An update to this earlier story.
We’ve been in contact with Paramount over this story and have updated it accordingly. The original story remains below, but this is now the key line.
UPDATE: A spokesperson for Paramount TV Studios said the story is false, that Terry Gilliam never came to the set of TIME BANDITS.
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Original story is here for no more than reference. This article’s date has been changed to remove it from the front of the site, and the headline /datealtered so we don’t benefit off the story going forward.
Taika Waititi is currently shooting a series based on Time Bandits for Apple, a fresh take on Terry Gilliam’s 1981 classic. Yet according to reports, Gilliam, who is an executive producer on the project visited the set but was left distinctly unimpressed with what he saw.
According to World of Reel, the legendary director of Brazil and Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas wasn’t happy. “He kept groaning and making remarks,” reports an unnamed source.
It is believed that Gilliam has had no creative input into the project and if the report is accurate, then he’s apparently unhappy with the way things are turning out. “Terry was supposed to be there for two weeks but he left after three days,” the source adds. “His disdain for the entire project was quite obvious. You probably won’t be hearing any praise for this series from him anytime soon.”
Whether the world agrees with Gilliam’s assessment of Time Bandits remains to be seen, but it’s certainly true that Taika Waititi is having more trouble than usual convincing audiences beyond Gilliam to buy into his uniquely-toned stories. Last year’s Thor: Love And Thunder didn’t garner him too much goodwill and has been held up as an example as everything wrong with the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the moment. There’s also the question of the director’s seemingly-stalled Star Wars film and why Lucasfilm seem so hesitant to push it into production, despite the studio’s empty slate.
It looks like 2023 might be a crucial year for Waititi moving forwards. He has the oft-delayed Next Goal Wins due out in September and a clutch of projects in production. You can judge Time Bandits for yourself when it releases later in 2023. Don’t think Terry will be watching though…
