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Lost in La Mancha |
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Initially, Johnny and Vanessa didn't want to do this film together. They were aware of how their casting could be perceived as a gimmick. They were also weirded out by having to pretend to be someone else with the person you love. But they gave in to Terry's persistence and enthusiasm.
TMWKDQ would have been great for Vanessa's career. After years of trying to make it in the English-speaking world - M&J, Vanessa Paradis, Witch Way Love - this was a project that could've done it. But TMWKDQ never happened. Lost in La Mancha tells the whole story: floods, diseases, a production crew from the Tower of Babel. You can see why the insurance company wanted to rule it an "Act of God." Vanessa didn't even get to film a single scene. She was due to start in the second week of production, but everything fell apart after just one week. All she got to do was try on her costumes.
Not that Vanessa didn't have a hand in the disaster. The film was near its start, and Vanessa had yet to sign her contract. Her agent insisted that no, Vanessa was not available to do any pre-production. To be fair, September of 2000 was a busy time for Van: she was getting ready to launch her album Bliss. And she was committed to the role: she'd already dyed her hair dark brown, brushed up on her horse-riding skills, and was practicing speaking English with a Spanish accent.
Production ended after only one week, and to this day, TMWKQD is still in the hands of the God-fearing insurance men. Terry is hoping to bring back the project thanks to Johnny Depp's newly-acquired box office status. Johnny's keen to return to the role of Toby, but it's unclear whether Vanessa will return for Alisidora. "I don't have international ambitions," she recently told French Elle.
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