Top 100 Most Anticipated Foreign Films of 2018: #42. Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

There are few doomed cinematic projects sharing the trajectory of Terry Gilliam’s troubled The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, a decades-in-the-making debacle which will see fruition in 2018. A 2002 documentary from Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe called Lost in La Mancha famously highlights the film’s troubled attempted productions. Miraculously, Gilliam was afforded the opportunity to at last undertake what may be his swan song with the project which has continuously eluded. But even after receiving funding from Alfama Films (a collaboration which didn’t seem too friendly once the film hit post-production), Gilliam was continually troubled by other issues, including replacing Jack O’Connell with Adam Driver, and the eventual death of John Hurt, who had also been attached to star. Nevertheless, despite all odds, Gilliam’s version of the Cervantes novel features an advertising executive who jumps back and forth in time between 21st century London and 17th century La Mancha, where Don Quixote (Pryce) mistakes him for Sancho Panza.

Release Date/Prediction: Seeing as the The Man Who Killed Don Quixote has already screened for buyers, resulting buzz and the desires of the producers will dictate what high profile platform is desired. Gilliam has competed once in Berlin and Cannes, both in the 1990s (for Twelve Monkeys and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, respectively). Venice has been more recent and fruitful for Gilliam, considering he competed with The Fisher King in 1991 (and took home the Silver Lion), The Brothers Grimm in 2005, and with The Zero Theorem (read review) in 2013. We’re thinking Alfama will potentially aim for a Cannes berth, although if they’re unhappy with a potential out-of-competition or Special Screening offer, Venice 2018 would be a high probability.