Trivia / The Zero Theorem

• Box Office Bomb: The film cost anywhere between $8 million and $13 to produce and grossed 1.2 million.
• Doing It for the Art: According to Terry Gilliam, Matt Damon and Ben Whishaw worked for scale just to be in this film, thus bringing the production in on schedule for a fraction of its original budget.
• Saved from Development Hell: As usual with Terry Gilliam's bad luck. Production was meant to begin in 2009, but due to the Troubled Production of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (especially so following the death of Heath Ledger) meant it was pushed back to late 2012.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Bill Murray was offered a role but had to decline because of scheduling conflicts.
  • This was originally announced with Ewan McGregor starring, and in a later incarnation, had Billy Bob Thornton, Al Pacino and Jessica Biel lined up to star.

---