John Hurt's Cancer Diagnosis Delays Terry Gilliam's Latest Don Quixote Movie
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- September 23, 2015
- Mark Hodge
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote could quite conceivably kill Terry Gilliam.
Fifteen years after abandoning production due to ferocious weather, poor health and bad luck, the Time Bandits director has seen his latest attempt delayed by another act of God.
Since the news that Amazon Studios would fund the infamous project, actor John Hurt has sadly been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
And despite his prognosis being good, the insurance company has refused to cover the 75-year-old screen legend.
Gilliam's latest attempt at the picture stars Elephant Man's Hurt alongside young British talent Jack O’Connell (Starred Up).
Hurt is now undergoing treatment and according to The Times, the insurance company wants to wait and see how he progresses.
The Oscar nominated star confirmed that filmmaker Gilliam is still hopeful the project will go ahead.
He said: "Terry seems very optimistic that we will start filming soon. Optimism is a good thing.”
Gilliam's first attempt at the film started filming in 2000 and starred Johnny Depp alongside veteran actor Jean Rochefort, who suffered a herniated disc and was unable to continue production. That, along with terrible floods and a raft of other issues, lead to the production being cancelled. But although the chaotic production still haunts the director, it did make for a thoroughly entertaining documentary called Lost in La Mancha.
Fisher King helmer Terry had another attempt thwarted a few years ago, which starred Ewan McGregor and Robert Duvall, because of lack of funding.
Last year, the Monty Python member revealed to TheWrap that he has incorporated his own struggles to make the picture into the latest version of the script.
He said: “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.”
Stay tuned for more news.
Image: Quixote Films
