The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Archives - The Playlist

Uh Oh: Ewan McGregor Says ‘Don Quixote’ Not 100% Confirmed?

Edward Davis — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:37:00 +0000

Oh dear. Terry Gilliam just broke the curse of La Mancha – did he not? – by casting Ewan McGregor as Johnny Depp’s replacement in the long-gestating, passion project, “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote?” (which of course was infamously scuttled due to several acts of god, bad luck, hex’s, etc. and all of it was heartbreakingly documented in the 2002 documentary, “Lost In La Mancha“).

Mmm, seemingly like all announcements these days, it may have been slightly premature.

Continue reading Uh Oh: Ewan McGregor Says ‘Don Quixote’ Not 100% Confirmed? at The Playlist.

Terry Gilliam To Make Opera Debut In London, ‘Man Who Killed Don Quixote’ To Shoot This Summer?

Oliver Lyttelton — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:47:00 +0000

Terry Gilliam is set to cause a real stir in making his opera debut with Berlioz’s “The Damnation of Faust” at the English National Opera in London next year, as is Mike Figgis (“Internal Affairs,” “Timecode”) who’s going to be directing the rarely-performed “Lucrezia Borgia” by Donizetti

Berlioz’s opera centers on the titular Faust as he sells his soul to Mephistopheles, so there’s a direct parallel with Gilliam’s 2009 effort “Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus” which saw Tom Waits playing a Satanic figure named Dr.

Continue reading Terry Gilliam To Make Opera Debut In London, ‘Man Who Killed Don Quixote’ To Shoot This Summer? at The Playlist.

Weekend Box Office: Technology Beats ‘Book of Eli’ With ‘Avatar’ On Top

Gabe Toro — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:06:00 +0000

It’s the age of the Kindle, people. How else to explain Denzel Washington‘s plea for literacy, “Book of Eli,” failing to unseat the “Avatar!” juggernaut? Like “Sherlock Holmes” before it, “Book” won the Friday matchup with James Cameron‘s 3D Blue Native American epic, but IMAX prices goosed the film to an eventual weekend win, and a surely robust total after the four day Martin Luther King weekend.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: Technology Beats ‘Book of Eli’ With ‘Avatar’ On Top at The Playlist.

Weekend Box Office: ‘Sherlock’ Fails To Solve The Mystery Appeal Of ‘Avatar’

Gabe Toro — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 17:44:00 +0000

So… “Avatar.” You like it, you really really like it. After a solid opening weekend in 3D box office terms, the film dropped only 2.6% from last period’s intake, winning with a superspectacular $75 million, the best second weekend in history, and a ten day total of $212 mil. Hooray for megabudgeted anti-corporation big blockbusters made by big corporations! “Avatar” has connected big time, and with more holidays off and word of mouth spreading (“I don’t remember what it was about but… blue things!”), it’s got a shot at $300 million by next weekend and at least a $400 domestic take.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: ‘Sherlock’ Fails To Solve The Mystery Appeal Of ‘Avatar’ at The Playlist.

New U.S. Trailer For ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus,’ Plus Gilliam Q&A From TIFF ’09

Rodrigo Perez — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:53:00 +0000

A new U.S. trailer for Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus,” has arrived and it’s pretty much the same as the last one and speaks for itself. If you like this sort of thing — goofy, in our minds — more power to you. We saw it at TIFF and didn’t care for it much, not because it is silly (silly can be fine if executed properly), but basically because it’s just a bit shambolic and slightly incomprehensible.

Continue reading New U.S. Trailer For ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus,’ Plus Gilliam Q&A From TIFF ’09 at The Playlist.

TIFF Review ’09: ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’

Rodrigo Perez — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:50:00 +0000

Yes, we’re finishing up our TIFF reviews this week. Still a few more to come, we’re behind.

If Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” saw a lukewarm reception in the U.S. — or least the studios, no one bigger than the fine Sony Pictures Classics seemed to really want it — that is not the case in Toronto, where the film, which features the last performance of the late Heath Ledger, was one of the first at TIFF this year to completely sell out; and tickets were not easy to come by, seriously.

Continue reading TIFF Review ’09: ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ at The Playlist.

New ‘Parnassus’ Images; Gilliam Says Farrell Rumors For ‘Quixote’ Are Just That

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:02:00 +0000

A myriad of new images from Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” have been revealed online and while we’ve seen all these characters before — Heath Ledger and the various doppelgangers who play him in the film — it’s really the first time we’ve seen good high-quality stills of Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. Plus you get another look at Tom Waits as the devil.

There’s definitely a magical whimsical quality to them that looks fairly appealing (because you know we obviously “hate” this film and all) and by that we mean (because everything we say here is loaded) is they look more appealing here than they do in the trailer.

Continue reading New ‘Parnassus’ Images; Gilliam Says Farrell Rumors For ‘Quixote’ Are Just That at The Playlist.

Tom Cruise Failed In Bid To Help Complete Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ After Heath Ledger’s Death

Simon Dang — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:39:00 +0000

Director Terry Gilliam has revealed that he rejected a bid from megastar Tom Cruise to join “The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus” after the death of Heath Ledger.

“I’m not sure if it was Tom or his agent [who put Cruise forward for the role],” Gilliam tells Total Film. “I know there was a period when Tom’s agents were keen. The thing is, I was only interested in people who were friends of Heath.

Continue reading Tom Cruise Failed In Bid To Help Complete Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ After Heath Ledger’s Death at The Playlist.

‘Doctor Parnassus’ To Hit Theaters Christmas Day, Guillermo Del Toro Debunks 3D ‘Hobbit’ Rumors, New Poster For ‘The Invention Of Lying’

Simon Dang — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:26:00 +0000

– As previously reported,Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus” looks set to hit theaters this Christmas Day after debuting at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film, which is the last performance from the late Heath Ledger, will also be screening at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival.

– Guillermo Del Toro recently took to the OneRing.net forums to address the unsubstantiated 3D rumors surrounding “The Hobbit”. “As a co-writer and director of this film, let me be very clear one more time: we are not talking about 3D, we are NOT writing the screenplay for 3D right now- we are hiring my [director of photograhpy] Guillermo Navarro to shoot the film and we are not discussing 3D with him either or with WETA digital or WB or anyone else.” You didn’t need to, Guillermo, but MarketSaw and other 3D freaks are currently in tears.

Continue reading ‘Doctor Parnassus’ To Hit Theaters Christmas Day, Guillermo Del Toro Debunks 3D ‘Hobbit’ Rumors, New Poster For ‘The Invention Of Lying’ at The Playlist.

Terry Gilliam Talks Phillip K. Dick Adaptations, Throws ‘Parnassus’ Co-Writer Charles McKeown Under Bus? And Gives Shout Out To The Playlist!

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Terry Gilliam is frank and, as we’ve come to see in recent months, has no bullshit filter. He speaks his mind for better or worse and doesn’t ever mince words. It’s admirable, but sure to annoy others. Or it might even offend some. Take what Gilliam says about Charles McKeown, the co-writer of “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” in this /Film interview, not two minutes into the conversation.

The fan asks, “What did Charles bring to the project?” and Gilliam says flatly, “Nothing.

Continue reading Terry Gilliam Talks Phillip K. Dick Adaptations, Throws ‘Parnassus’ Co-Writer Charles McKeown Under Bus? And Gives Shout Out To The Playlist! at The Playlist.

Sony Pictures Classics To Release ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ In The U.S.

Rodrigo Perez — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 04:06:00 +0000

Finally. Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” has found itself a U.S. distribution deal.

Earlier today via a Johnny Depp message board, we discovered that imaginariummovie.com redirected you to the Sony Pictures website. Hmm, we needed to dig into that, but had to be off to a screening.

Lo and behold that super sleuthing is on the money. Gilliam’s film, which features Heath Ledger’s last onscreen performance, will be released Stateside by Sony Pictures Classics, though no date has been officially given; but December 25 seems to be the date on everyone’s minds.

Continue reading Sony Pictures Classics To Release ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ In The U.S. at The Playlist.

Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ Gets December 25 Release Date?

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:37:00 +0000

Yesterday, a rumor came across our desk that we didn’t want to print, because it was essentially an unverified email tip.

The tipster basically said, pssst, Terry Gilliam’s ” ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,’ hitting theaters on December 25.” It wasn’t a bad source, but we felt we should wait on something officially before we jumped out with it.

But we did decide to keep a vigilant eye on the date and lo and behold today others are reporting the same line.

Continue reading Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’ Gets December 25 Release Date? at The Playlist.

First Look Trailer: Int’l Version Of ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’

Rodrigo Perez — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:37:00 +0000

Coming out in the U.K. on October 16 via Lionsgate, the international trailer for Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” with of course, the final onscreen appearance of the late Heath Ledger is finally here.

And Jesus, if you had issues with the effects in Peter Jackson’s “The Lovely Bones,” which admittedly, we’re beginning to have second thoughts about, you’re really going to have some problems here as well. Marred by a horrible and cornball narration, we do get some glimpses of Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, but the picture is largely looking like the incoherent mess that most critics felt it was during Cannes.

Continue reading First Look Trailer: Int’l Version Of ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ at The Playlist.

Terry Gilliam Talks ‘Don Quixote,’ Claims ‘Parnassus’ Is His Magnum Opus

Simon Dang — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Looks likes Terry Gilliam has comes to terms with the fact that Johnny Depp won’t be coming back to “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” and is moving forward with the project without him — as in let’s officially consider Depp off the project if we had any remote doubts before.

“We’ve re-written the script,” the director confirmed in an interview with Channel 4. “With Johnny, we started off on the script with very clear ideas of what we were doing and it didn’t work out.

Continue reading Terry Gilliam Talks ‘Don Quixote,’ Claims ‘Parnassus’ Is His Magnum Opus at The Playlist.

‘Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ Added To TIFF ’09 Line-Up

Rodrigo Perez — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:16:00 +0000

The 2009 Toronto International Film Festival has added twenty eight more films to its ever-expanding and pretty solid line-up this year, though admittedly, perhaps they’re getting to the lesser films and maybe the best pictures have already been announced? It’s hard to say, TIFF is still a few weeks off so there’s plenty of time to announce more films (we’ll likely be eating these words soon, we’ve heard, “The White Ribbon” will be announced eventually).

Continue reading ‘Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ Added To TIFF ’09 Line-Up at The Playlist.

Comic-Con 2009 Day 1: Johnny Depp Surprises, ‘Avatar’ Wows, Pre-Teens Deafen At ‘New Moon’

Simon Dang — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego is in full swing. A lot of nerd-tastic stuff happened. Here’s your round-up of Day 1 events, but we can confirm from reports on the ground that not one virginty has been lost yet. Still there are a few more days to go.

Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance at Comic-Con yesterday and, despite not speaking to the crowd at all, still set off screams, cheers and flashes aplenty.

Continue reading Comic-Con 2009 Day 1: Johnny Depp Surprises, ‘Avatar’ Wows, Pre-Teens Deafen At ‘New Moon’ at The Playlist.

What’s Next For Johnny Depp: Familiar Burton-Helmed Territory?, Disney-Backed Pirate/Sidekick Movie Or Nothing?

Simon Dang — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:46:00 +0000

For nearly a decade, Johnny Depp has had no more two features released within any given 18 month period. With the world in the grips of the recession, bankable stars like Depp are invaluable and, more than ever, studios are looking to be utilize the actor for all his worth.

But as THR points out, if Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus” does see a release by year’s end in 2010 in the U.S., Depp would have four films coming out within the current 18 months: Michael Mann’s Depp-led “Public Enemies” which is still due to delayed releases in countries like Australia; Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland”; the Hunter S.

Continue reading What’s Next For Johnny Depp: Familiar Burton-Helmed Territory?, Disney-Backed Pirate/Sidekick Movie Or Nothing? at The Playlist.

Talking Out Of Turn? Are Terry Gilliam & Nicola Pecorini Going Too Far Speaking On Heath Ledger’s Behalf?

Rodrigo Perez — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:13:00 +0000

We wrote about that Heath Ledger Vanity Fair article by Peter Biskind a week or so ago when the scans from that piece made it online and we had to transcribe a bunch of quotes — what a pain, but it did seem to reveal that Johnny Depp’s crazy handlers and busy schedule were the reason Jude Law and Colin Farrell were also called in to help salvage “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.”

But the full, 5,000 word piece — which some recently called, “celebrity porn“— is now online.

Continue reading Talking Out Of Turn? Are Terry Gilliam & Nicola Pecorini Going Too Far Speaking On Heath Ledger’s Behalf? at The Playlist.

‘Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ Gets Official October 16 U.K. Release Date

Rodrigo Perez — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:13:00 +0000

We already noted the Terry Gilliam’s fantastical, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” would be receiving an October release date in the U.K., and now it’s official.

The date is set for October 16 via Lionsgate U.K., which again makes us ask, Lionsgate in the U.S. around the same time? Maybe? The film is obviously the last onscreen appearance of Heath Ledger who died of an accidental overdose in January of last year mid-way through shooting.

Continue reading ‘Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ Gets Official October 16 U.K. Release Date at The Playlist.

Did Johnny Depp’s Impossible Schedule Force The Inclusion Of Two More Actors To Replace Ledger In ‘Parnassus’?

Rodrigo Perez — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:08:00 +0000

Alright, the Vanity Fair article on Heath Ledger written by Peter Biskind (“Easy Riders & Raging Bulls”) is out there and lots of it is going to cause a stir. Most of it comes from the rather outspoken Terry Gilliam and “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” cinematographer, Nicola Percorini — both of them good friends with Ledger.

But let’s stick to the ‘Parnassus’ stuff for now and specifically getting Johnny Depp to step in for Ledger after he died of an accidental overdose in January of last year.

Continue reading Did Johnny Depp’s Impossible Schedule Force The Inclusion Of Two More Actors To Replace Ledger In ‘Parnassus’? at The Playlist.

Heath Ledger Signed On For ‘The Dark Knight’ With The Intention Of Getting Fired?

Simon Dang — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:49:00 +0000

Despite his extraordinary turn as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” last year, an article in Vanity Fair this week on the late and great Heath Ledger alleges that the actor signed on to the project with the intention of eventually being laid off with financial compensation.

According the actor’s agent, Steven Alexander, Ledger signed a pay-or-play deal for “The Dark Knight” which meant compensation would be granted for the actor with or without a performance.

Continue reading Heath Ledger Signed On For ‘The Dark Knight’ With The Intention Of Getting Fired? at The Playlist.

‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ Hits The U.K. In October Via Lionsgate

Rodrigo Perez — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Is Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus,” featuring the last onscreen appearance of Heath Ledger, finally moving closer to a U.S. release date?

As previously promised by the capricious director, ‘Parnassus,’ is racking up dates in the fall in Europe. There’s a November 11 release scheduled in France, a December 3 release set for Germany and Switzerland, apparently a September 4 date in Italy, and now, the film is arriving in the U.K.

Continue reading ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ Hits The U.K. In October Via Lionsgate at The Playlist.

Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ To Debut In Munich Later This Month; Hits Germany December 3

Rodrigo Perez — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:43:00 +0000

Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus,” will open up the 27th Munich International Film Festival that runs June 26-July 4. The film features the last onscreen appearance of Heath Ledger and still has not been bought by any U.S. distributors. The film comes out in Germany, December 3. We believe this is the first hard and fast release date we’ve seen for ‘Parnassus’ so far. Does this mean the rest of the world could follow suit that late in the year?

Continue reading Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ To Debut In Munich Later This Month; Hits Germany December 3 at The Playlist.

French Poster For ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ Debuts

Simon Dang — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:15:00 +0000

What appears to be a French poster for Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus” has debuted on the cover of French film magazine Le Film Francais, according to the ‘Parnassus’ support site.

The poster features distinct architecture previously seen in a preview clip of the film from the Cannes Film Festival where it premiered to predominantly underwhelming or mixed reviews.

‘Parnassus’ is, of course, Heath Ledger’s final performance and follows the story of a 1000 year old traveling theater troupe leader, his deal with the devil and a mysterious outsider who joins the troupe and embarks on a magical journey to restore order.

Continue reading French Poster For ‘The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus’ Debuts at The Playlist.

The 10 Most Anticipated Films From Cannes

Rodrigo Perez — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:55:00 +0000

Yes, more Cannes. Turn away now if you don’t like it. Even though between the two of us (Sam and RP) we saw about 20 films (and of course there’s overlap), there were still a ton of things we missed from the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Some of us had to leave early (me) and some of us had to fight to get into last minute screenings (Sam), thus everything we missed becomes our most anticipated film from the festival, with some caveats though of course because some things we still want to see didn’t necessarily get stellar reviews (and sometimes that’s an understatement).

Continue reading The 10 Most Anticipated Films From Cannes at The Playlist.