Monty Python Reuniting For Sci-Fi Farce Absolutely Anything
And now for something completely different: the surviving members of Monty Python’s Flying Circus are reuniting for a “sci-fi farce” called Absolutely Anything. Terry Jones will direct the Pythons, based on a script he and Gavin Scott have been working on for two decades. After that long, it had better be good; it’s obviously good enough to get the band back together. Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, and Michael Palin are already on board, and Eric Idle is in talks. This will be the first official reunion of the Pythons since an appearance at the 1998 Aspen Comedy Festival.
Absolutely Anything focuses a hapless fellow who suddenly finds himself with the ability to do, well, absolutely anything. Little does he know that his new “gift” is courtesy of a group of mischievous aliens who want to see just how badly he’ll screw the world up. The aliens will be voiced by the Pythons. Also along for the ride: a talking dog voiced by Robin Williams.
Mike Medavoy is producing the flick, and he talked to Variety about what to expect from Absolutely Anything:
Terry and Gavin have crafted a classic farce — something I feel I know a little bit about after all the Pink Panther pictures we did with Blake Edwards at United Artists. In fact, the movie even has a pompous Frenchman reminiscent of Inspector Clouseau — but there the similarity ends. Like all projects originated by any of the Monty Python guys, Absolutely Anything delightfully defies a logline.
Comedy and science fiction aren’t a tricky pairing, far easier to screw up than to get right. But let’s face it, if anybody’s got the chops to pull it off, it’s probably the ex-Pythons.
