Terry Gilliam says generous actors helped make Zero Theorem

Terry Gilliam says he got to make his film ‘The Zero Theorem’ because his friends in the movie business worked for low pay.

The sci-fi movie – released last year – had a relatively small budget compared to many movies in the genre and he wouldn’t have been able to make it with the cast he had if it wasn’t for stars such as Matt Damon, Tilda Swinton and Christoph Waltz working for basic pay.

During an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, he revealed: ”’The Zero Theorem’ began as a big project, but it became a much cheaper big project. I don’t want to reveal the figure because people will then think it’s not very good or elaborate or expensive … we did it for a fraction of what the original price was and we were basically relying on friends like Matt Damon, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw, people like that to come in for scale, basic scale and that’s what they did. Christoph Waltz is amazing.”

Gilliam, 73, is not deterred from taking on difficult projects and recently revealed he is returning to his much-troubled ‘The Man Who Killed Don Quixote’.

The Monty Python member will start shooting the movie – which is inspired by Miguel De Cervantes’ 17th Century Spanish classic novel ‘Don Quixote’ – shortly after Christmas, but it is unclear id Johnny Depp will return to the project after filming initial scenes years ago.

Gilliam said: ”I keep incorporating my own life into it and shifting it. The basic underlying premise of the version Johnny was involved in was that he actually was going to be transported back to the 17th century.

”And now it all takes place now, it’s contemporary. It’s more about how movies can damage people.

”I’ve done it so many times – or not done it so many times – I’ll believe it when I see it. However, I’m behaving as if it’s all going to happen as planned.”