In a display of undaunted brilliance or ironic futility, Terry Gilliam is continuing his quest to bring Don Quixote de la Mancha to the big screen. Turns out, if he ever manages to get the scratch to remount the production, Gilliam will be employing Robert Duvall as his delusional protagonist.
Good sir Frosty, over at Collider, got the info from Duvall himself who says that Gilliam was sold after seeing Duvall portray a cuban barber opposite Richard Harris in Wrestling Ernest Hemingway. I’ve embedded the interview clip below. While he represents a markedly different approach than the original casting, Duvall (last seen being one of the good things in an otherwise static The Road) is a fine choice for Quixote.
Gilliam has had a legendarily tough journey when putting each of his films together, and this will be no different. Tideland did no one any favors, and the reception of Parnassus (which I’ve not seen, but remain excited for) has been mixed and guarded at best. Funding will be an uphill climb for the filmmaker, and though Duvall adds some clout to project, investors aren’t likely to fall over themselves trying to invest based on his name alone. If Gilliam manages to beat the odds and get this thing in the can though, it would be an uniquely satisfying vindication of the auteurs very rough career.* Fingers crossed.