Proving that Absolutely Anything is possible, the legendary Monty Python troupe is set to reunite for their first feature film together since 1983′s The Meaning of Life. Variety is reporting that surviving Python members John Cleese, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam will join Terry Jones for his sci-fi farce Absolutely Anything, which is based on a script he first penned twenty years ago. To qualify this statement, Eric Idle has yet to sign on and Graham Chapman, who sadly passed away in 1989, is still quite dead and will be unable to participate. To qualify this statement further, the Pythons will not be physically appearing in Absolutely Anything, but will be voicing CGI aliens who give superpowers to ordinary humans, thus leading to much farce and laughter. Still, four of the five remaining Pythons working together must be a boon to fans who believed the sun had set on the once great Monty Python.
Monty Python first found fame with Monty Python’s Flying Circus, a surreal and satiric sketch show which aired on the BBC from 1969-1974. They would go on to make several feature films together, including Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1974), Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979), and The Meaning of Life (1983). The Pythons also produced And Now For Something Completely Different in 1971, a compilation of popular sketches from The Flying Circus, and Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl, a concert film of popular sketches, in 1982. All six Pythons last appeared together in the 1988 tribute show Parrot Sketch Not Included: 20 Years of Monty Python. Remaining members of the troupe have appeared together in various combinations throughout the years. John Cleese and Michael Palin took part in Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits (1981) and that same pair would reunite to star, yet spend very little screen time together, in 1988′s A Fish Called Wanda. In 1989, John Cleese played a role in the Terry Jones directed Erik the Viking, and the Fish Called Wanda crew, including Palin and Cleese, tried to recapture the magic of that earlier film in 1997′s Fierce Creatures. Thanks to Absolutely Anything, the reunion dry spell is about to break. Yet another, smaller project may bring some of the Pythons together even sooner. A Liar’s Autobiography, a 3D animated film based on the largely fictional autobiography penned by Graham Chapman, is in its final stages of production. The film will incorporate audio recordings of Graham Chapman made shortly before his death, and Python alum not named Eric Idle have all offered their vocal talents in varying degrees for the film, which was previewed at the 2011 New York Comic-Con.
One can only speculate as to why Eric Idle has yet to sign on to what may very well be these last opportunities to work with the remaining members of Monty Python. Over the years, the members of the group have joked about the impossibility of a reunion project since their success as a group has given each of them quite robust solo careers. John Cleese once quipped in a BBC interview in 2003 that, “It is absolutely impossible to get even a majority of us together in a room, and I’m not joking.” Eric Idle’s reasons may be more personal. He once famously said, “We would only do a reunion if Graham came back from the dead. So we’re negotiating with his agent.” Though spoken with humor, the words may also reflect Idle’s genuine aversion to an incomplete reunion, or perhaps he fears re-treading well worn ground, or, to Cleese’s point, he’s just too busy.
While Eric Idle’s participation would be missed by fans, these two projects honor the comedy legacy created by Monty Python, a group whose bold, audacious style continues to inspire comedians, thinkers and lumberjacks all over the world.
Tags: A Liar's Autobiography, Absolutely Anything, Eric Idle, Farce, Flying Circus, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Monty Python, Now For Something Completely Different, Reunion, Science Fiction, scifi, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, The Holy Grail, The Life Of Brian, The Meaning Of Life
About the Author
Written by Brien Gorham
Once of New Jersey, now of Seattle, Brien Gorham writes and talks about culture... a lot. When not writing about television and movies for Comic Booked, he hosts the weekly media and culture podcast C.O.T.U.S Radio and runs his own culture blog at virgilsdiner.com. He firmly believes that Shakespeare wrote his own plays and that Han did indeed shoot first.
I am intrigued by this and can’t wait. I do enjoy their feature length films.
I cannot help but be reminded of the Sex Pistols ‘Filthy Luchre’ reunion tour…when we realized they never actually could play and our inflated regard for them outdistanced the reality by quite a bit.
Similarly Python’s best work was the result of random chance, some great writing and a very unique group dynamic. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since, so I’m not sure it’ll be possibly to recapture the old charm.
Also it will flop. And everyone will get upset. Muppets, people. No one went to see the Muppets!
The Muppets did well at the Box Office, over $100 million worldwide and critical acclaim. Can’t ask for more than that.
James I think you got me there. I remember when The Muppets came out I remember a lot of discussion that its initial performance at the box office was disappointing. But if they’ve made their money back after two months that’s pretty good. Not a smash, but respectable business regardless.
I have similar fears, Emmet. Part of what made their early efforts so brilliant was that absurd, anarchic energy (not unlike the Sex Pistols from your example). While I still enjoy their individual efforts, finding that group energy again is going to be tough.