Jack O'Connell Confirmed for Terry Gilliam's 'Don Quixote'

After his name emerged in a rumor just last week, rising star Jack O'Connell has been confirmed to star in Terry Gilliam's eternally-developing Don Quixote, joining John Hurt in the cast. O'Connell has been absolutely on fire since landing the lead role in Angelina Jolie's WWII drama, Unbroken. He's also been given high praise for his performances in Starred Up and the Irish thriller '71 (both films are tremendous, by the way).

The Don Quixote script by Tony Grisoni has undergone significant changes over the years, and here is how the synopsis describes it now: A modern and satirical twist on the tale, “Don Quixote” stars O’Connell as Toby, a jaded commercials director who travels to Spain for a shoot and comes across a gypsy who gives a copy of his student film — a lyrical re-working of the Don Quixote story set in a quaint old Spanish village. Moved by the discovery, Toby sets off on a bizarre road trip to find the little village where the student student film was shot and gets caught up in a series of catastrophies.

Filming is to begin next spring with a May 2016 release planned.  [Variety]

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Review: Terry Gilliam's 'The Zero Theorem' starring Christoph Waltz, Melanie Thierry, and Matt Damon

For Terry Gilliam it's been thirty years since his seminal work, Brazil, the first part of his loose "Orwellian Triptych", and in that time he's made it tough to remain a fan. Many of his films carry a similar visual razzle-dazzle, part steampunk and part carnival funhouse mirror, while imagining some government-controlled future dystopia. We've seen it all before from others and many times by Gilliam himself, and sadly his latest film TheZero Theorem is just more of the same, only it makes less sense.

Two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz takes an odd detour as Qohen Leth, a bald-headed reclusive computer programmer who "crunches" data for Mancorp, some monolithic corporation that seems to control everything. It's putting it mildly to say that Qohen isn't much of a people person. He's a jittery, barely-audible introvert of epic proportions, obsessed with learning the meaning of his life. He's so consumed with it that he waits patiently by the phone thinking someone will soon call him with the answer, and this being a Gilliam film it may very well happen. Qohen just wants to be left alone to wait for his call and do his work, but distractions arise after Management (Matt Damon in an expanded cameo) assign him to solve the "zero theorem", a math equation that proves life is meaningless. Something like would be enough to drive a person mad, but he gets help from a gorgeous call girl Bainsley (Melanie Thierry), Management's son (Lucas Hedges), a pesky computer psychologist (Tilda Swinton), and Qohen's boss (David Thewlis). They don't help him crack the numbers, per se, but to maintain his fragile sanity.

Much of the film is set inside Qohen's home, a church of great visual splendor but it's nothing compared to the chaos of the outside world. Gilliam imagines a marketing nightmare-reality where commercials (featuring the likenesses of Gwendoline Christie, Lily Cole, and Rupert Friend) literally follow your every move. It's typical Gilliam and his fans will love the splendor of it, but the mechanics of the world are surprisingly vague. The focus is instead on Qohen and his quest for the meaning of life, which amounts to him having visions of black holes and punching keys on a keyboard. It's not terribly exciting, nor does screenwriter Pat Rushin have an original thought to put in Qohen's head. We recognize his existential angst but never fully understand it; the marvelous imagery proving a worthy distraction from a ho-hum plot. Waltz isn't bad but his jittery Buddha routine comes off as too practiced, like he's trying hard to act how a Gilliam character should act. The same goes for much of the cast who pop in and out with a splash but little impact. Only the effervescent Thierry, in her array of colorful outfits and hairstyles, manages to liven things up every time she appears. Yeah, she's something of a twirling pixie (women aren't represented well at all, by the way) but at least she's having fun and by extension we want her around as much as possible.

The Zero Theorem has a pretty big riddle at its center, but the one problem it can't solve is how to get Gilliam on the right track. It tries hard to emulate the director's most cherished films when setting out on a fresh course would have been the right answer.

 Rating: 2 out of 5

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We'll See: Terry Gilliam Says His 'Don Quixote' Will Shoot Next Year

For more than twenty years Terry Gilliam has, rather comically and tragically, been trying to get his The Man Who Killed Don Quixote off the ground. For reasons too vast to go through here and better explained in the documentary Lost in La Mancha, the production hit every conceivable stumbling block and even had star Johnny Depp frustrated. But Gilliam, whose new film The Zero Theorem hits VOD this month, has been vigilant and now he says financing is secured with a start date for next spring. Gilliam tells ThePlaylist...

Gilliam: “I’m surprised that I’m still this stupid and pig-headed. I thought by now I would have learned something, but I haven’t. So [‘Quixote’] is what we’re working on again. The plan was to shoot in October, but I had to push it because of the [‘Monty] Python’ show. I had to shift everything so it’s planned for next spring time, I have a Spanish producer who is doing deals with a couple actors whose names will not be mentioned.”

After so many disappointments with this project over the years Gilliam's attitude towards the whole project seems to have taken a negative turn...

Gilliam:  “We’re told we have the money. We’ll see. I don’t believe anything anymore....Excited is the wrong word for it. I’m just trying to get it out of my fucking system. It’s driven my crazy for so long and I just want to get it done. I keep rewriting it, that’s key, but if feels vaguely fresh. It’s a very weird sensation, but I do know once I get into it the fun will start.”

The script has undergone some substantial changes and he tells The Wrap it will now be a modernized, meta story that seems to be less about Don Quixote and more about his own troubled experiences making the movie....

Gilliam:  “I keep incorporating my own life into it and shifting it. The basic underlying premise of that the version Johnny was involved in was that he actually was going to be transported back to the 17th century, and now it all takes place now, it's contemporary. It's more about how movies can damage people...Our main character actually made a Don Quixote movie a lot earlier in his history, and the effect it had on many people wasn't very nice. Some people go mad, some people turn to drink, some people become whores.”

Hey, I'm with Gilliam on this one in not believing anything until I see it.

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New U.S. Trailer for Terry Gilliam's 'The Zero Theorem' Starring Christoph Waltz

We've seen a lot of Terry Gilliam's bizarre-looking The Zero Theorem already, which has made it difficult for me to care about this latest trailer even though it might be the best of the bunch. Gilliam heads back into Brazil territory thematically and visually, bringing along a cast led by Christoph Waltz, Melanie Thierry, Tilda Swinton, David Thewlis, Ben Whishaw, Matt Damon, and Lucas Hedges. Waltz takes the lead as Qohren Leth, a computer genius suffering from a bout of existential angst while attempting to break a code that will reveal the meaning of life. Visually stunning, odd, and weighty with some pretty big ideas, it looks like a uniquely Gilliam sort of film, which is reason enough to intrigued.

The Zero Theorem hits VOD on August 19th, followed by a theatrical run a month later.

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First Trailer for Terry Gilliam's 'The Zero Theorem' with Christoph Waltz

It's safe to say that Terry Gilliam's career behind the camera has been a bit spotty, but the guy knows his way around strange, dystopian visions of the future. The Brazil and 12 Monkeys director is in similar territory with The Zero Theorem, and while we've seen some leaked footage already, the first official trailer has now arrived.

Starring Christoph Waltz, the film seems to be paying homage to Gilliam's earlier films while plowing forth into thoughtful new territory. Waltz plays Qohen, a reclusive computer genius who has been tasked with proving the Zero Theorem, a mathematical equation that proves existence has no meaning. Qohen must battle beaurocracy, a sexy distraction played by Melanie Thierry, and his own existential angst to keep his wits in a bizarre world that seems to be going mad.

Co-starring Matt Damon, David Thewlis, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw, and Lucas Hedges, The Zero Theorem still has yet to gain a U.S. release date.


The Zero Theorem (2013) - Official Trailer [VO-HD] by Eklecty-City.fr

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First Clip from Terry Gilliam's 'The Zero Theorem'

Terry Gilliam has never been the most prolific of directors, but the gap between films has been made worse by diminishing returns. Put simply, he hasn't done anything worth getting excited over in a lot of years, with his last two features The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and Tideland barely showing a glimmer of his past imagination. With the arrival of his latest film, The Zero Theorem, which seems to have share thematic and stylistic traits with Brazil, his fans are once again hoping for a return to form.

While it has yet to secure a release date, The Zero Theorem debuted today at Venice, and along with it comes this first clip. It gives us a solid look at the colorful, media-obsessed future world he's created, one where superheroes seem to be an ongoing craze. A not-so-subtle commentary on the current Hollywood trend? Christoph Waltz stars as a neurotic, introverted computer programmer working for Management (represented by Matt Damon in a small role), whose job it is to solve the "zero theorem" that will prove life is utterly meaningless.

Check out the clip from The Zero Theorem below....[Comingsoon]

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[REMOVED] Leaked Trailer For Terry Gilliam's 'The Zero Theorem' With Christoph Waltz, Matt Damon, and Tilda Swinton

 NOTE: As expected, the trailer has been taken down. We'll update with the official version once it's available.

This trailer for Terry Gilliam's sci-fi comedy The Zero Theorem is of the leaked variety, meaning it may not be around too long. Footage of the film has been floating around in various spots for awhile, but now it's all on YouTube and ready to be viewed for the time being, so enjoy it while you can because it looks tremendous.

In what looks like an imaginative, surreal return to form for the director, The Zero Theorem stars Christoph Waltz as a computer programmer in the midst of an existential crisis. His problem is worsened by the the need to solve the impossible zero theorem, which could explain the purpose of all existence, assuming there is one. Matt Damon co-star as Management, who continuously interrupts Waltz's progress, while Melanie Thierry is a beautiful distraction who takes him to all sorts of gloriously constructed locales. Gilliam appears to be playing with our sense of reality once again, and exploring many of the same governmental themes he took on in Brazil. Frankly, it's been far too long since he's done something that looked this good. There are some truly profound moments here along with many of the deeply intimate variety. Look close and you'll catch an appearance by Tilda Swinton, and David Thewlis looks to have a flashy role of his own.

No release date for this yet, but hopefully it'll turn up soon. If you're interested in seeing more, and aren't worried about spoilers, there's a 12-minute block of footage you can check out here.

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Johnny Depp and Disney plan modern day 'Don Quixote'

Talk about rubbing salt in an open wound. Probably the most infamous Hollywood epic fail has to be Terry Gilliam's The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, a production so plagued it hasn't managed to be completed in twelve years. On set injuries and other issues ruined everything, but Gilliam has continued to pursue completion of it. Watch the excellent and hilarious documentary Lost in La Mancha to see just how bad things got.

Johnny Depp was sporadically on board to play a modern man transported to 17th century Spain where he's confused for Sancho Panza(oh it sounds horrible!), and apparently he's still fond of the source material because now he's teaming with Disney on his own version. Deadline reports Depp is set to spearhead a production of Don Quixote through his Infinitum Nihil banner, based on a script by Steve Pink(Hot Tub Time Machine) and Jeff Morris that will set the story firmly in modern times. Right now Depp is only on board to produce, but there's no reason to think he won't step in front of the camera at some point.

It may be awhile before we see this in theaters, but is there any other way to look at this other than as a direct insult to Gilliam? Don Quixote the sort of title that can survive multiple productions coming out at the same time, and with Depp's star power behind his, along with Disney's financial muscle, that doesn't leave much room for Gilliam's to exist. Maybe he can be convinced to ditch his film and move over to Depp's?

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Ben Whishaw joins 'The Zero Theorem' in cameo role

Like a lot of people, Ben Whishaw became known to me in Tom Tykwer's thriller Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. A movie I have a pretty severe disdain for, the thought of Whishaw ever amounting to anything beyond it seemed unlikely. Boy, was I wrong. He's actually been one of my favorite actors ever since, doing great things in Bright Star, I'm Not There, and Brideshead Revisited. He's turning up in two blockbuster films this season in Cloud Atlas(also with Tykwer) and Skyfall, but his dance card for next year is already starting to fill up.

With Steven Spielberg targeting Whishaw for a role in Robopocalypse, the actor is also lining up a cameo in Terry Gilliams sci-fi film, The Zero Theorem. His role is unclear right now, but if all goes through he'll join Matt Damon and Tilda Swinton in making brief appearances in the film. Set in a dystopian future, the story centers on an eccentric computer genius(Christoph Waltz) who sets out to discover the meaning of human existence. His work catches the attention of Management, who try to distract him with a sexy, teenage lover(Melanie Thierry).

Gilliam has never had trouble gathering great casts for his flicks, although his recent stuff(The Brothers Grimm, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) have still been terrible. Hopefully The Zero Theorem sets him back on the right track.  [Daily Mail]

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David Thewlis joins Terry Gilliam's 'Zero Theorem'; Tilda Swinton confirmed

I haven't been the biggest fan of Terry Gilliam's recent films, but his upcoming sci-fi project Zero Theorem sounds great already.  The story fits neatly into his wheelhouse of quirky high concept genre flicks, and he's got a pretty good cast lined up with Christoph Waltz, Melanie Thierry, and Tilda Swinton rumored by Thierry herself. Well now we've got a confirmation of Swinton's role, and a new addition to the crew with Harry Potter vet David Thewlis.

Voltage Pictures revealed that Thewlis has joined the film, which has Waltz as "An eccentric and reclusive computer genius plagued with existential angst works on a mysterious project aimed at discovering the purpose of existence—or the lack thereof—once and for all." We know that Waltz's work draws the attention of The Management, who wish to stop him. Thierry plays his sexy love interest who serves only to distract him from his journey. We don't know anything Thewlis' role just yet.

As for Swinton, her role will only be a cameo, requiring a single day on set. So that's a little disappointing, but any chance to see her, especially in a film as interesting as this, is a good thing. [ThePlaylist]

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Sure Shots: Aaron Paul; 'Catching Fire'; Terry Gilliam

* With Breaking Bad wrapping up this season, Aaron Paul has begun in earnest moving on to the big screen. He'll be replacing Emile Hirsch in A Long Way Down, an adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel about four people who by chance meet at the same location where they all planned to commit suicide. Pierce Brosnan, Imogen Poots, and Toni Collette make up the rest of the quartet. Paul will play J.J., a pizza delivery guy who gave up his dream of being a rock star for the love of a woman, who ended up dumping him anyway. Pascal Chaumeil is directing, with production begin next month in London. [Deadline]

* Another day, another role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire gets filled. Maria Howell(The Blind Side) will take on the role of District 11 victor, Seeder, a character who has a special impact on that of Katniss Everdeen(Jennifer Lawrence). Unlike many of the previous Hunger Games winners, Seeder never took to drink or drugs to cope, instead remaining healthy and sober. When the Quarter Quell is announced, Katniss looks to her as a potential ally, especially as Seeder appears to be clued in to the growing discontent against President Snow(Donald Sutherland). The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens on November 22nd 2013, and we can probably expect another announcement tomorrow.

* Now that Terry Gilliam's The Man Who Killed Don Quixote has been delayed for what I think is the billionth time(please just give up!!!!!), the director is moving on to his next project, and it sounds absolutely amazing. He'll direct The Zero Theorem, which has Christoph Waltz(Carnage) set to play Qohen Leth, a computer genius on an existential journey to discover the reason for existence. Written by Pat Rushin, the story is set in “an Orwellian corporate world where ‘mancams’ serve as the eyes of a shadowy figure known only as Mangaement.” Leth's work is constantly interrupted by a lusty love interest who engages him with virtual sex, and he also forms a friendship with the son of Management. Eventually it's learned that Management isn't too pleased with the work Leth is doing. This sounds awesome, and it's just weird enough to be perfect for a guy like Gilliam. Due to begin filming on October 22nd, this will be Gilliam's next project, making it his first since The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. [Deadline]

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