It only sounded like Terry Gilliam was bitter discussing Johnny Depp in a recent interview, where he thwacked his one-time leading man for the downmarket quality of his newest work. "He'd better start making some good films," the director said before paraphrasing other Depp critics: "Come on. You've got the power to make some really good films happen. Why are you doing this shit?" But really, it was just old age rapping on his door -- and perhaps the knowledge that Depp wouldn't be making any more good films with Gilliam himself.
OK, and maybe a little bitterness. Gilliam had already acknowledged from Cannes that he would revive his infamously cursed Depp vehicle The Man Who Killed Don Quixote with or without the actor, who last worked with Gilliam as one of Heath Ledger's three replacements in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. And now we know it's without, but at least it's for a good reason:
"I can now honestly say that I'm not working with Johnny on Don Quixote," Gilliam [said]. "He's booked himself up on a lot of other films. I wanted to shoot Don Quixote next spring. He said he's not available and we have both agreed that I'm going to die soon, so it would be nice to get this film under my belt."
There he goes frightening his insurers again. But one can only imagine the three directors who'll come in to finish the job if/when cruel fate intervenes; maybe Tim Burton can bring Depp along for a few more days and everyone can finally get what they want. It's not a perfect plan, but we've got to start somewhere.
ยท Depp's trip back in time with Gilliam called off [The Independent]