Earlier this year, Terry Gilliam revealed to us that he’d finally rounded up some fresh financing for long-cherished, once-begun, dream/nightmare project The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. He talked about a potential September start date and how he’d had to make some changes to reflect a reduced budget. But it appears he’s still aiming high in casting terms, reaching out to John Hurt as a possible new star.
Talking at a Q&A during the Derby Film Festival this weekend, Hurt revealed that Gilliam has at least asked him about the idea. He didn’t elaborate on whether he was in negotiations for the role, but it’s certainly a promising start – Hurt would surely be a great fit for Gilliam’s universe, and knows his way around the weirder corners of cinema.
Variety has also offered an update on the film’s new progress, but in a dispiriting light, it appears that Terry has once again postponed the start of shooting to sometime in 2015. The trade mag’s story has the director and producer Adrian Guerra kicking off casting on the film, so we can expect more announcements (including Hurt, if he definitely signs) in the coming weeks and months.
There’s also a chance that the pair will be hitting film festival markets to secure the remaining cash they need to get Quixote moving. We can but hope – if only for Terry’s continued mental health…