Gilliam Hopes for Good Omens
Filed under: Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Now that Terry Gilliam has made the two most disappointing films ever (for a huge Gilliam fan like myself, anyway), he will hopefully return to the kind of brilliant work that made him one of the most visionary auteurs of our time. Good Omens sounds like the right project for his comeback, and it is one that has been associated with him for some time, only to constantly be put on the back burner due to difficulties with funding. Unfortunately there are a few reasons why such an ambitious film isn't likely to be coming for awhile. Gilliam's last passion endeavor, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, ended horribly (it wasn't finished) and his most recent big studio picture, The Brothers Grimm, was a flop. Plus, Good Omens is based on a comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, which is somewhat similar to Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide series in that most of the good parts are in the exposition, not the plot, making it less hilarious in translation to the screen. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, as good as it was, wasn't great like the books are. It also wasn't a huge enough hit to have financiers knocking on Gilliam's door for something similar.
Regardless, Gilliam is making the attempt again on Omens, telling the UK's Teletext, "I have struggled to find big projects that inspire me, but this book has. It's ... about the Anti-Christ and devils and angels, it's very funny and inspiring." There is already a script, likely the version by Gilliam and Tony Grisoni, and it is probably safe to say that Robin Williams and Johnny Depp remain the top choices for the casting of the two main characters, Aziraphale and Crowley.
I'm crossing my fingers that this film gets underway soon, and I'm praying that it comes out at least as great as Twelve Monkeys, if not as great as his best.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-27-2006 @ 5:54PM
Cath said...
I, for one, am rather tired of books that take real historical persons and take liberties with their characters, though Gaiman did a nice job on 1602. For film, it takes a deft touch, as beautifully displayed in Naked Lunch and Kafka. Much as I love Gilliam's work (for me, Fear and Loathing was one of the best films ever made), I must withhold judgment until I see it, particularly since Crowley is such a lightning rod, and a profoundly misunderstood one at that. Gilliam will be waging an uphill battle with the fundies on this one.
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6-27-2006 @ 7:10PM
Tom said...
Oh, God, anyone but Robin Williams. There are just too many real actors out there for that Williams creature to keep getting work.
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6-28-2006 @ 8:16AM
Antony said...
Just to point out, Crowley in good Omens isn't a historical character. (i.e. he isn't Aleister Crowley, who I assume you are refering to Cath) Well... not strictly historical anyhow, without spoiling things he's more... Biblical.
And, yeah, I don't really see Williams as Aziraphale. He could play Sable maybe. If he wasn't so over exposed recently, I'd say Ian Mckellen could make a good Aziraphale.
I had always pictured Crowley as a young Richard E. Grant, but I think Depp could probably pull it off.
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6-28-2006 @ 8:59PM
hessian said...
I've always seen John Cleese in the role of Aziraphale. THAT'S how long I've been waiting for this movie!
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7-18-2006 @ 7:18AM
Elias Helfer said...
I for one COULD see Depp and Williams as the leads - except for one thing: They are both American (whereas the book is set in England). Of course, we have seen that Johnny Depp can do a good English accent, so that's not too much of a problem. McKellen is a good actor, no doubt - but I would say he's too "powerful" for Aziraphale. Aziraphale is more gentle, more sort of slightly baffled all the time... Cleese could do it if he could keep an apperance more like he did in Charlies Angels II, rather than the traditional Python/Fawlty Towers Cleese we're used to.
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4-22-2007 @ 6:29PM
lee said...
I'd love Johnny Depp to be Crowley, I think he'd be ideal for the role. I'm not too enthused with Williams as Azriphale though. For some reason whenever i read Good Omens I always picture Anthony Stewart Head as Azriphale. I think its really important for Azriphale to be genuinely British. Less so for Crowley though.
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