Gilliam Eyes New Take on Swashbuckler Tale
Terry Gilliam is in early talks with Warner Bros. to direct a new adaptation of “Scaramouche,” a swashbuckling tale whose screen history dates back to 1923.
Based on the 1921 novel by Rafael Sabatini, “Scaramouche” is a romance set in the early days of the French Revolution and features the exploits of one Andre-Louis Moreau, also known as Scaramouche. In addition to damsels in distress and rapier-drawn duels, the novel also featured sly commentary on the class system.
“Scaramouche” has been brought to the screen many times, with the first adaptation dating back to a 1923 silent film starring Ramon Navarro. Stewart Granger also portrayed the swashbuckler in the 1956 MGM production directed by George Sidney. However, the Warners picture is not a remake and stems from the original source material.
This will be the first time that Gilliam and Warners have teamed on a project. “Scaramouche” would be Gilliam’s first picture since the disappointing 1998 “Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas,” which he directed for Universal.
Gilliam and Universal worked together on two of his most critically acclaimed films, “Brazil” and “12 Monkeys.” However, both productions were marked by vociferous complaints on both sides, with the studio moaning about cost overruns and the director fuming about endless meddling.
Gilliam’s most recent project, “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,” was just three weeks into production in fall 2000 when Jean Rochefort, playing the title character, fell ill. The collapse of that project was detailed with Gilliam’s full cooperation in the frank documentary “Lost In La Mancha: The Un-Making of Don Quixote.”
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