Much rejoicing! Terry Gilliam finally wraps Don Quixote

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Try to imagine what you were doing 17 years ago. It was probably something along the lines of listening to a Smash Mouth song while “dying” for the hit sequel to THE MUMMY to come out. Well, that’s how long director Terry Gilliam has been making his movie, THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE, and as of this weekend he has finally completed his dream project. Begin the fiestas!

Gilliam took to Facebook to announce that after nearly two decades, and a litany of production starts and stops, he has officially wrapped production on his epic adaptation of Miguel De Cervantes' classic work:

The documentary LOST IN LA MANCHA chronicled the film’s early days of shooting back in 2000 when actor Johnny Depp was attached along with star Jean Rochefort. It’s been a long time since then, and now that cast includes Adam Driver, Stellan Skarsgård, Olga Kurylenko and Jonathan Pryce. Gilliam added this morning saying:

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!

After all these years I can say with complete exhaustion that I feel like I HAVE to see this thing. I don't have to defend Gilliam's filmmaking record, as it speaks for itself, and given his ability to create surreal, visceral epics I think QUIXOTE could truly be unmissable cinema. The cast is also great, so seeing them play out such a classic story will a treat all its own. But at this point I don't care if it looks like it was shot on camcorder in a sandbox with action figures. Just give me the goods, Gilliam.