The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
UK theatrical release poster
Directed byTerry Gilliam
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyNicola Pecorini
Edited byMick Audsley
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 22 May 2009 (2009-05-22) (Cannes)
  • 16 October 2009 (2009-10-16) (United Kingdom)
  • 11 November 2009 (2009-11-11) (France)
  • 25 December 2009 (2009-12-25) (Canada)
Running time
123 minutes[2]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • Canada
  • France
Language
  • English
Budget$30 million[3]
Box office$64.4 million[4]

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a 2009 fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam and Charles McKeown. The film follows a travelling theatre troupe whose leader, having made a bet with the Devil, takes audience members through a magical mirror to explore their imaginations and present them with a choice between self-fulfilling enlightenment or gratifying ignorance.

The film stars Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Verne Troyer, Andrew Garfield, Lily Cole, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law, though Ledger's death one-third of the way through filming caused production to be temporarily suspended.[5] Ledger completed most of the movie's runtime, and then his role was recast with Depp, Law, and Farrell portraying transformations of his character as he travels through a dream world. The film is Ledger's final performance; it was dedicated to him and co-producer William Vince.

Its world premiere was during the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, out of competition.[6] The film, which cost $30 million to make, grossed more than $60 million in its worldwide theatrical release.

It was nominated for two Academy Awards. The first was Best Art Direction with art directed by Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro, and set decorated by Caroline Smith; and it lost to Avatar. The second was Best Costume Design with costumes designed by Monique Prudhomme; and it lost to The Young Victoria.[7]

  1. ^ "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus". Cineuropa. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  2. ^ ""The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 14 August 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  3. ^ "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)". Box Office Mojo.
  4. ^ "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) – Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  5. ^ "Heath Ledger's final film 'struggling to secure release'". The Daily Telegraph. London. 2 March 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
  6. ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 17 September 2009.
  7. ^ "Nominees & Winners for the 82nd Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 19 September 2011.