Mel Brooks to Star in Kids’ Movie With Monty Python’s Terry Jones, Who Died Four Years Ago

It was recently reported that the great Mel Brooks has been cast in the upcoming animated film The Land of Sometimes, based on the acclaimed audiobook by Francesca Longrigg. This is hardly the first time that Brooks has lent his voice to a family movie, lest we forget that he had a small role in the cartoon remake of Blazing Saddles that absolutely nobody saw, and played a fanged toilet-monster in Look Who’s Talking Too.

With The Land of Sometimes, which tells the story of two twins who “embark on adventures with mystical creatures after being transported to a magical island,” Brooks joins a cast that also includes Ewan McGregor, Helena Bonham-Carter and Monty Python’s Terry Jones. Which is a little weird, because Jones died four years ago.

Sadly, Jones passed away in 2020 at the age of 77 from complications associated with a rare form of dementia, known as FTD. So how is he participating in a movie that doesn’t even have a release date yet? Is this the product of some ethically-dubious A.I. software? Are they planning on holding a microphone up to a Ouija board?

According to producer and screenwriter, Tony Nottage, Jones’ lines were recorded way back in 2016, before the Monty Python legend’s diagnosis was made public. “We thought it was most likely to be his last project,” Nottage told The Hollywood Reporter in 2020, following the news of Jones’ death, revealing to the outlet that there were already “signs” of the neurological disease during the recording session. 

On account of his condition, the filmmakers adjusted the casting slightly so that Jones would have the less-demanding role of “a talking watch who says a predetermined number of phrases.” “We knew that we could record loads of stuff (with Jones) and pick and choose what worked,” Nottage recalled, noting that the actor was “fantastic” and “still the Terry Jones that everybody knows and loves.”

This interview was in January 2020, when The Land of Sometimes was scheduled for a 2021 release. Presumably because the world fell apart just a few months later, the project was obviously delayed, making it extra-strange that the not-yet-released film includes a performance that is nearly a decade old at this point. 

Jones, in addition to his work with the Pythons, was a defining voice in family entertainment in the ‘80s, having penned the scripts for beloved movies like Erik the Viking and Labyrinth. Although it’s hard to imagine that Jones ever typed the words “CLOSE-UP ON THE GOBLIN KING’S SPANDEX-WRAPPED JUNK.”

So it’s fitting that his final role will be in a fantastical children’s film. And he’ll co-star with Mel Brooks, which would have been a dream collaboration for comedy fans, had both stars been alive at the time.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time you’re reading this).