Hitting theaters on February 28, 1996, 12 Monkeys is one of the most iconic sci-fi films of the 1990s! It will be released in a restored 4K version on November 8th under L’Atelier Distribution. Directed by Mad Scientist Terry Gilliam, the story is set in 2035.
Most of the world’s population has been wiped out by a mysterious virus. The survivors hope that time travel will allow them to discover the causes of the disaster and then prevent it.
James Cole (Bruce Willis), a lifer, is assigned to this mission: sent in 1996, he must gather information about an army of 12 monkeys suspected of being the organization behind the pandemic.
French film as a starting point
The idea that created 12 Monkeys was born in the mind of executive producer Robert Kosberg. The latter was a big fan of French filmmaker Chris Marker’s experimental short film La Jetée. He convinced Universal to buy the remake rights.
Producer Charles Roven then sought out Terry Gilliam to direct the film. He felt that the British director’s baroque and playful style was perfect for this complex story involving time travel.
Small budget, big ideas
Terry Gilliam accepted the offer to produce and found the script intelligent and intriguing. “The story is disturbing. It’s about time, madness and our perception of the world. It’s an exploration of madness and dreams, death and rebirth, set in a world that’s falling apart.”he confided.
However, the Universal studio, which recently suffered a major failure with Waterworld, is in no rush to start filming 12 Monkeys. Ultimately, the production was confirmed on a reduced budget of $30 million.
However, in order to finally start filming, Terry Gilliam himself had to persuade Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt to take a pay cut. The former was paid a percentage of revenue, the latter $500,000, three times less than his usual salary.
Note that these two stars were not Gillian’s first choice for James Cole and Jeffrey Goins. The filmmaker wanted Nick Nolte and Jeff Bridges. Universal opposed this choice and preferred the two leading actors, Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.
Moreover, Sylvester Stallone and Robert De Niro were cast in the roles of James Cole, and Johnny Depp was cast in the role of Jeffrey Goins. For his performance, Brad Pitt was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1996. If he doesn’t win the coveted statuette, he will be consoled with a Golden Globe in the same category.
In addition, the filmmaker had problems with Universal in Brazil, this time he requested a final cut. The studio accepts two conditions: the film must not be prohibited for people under the age of 18 and must not exceed 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Against the background of rust
Terry Gilliam chose the ruined post-industrial landscapes of Philadelphia and Baltimore as the shooting location. A former penitentiary was chosen to film the mental hospital scenes because the director found modern facilities similar to offices.
“I was attracted to shooting in Philadelphia beforehand, because its architecture gives off an incredible smell of decadence and rot. But I immediately felt Twelve Monkeys as a film about failure, decay, nostalgia.”
End by Clever Gilliam
Terry Gilliam and producer Charles Roven had several conflicts over the completion of 12 Monkeys. The director tried to win Rowen over by proposing a complex installation that required two overhead cranes and a significant number of machines.
By doing so, Gilliam hoped that the production would cost too much to shoot the scene and would end up scrapping it. To his surprise, Rowen agreed. Gilliam ultimately liked the result and decided to keep the series to complete the feature film.
Terry Gilliam
“I decided that the film should end at the airport, when the guy who released the virus meets the scientist from the future, but the producer didn’t agree, he wanted it to end on the guy’s face.
So I came up with a plan that would be very expensive to implement. I asked the guy for a face lift. I was sure he was going to say no, that it would cost too much. But she said yes. And he was right. It was a good ending.”Gillia explained on the microphone SoFilm.
12 Monkeys was a huge critical and commercial success, the biggest of Terry Gilliam’s career. Notably, it grossed just over $168,000,000 at the worldwide box office on a budget of $30 million. In France, the work totaled 2,270,947 admissions.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
