The Zero Theorem Behind-The-Scenes Videos Reveal Terry Gilliam’s Colorful New World
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Terry Gilliam is probably one of the most underrated directors working today. His collection of films are so full of imagination and life that it’s a shame he only makes one every so often. In his filmmaking career that spans over 39 years, Terry Gilliam has only made 12 movies, but all of them are unique and unusual. While some fall in quality like The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Tideland, and The Brothers Grimm, there are others that are simply masterworks, such as 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Brazil. His latest film, The Zero Theorem, should fit nicely into his peculiar filmography.
While its U.S. distributor has yet to announce the film’s American release date, The Zero Theorem is opening on March 14 in the U.K. Now Sony has released two new behind-the-scenes videos for the film. The first shows off Terry Gilliam’s amazing work ethic and how much he’s willing to put himself into a film project to make it a reality. For years Gilliam has been trying to make the movie The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, but he has been plagued by budget and logistic problems. He’s currently trying to get that project off the ground for the third time since 1998, so Gilliam is nothing if not persistent. The video above features The Zero Theorem‘s cast praising the 73-year-old director for his fine work on the new film.
The next behind-the-scenes video features The Zero Theorem‘s costume design and art direction. Gilliam films are big, extraordinary, and colorful, and The Zero Theorem is no different. From the moment you watch the film’s teaser trailer, you know you’re seeing a Gilliam film, with creative art direction and eccentric characters. It looks like everyone in the film is wearing a plastic shower curtain. Costume designer Carlo Poggiloi has created a look that is full of texture and color, with a strange futuristic feel to it. I would say The Zero Theorem‘s look is very close to Gilliam’s 1985 classic Brazil.
A few days ago, Sony released yet another video for the dystopian sci-fi film. It features the headquarters of Management (Matt Damon) — the mysterious figurehead who oversees and controls the government — and his citywide “mancoms,” an advanced camera system that watches your every move, in public and behind closed doors. In the video, Gilliam’s team explains how future technology is getting bigger and bulkier, rather than smaller and more compact. It’s a strange choice to make, but it somehow makes sense in a Terry Gilliam film.
The Zero Theorem takes place in the future and follows Qohen Leth (Christoph Waltz), a reclusive computer genius who works on a formula to solve the mysteries of life and existence. He is constantly distracted by the seductive Bainsley (Melanie Thierry) and Management’s son, Bob (Lucas Hedges), who threatens to put an end to his findings.
Gilliam’s latest stars Waltz, Damon, Thierry, Lucas Hedges, David Thewlis, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Peter Stormare, Ben Whishaw, Dana Rogoz, Emil Hostina, and Tilda Swinton. Hopefully, Sony will announce the U.S. release date for the sci-fi film soon.
