According to a new whisper, renowned comedian and entertainer Terry Gilliam is not happy with Taikia Waititi’s upcoming Apple TV adaptation of his 1981 cinematic fantasy film Time Bandits.
Produced and directed by Gilliam and featuring a script co-written by himself and fellow Monty Python comedy troupe member Sir Michael Palin, Time Bandits follows the story of Kevin, a young history buff who ends up falling in with a group of six thieves who, with the assistance of a special map, sail throughout the time stream stealing various treasures from the past.
However, their light-hearted romp eventually takes a turn for the deadly when a the villainous and manipulating Evil sets his sights on the map, intent on using it for his own dark purposes.
With the fate of the world in their hands, Kevin and the Time Bandits vow to keep the map away from Evil at all costs, collecting treasures and stories all the while.
In September 2022, Apple announced that it had not only officially greenlit a ten-episode television adaptation of Gilliam and Palin’s film, but that they had tapped the Thor: Love and Thunder mastermind to direct and executive produce the series.
While audiences no doubt rolled their eyes at the prospect of another Waititi-led cringe fest, the biggest critic of Apple’s hiring decision has actually turned out to be Gilliam himself.
As per an alleged crew member who reportedly spoke to World of Reel‘s Jordan Rulmy, Gilliam abruptly ended and walked off of a December 2022 visit to the series’ New Zealand set after finding himself massively disappointed with Waititi’s handling of his original vision.
“He wasn’t happy,” said the insider. “He kept groaning and making remarks. Terry was supposed to be there for two weeks but he left after three days.”
“His disdain for the entire project was quite obvious,” they added. “You probably won’t be hearing any praise for this series from him anytime soon.”
As of writing, neither Gilliam, Waititi, nor any of their representatives have offered an official comment on World of Reel‘s rumor.
Meanwhile, Apple TV’s Time Bandits has yet to receive an official release date.
