The Quixotic Life of Terry Gilliam

Is there any director as unlucky as Terry Gilliam when it comes to production (well, Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo comes to mind, but you get the idea)? His movies usually have to endure numerous casting changes, reshoots, and financial delays. Its a miracle, really, that he ever gets a movie made at all.

And so, just when it seemed like his long-in-development film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote was actually going to be made, a "financial hiccup" has delayed it once again. To bring back the previous comparison, this film really is Gilliam's Fitzcarraldo; both films underwent multiple delays and difficult shoots, as well as major casting changes. And both films were the subject of great documentaries (Burden of Dreams for Fitzcarraldo, Lost in La Mancha for TMWKDQ). At this point it seems that this film will never get made.

That's perhaps the biggest shame of all, since this really sounds like it could be a great film. Robert Duvall is signed to play Don Quixote, and recently it was announced that Ewan McGregor would appear in the film as well. Plus, I have a soft spot for the crazy weirdness of Gilliam; his films may not always have the soundest writing, but his visuals are always eye-popping enough to enjoy. Hopefully, this will finally get made one day. Until then, though, there's his live webcast of Arcade Fire's Madison Square Garden concert to entertain us (unless there are delays, of course).