After 17 years of pre-production, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote filming has wrapped. A classic tale of fantasy and adventure inspired by the legendary protagonist of Miguel De Cervantes’ literary classic Don Quixote, the project is directed by highly-acclaimed filmmaker Terry Gilliam (The Fisher King, 12 Monkeys, Brazil, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) and features a cast that includes Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Paterson, Silence), previous Gilliam collaborator Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean films, The Brothers Grimm, Brazil, Tomorrow Never Dies) as Don Quixote, Stellan Skarsgård (Our Kind of Traitor, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Good Will Hunting), Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Oblivion, To the Wonder), Joana Ribeiro (Portugal Não Está à Venda, A Uma Hora Incerta), Óscar Jaenada (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Cold Light of Day), Jordi Mollà (Criminal, In the Heart of the Sea), Sergi Lopez (Pan’s Labyrinth, Dirty Pretty Things, With a Friend Like Harry) and Rossy de Palma (Julieta, The Flower of my Secret, Three Many Weddings).
The shoot took place in locations across Spain and Portugal. Gilliam penned the screenplay with Tony Grisoni, with whom he previously collaborated on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Tideland and The Brothers Grimm. Gerardo Herrero, Mariela Besuievsky, Amy Gilliam, Tornasol Films, Kinology, Recorded Picture Company, Entre Chien et Loup and Ukbar Filmes in association with Alacran Pictures, are producing with the participation of TVE, Movistar +, Eurimages and Wallimage. Kinology is handling worldwide sales. Amazon Studios has acquired distribution rights for the US, Canada and the UK, and Telemunchen for Germany and Austria.
Writer/director Terry Gilliam, who has been working on the project since 1989, said of the film, “Don Quixote is a dreamer, an idealist, and a romantic, determined not to accept the limitations of reality, marching on regardless of setbacks, as we have done. We’ve been at it so long that the idea of actually finishing shooting this ‘clandestine’ film, is pretty surreal. Any sensible person would have given up years ago but sometimes pig-headed dreamers win in the end, so thank you to all of the ill paid fantasists and believers who have joined to make this longstanding dream a reality!’”
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote tells the story of a deluded old man who is convinced he is Don Quixote, and who mistakes Toby, an advertising executive, for his trusty squire, Sancho Panza. The pair embark on a bizarre journey, jumping back and forth in time between the 21st and magical 17th century. Gradually, like the infamous knight himself, Toby becomes consumed by the illusory world and unable to determine his dreams from reality. The tale culminates in a phantasmagorical and emotional finale where Toby takes on the mantle of Don Quixote de la Mancha.
The eclectic ensemble of actors was brought together by casting directors Irene Lamb and Camilla-Valentine Isola. Gilliam re-unites with renowned cinematographer Nicola Pecorini (The Zero Theorem, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), who has come on board as Director of Photography.
Terry Gilliam is represented by Casarotto and Ramsay Associates and attorney Tom Hunter, Adam Driver by The Gersh Agency and attorney Robert Offer, Jonathan Pryce by Julian Belfrage Associates and UTA, Olga Kurylenko by Tavistock Wood, William Morris Endeavour and Agence Artmedia and Stellan Skarsgård by ICM Partners, Curtis Brown Group and attorney Lev Ginsburg. Joana Ribeiro is represented by Lisa Richards Agency, Óscar Jaenada by Paradigm Talent Agency and attorney Ziffren Brittenham, Jordi Mollà by Kuranda Management, Troika, Agence Elisabeth Simpson and Soli e Associati, Sergi Lopez by Time-Art and Rossy de Palma by VMA.
