Moviemaker Terry Gilliam has scored a legal victory after a French judge ruled his film The Man Who Killed Don Quixote could screen at the Cannes Film Festival later this month (May18).
Paulo Branco, from Alfama Films Production, applied for a court injunction to keep the movie from being shown on 19 May (18), the closing night of the annual French film festival, after claiming his firm owned the rights to the movie, which he exited as producer before cameras began rolling.
He insisted executives had not given their consent for the film’s big screen launch.
However, on Wednesday (09May18), a French judge ruled the planned premiere could go ahead as long as it features a pre-film disclaimer, stating the screening does not harm Branco’s claim to the rights or the ongoing legal proceedings, according to Variety.
Gilliam and bosses at Star Invest Films France and sales agent Kinology have also each been ordered to pay Branco $1,800 towards his legal fees.
The court decision comes hours after bosses at U.S. distributor Amazon Studios decided to pull out of their deal to distribute the movie in North America later this year (18), according to TheWrap.com.
It also follows a medical scare for Gilliam over the weekend (05-06May18) – the director suffered a stroke in London and was unable to attend Monday’s court hearing in Paris. Editors at The Hollywood Reporter have since confirmed the 77-year-old was hospitalised but is “fine” and recuperating at home.
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is loosely based on Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote, and stars Adam Driver and Jonathan Pryce.
