The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

[sel]

Thanks for these videos John.
As much as I always love listening to Heath's voice the interview has torn my heart apart.
I didn't know that after The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus Heath was going to star in The Tree of Life. I thought his next project would be directing The Queen's Gambit.

[Monika]

It feels very strange to see him  (and hear him) in a new movie over a year after his death. Surreal.

[optom3]

Thanks as always to all those who contribute to this thread. My blood ran cold when he was talking about his future projects and says and then I will drop dead !!!!!!  OMG did I cry,,I know he went on to say for a year, but what a thing for him to say.

[Penthesilea]

My blood ran cold when he was talking about his future projects and says and then I will drop dead !!!!!!  OMG did I cry,,I know he went on to say for a year, but what a thing for him to say.

Yeah, that gave me also a chill

[Shakesthecoffecan]

Here is a link to a clip that I just became aware of:

http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/v/13549409

[Brown Eyes]

Yes, the clip is certainly highlighted on Yahoo today.  I was coming here to post about it when I saw all these posts already here.


Wow, it'll be a tough movie to watch.  Does anyone know where it stands with regards to a distributor?

[optom3]

Yes, the clip is certainly highlighted on Yahoo today.  I was coming here to post about it when I saw all these posts already here.


Wow, it'll be a tough movie to watch.  Does anyone know where it stands with regards to a distributor?

Last I read they were struggling to find a distributor, I hope things have changed since then.I am not optimistic though as there does not even seem to have been a whisper.

[Brown Eyes]

It seems like a really shocking problem for this film given the number of major people (Depp, etc.) in the movie and associated with it.  Obviously, on top of the special place this film will always have regarding Heath.

You'd think all of these factors would attract distributors as well as audiences

[optom3]

It seems like a really shocking problem for this film given the number of major people (Depp, etc.) in the movie and associated with it.  Obviously, on top of the special place this film will always have regarding Heath.

You'd think all of these factors would attract distributors as well as audiences

I could be way off the mark, but I think if there are distribution problems, it could be down to Gilliam and not the actors.

[MilAn]

The directorial career of Terry Gilliam provides a fascinating case study in independent artistry.

Since the '80s, Gilliam has gone through innumerable clashes with production companies and various other parties to get his vision on the big screen.

This has resulted in alternately strong creative achievements ("Brazil") and unfortunate misfires ("The Brothers Grimm"). In all cases, there's a great story lurking in the background.

But no previous Gilliam excursion offers quite the same remarkable history as "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," which premieres at Cannes tomorrow.

The movie, about a magical theater company and its immortal showman, halted production in January of last year when its star, Heath Ledger, died.

Eventually, Gilliam managed to complete a new version of the movie by casting Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law to play Ledger's character at various moments along the timeline of the story. At first, however, Gilliam thought the production was unsalvageable.

"I gave up," the director said in a public conversation with film critic James Rocci at the American Pavilion today. "I said the film was over. That was it. But then I started to think about it, and I said I had to finish it for Heath."

Since money and time had already been invested in the production, Gilliam had to work quickly on writing a new version.

"The rewriting was quite simple," he said. "In casting, I said there was no way I'm going to get somebody to take care of that part. Heath goes through this mirror in 'Imaginarium,' through time, as these three people. That's when I called Johnny [Depp], and Johnny said, 'I'm in.' I started calling people who knew Heath and were close to him. I only wanted people who were in the family involved with this film."

Gilliam added, "I don't get into my mystical mode. The film made itself -- and was co-directed by Heath Ledger."

The filmmaker also said he thought he had dodged a bullet by not adapting Alan Moore's "Watchmen" in the late '80s, noting that the R-rated version directed by Zack Snyder dealt with the consequences of working with such difficult material.

Overall, Gilliam seemed like he was in a positive mood and not particularly nervous about tomorrow's premiere. He took a jovial stance about some of his previous failures, such as the notoriously ill-fated production of "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote."

This week, at Cannes, it was announced that the movie might come to life after all. That might account for his sense of humor when a wall suddenly fell down in the back of the room during today's conversation.

"This is what happened on 'Don Quixote,'" Gilliam quipped.

Unlike Francis Ford Coppola, Gilliam said he preferred showing his new movie in an out-of-competition slot. "It would be unbearable in competition," he said. "It's just another day at the office for me. I wish I could get back to that -- the thrill of the cinema -- but I'm just too old now."

http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/terry-gilliam-parnassus-film-was-co-directed-heath-ledger_3233