Maybe the seventh time really will be the charm for Terry Gilliam as Variety reports that his long-awaited, seemingly cursed, and recently revived movie adaptation of Don Quixote has officially cast its lead. 24-year-old British actor Jack O’Connell has been cast as Toby, a commercial director who receives a copy of a student-film adaptation of Don Quixote while on location in Spain. Intrigued, Toby goes on a quixotic adventure of his own attempting to find the village where the mystery film was shot. (John Hurt’s claims that he will co-star have yet to be confirmed.)
O’Connell stars in Angelina Jolie’s upcoming Louis Zamperini biopic Unbroken, although he’s probably better known—at least to British audiences—for his four-year run on Skins. He was also shirtless and greased up in last year’s 300: Rise Of An Empire. Gilliam, meanwhile, has seen his last couple films released with modest fanfare and relatively few legal problems, and feels good about The Man Who Killed Don Quixote’s chances this time around: “Seven is my lucky number so let’s break the curse and make it!,” he tells Variety. Knock on wood, Terry. Knock on wood.