Terry Gilliam's Don Quixote Delayed Again
Fate isn’t on the side of Terry Gilliam’s long-delayed, much cherished dream project The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.
Work on the project began over 15 years ago when, as documented in the gripping Lost in La Mancha, the man cast to chase windmills, Jean Rochefort, was diagnosed with a double herniated disc; meaning that, inevitably, he’d have to quit the project. Considering it had taken Gilliam several years to find his leading man, the project was duly abandoned.
Ever the dreamer, Gilliam has kept the project alive – through updates in interviews about other projects or in the continued fascination with Lost in La Mancha – and it looked like the project was moving forward again. With backing by Amazon Studios, shooting was set to start this autumn.
However, another blow has been dealt.
Jack O'Connell and John Hurt had been cast this time around. However, Hurt - as you may know - has since been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Thankfully, reports suggest that his prognosis is positive, but even so, the insurers behind the latest attempt to make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote have asked to hold off for the all-clear before giving the project their backing.
And considering the insurers had to pay out last time, you can understand their nervousness – insurers generally don’t like paying out and, with the rich history of setbacks this project has, you can imagine the premium would be on the large side.
We wish John Hurt a speedy recovery and hope – one day – to see Terry Gilliam realise his dream project.