!!Creator/TerryGilliam [[Film/TheBrothersGrimm Film]]
* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/MattDamon and Creator/HeathLedger were originally cast in opposite roles. They petitioned and switched their roles.
* CreatorBacklash: Creator/TerryGilliam was not happy with the finished film:
-->"[I]t's not the film they wanted and it's not quite the film I wanted. It's the film that is a result of [...] two groups of people, who aren't working well together."
* DeletedScene: An action scene early on in the film was cut because it was too spectacular and would be a ToughActToFollow for the remaining action scenes. In the forest, a tree would come alive and attack the party. Angelika would be grabbed by its branches and thrown into the air.
* EnforcedMethodActing: Creator/MattDamon was strung up by his waist for the torture chamber scene. He could only stay up for 90 seconds at a time because the rope was crushing his ribs, cutting off his air supply. Creator/TerryGilliam had a prosthetic made for him, but the studio didn't want the actor to wear it.
* ExecutiveMeddling: Creator/TerryGilliam fought with the Weinsteins during production. Bob Weinstein personally fired Cinematographer Nicola Pecorini after six weeks. As a result, the release was delayed by ten months.
* FakeNationality: The German lead characters are played by an American (Creator/MattDamon) and an Australian (Creator/HeathLedger), both speaking with pronounced British accents, the (presumably) German Queen is played by an Italian (Creator/MonicaBellucci), the Italian TortureTechnician is played by a Swede (Creator/PeterStormare), and the French general is played by a Welshman (Creator/JonathanPryce).
* MoneyDearBoy: According to [[WordOfGod the DVD commentary]], this is the reason Gilliam took the helm on this project in the first place.
* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/TerryGilliam had talked Creator/MattDamon out of wanting to play Will, intending the part for Creator/HeathLedger. When Ledger read the script, he told Gilliam he wanted to play Jakob, surprising both Gilliam and Damon with the choice. Gilliam has stated he hopes audiences will be as excited to see the two playing against type as he was to direct them that way.
* RealLifeRelative: Creator/TerryGilliam's son Harry is a stable-boy.
* TroubledProduction: Gilliam had to deal with interference from the Weinsteins, actors dropping out and his cinematographer being replaced. One of the stars of the film, Lena Headey, noted that Gilliam was so upset about her casting in the film that he didn't even pretend that she wasn't his first choice (Gilliam's choice was Samantha Morton who the Weinsteins said was "too fat" much to the director's fury), [[TheChainOfHarm and that Gilliam bullied her on the set]]. There were so many problems that Gilliam made Film/{{Tideland}}, a film that was deliberately made to be as uncommercial as possible, during the making of this.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/TerryGilliam and Creator/MattDamon wanted Creator/SamanthaMorton to play Angelika. But producers felt she was [[HollywoodPudgy too chubby]] and the role went to Creator/LenaHeadey instead.
** Gilliam wanted Creator/JohnnyDepp for Will Grimm, but Bob Weinstein believed Depp was not commercially famous enough for the role. Damon joked that Weinstein "was kicking himself because half-way through production, ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl Pirates of the Caribbean]]'' came out and Depp was all of a sudden a big sensation".
** Creator/UmaThurman turned down the role of the Evil Queen, and Creator/MonicaBellucci was cast instead.
** Creator/RobinWilliams was originally cast as Mercurio Cavaldi, but dropped out.
** Creator/NicoleKidman turned down the role of Mirror Queen due to scheduling conflicts. Definitely good for her, since said conflicts were with widely acclaimed ''Film/{{Dogville}}'' and ''Film/ColdMountain''.
** Creator/AnthonyHopkins was originally cast as General Vavarin Delatombe, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
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