Hey folks, Harry here... And it is with my pleasure that I help set the record straight.... With all of the hysteria over the death of this production, we here at AICN decided to sit back and see where things laid when the smoke blew clear.... and lo and behold, there does seem to be a rainbow yonder. Our dear secret agent in the midst of all this, assures us that Gilliam has NOT left the project for his next film.... that Johnny Depp has NOT left the project for his next film.... that the investors have NOT left and that the insurance company is very much interested in seeing this film completed. So.... read on and rejoice, Dewey didn't win....

Dear Harry

I’ve been seeing some web reports in recent days on the state of play on Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, and, as someone’s who’s been involved with the production, I felt it was time to set the record straight.

The movie started filming on location in Spain on September 25th. On the second day there was a flash flood on location that washed away the cameras, the set etc. – thankfully no one was hurt. This did however cause delays to the production and, subsequently, when Jean Rochefort who was playing Quixote, fell ill, this led to the movie closing down after less than two weeks of principal photography. Rochefort retreated to Paris where doctors tried to ascertain what was wrong with him – double disk hernia as it turned out, something that suggested many problems, given that the movie required him to ride a horse for the majority of his screen time.

After weeks of debate and numerous meetings between Gilliam, the producers and the insurers it was decided to TEMPORARILY cease production.

Now naturally there are no guarantees anytime any movie of this scale closes down – BUT every effort is being made to re-start this film (and any Gilliam fan who has been lucky enough to read the script of this should be willing this to happen, as it’s fantastic – in every sense of the word – stuff!!)

Last week there were reports in the French press, picked up by various sites, that made it sound as if the production is over. This is simply not the case – as of now, Gilliam is working toward getting this movie made, with a proposed re-start date of January 2001. Despite reports last week, if and when the film gets up and running again it will most definitely be with Johnny Depp and Terry Gilliam involved. Gilliam is contracted to direct this movie – there is no way it’s happening without him. Depp meanwhile has kept his schedule free to accommodate this. The wild card is Rochefort, whose health still needs to be determined. Vanessa Paradis meanwhile, who was playing the female lead, will have to be re-cast as she has long standing prior commitments to her recording career.

Gilliam wants to see this movie happen, Depp wants to see this movie happen; - even the film’s insurers want to see this movie happen!!! So rumours of the death of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote have been greatly exaggerated – and when the good Don finally sees the light of day it will be with the names Gilliam, Depp and – spine willing – Rochefort, attached.

Hopefully this will set the record straight

Iam Spartacus

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