scene
* Storyboard Extracts
* Interview with Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin
The makers of the disk admitted to Dreams that the inclusion of "Dream
Facts" was influenced by this very website. An amazon.co.uk customer commented:
"Whilst the film is indeed a fantastic film and a must have for all Terry
Gilliam fans, I thought other customers might want to know that the second half
of the film suffers from some of the worst lip synchronisation I've ever seen."
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Terry Gilliam was one of the many performers at the George Harrison tribute concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002. The film director performed Sit on My Face and The Lumberjack Song with Neil Innes and former Monty Python members Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. At Beatles website abbeyrd, contributor Paul, from Cumbria, reported:
"Monty Python came on to start the second half and did Sit On My Face. Neil Innes was there instead of John Cleese. They all had waiters aprons on and no trousers and mooned the audience after the song as they bowed to George's picture. Michael Palin gave a classic Monty Python speech about how great it was to be here to honour such a great man. Then he sang The Lumberjack Song with a backing chorus of about 14 Mounties, one of which I've since learnt was Tom Hanks. After they finished they saluted the audience, then the picture of George and ran off stage.
Above, this Rex Features photo by Richard Young captures Michael Palin with Carol Cleveland and Python members Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Eric Idle - with Tom Hanks on the end.
Dreams welcomes contributions. If you wish to send relevant comment, letters, analysis, news - then please email me. Thank you to everyone who has emailed - keep in touch. Tell me what you think of Dreams, good or bad. Send your comments to me at phil@smart.co.uk
Dreams is one of the smart.co.uk family of websites. Phil Stubbs, Edinburgh. January 2003.