Of course! You didn’t think after twenty years of unfathomable troubles Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote would actually hit theaters without some last minute drama, did you? Unfortunately, his long-awaited passion project is in danger once more, and it may be a while before it sees the light of day.
A recent report from French site France Inter has the details, and it’s mostly legal stuff that is too boring to get into the woods on. But the gist is that Gilliam went to producer Paulo Branco in 2016 to secure funding for this latest attempt at the film. The agreement struck said that Branco would put up the money and retain rights to the film, in exchange for giving Gilliam full creative freedom.
However, Branco never put up the coin and Gilliam got funding elsewhere. The shoot was completed, and a release date set for next month with a likely appearance at Cannes. But now Branco is back and saying the film can’t be released without his permission because he owns the rights based on the prior agreement. Gilliam sued for control since Branco never provided any money, but the judge’s ruling won’t be handed down until June at the earliest. And from there, who knows? These things can be tied up in courts for months, maybe years.
So, it looks like The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is stuck in a holding pattern for now. I feel bad for Gilliam, but I can’t help but chuckle at all of this. It’s comical at this point. [via ThePlaylist]
