‘Baron Munchausen’ to Resume Shooting in Rome Next Week

“The Adventures of Baron Munchausen,” a live-action fantasy being shot in Spain and Italy that was shut down Monday by the company responsible for guaranteeing its budget, will resume production in Rome on Nov. 23, according to producer Thomas Schuhly.

Schuhly said Friday that Terry Gilliam, whose job was reportedly in jeopardy before he met Thursday with representatives of Film Finances Inc., will continue as the film’s director.

“Terry made substantial modifications (to the remaining sequences in the script), and Film Finances was happy with his ideas,” Schuhly said by phone from Rome. “No sequences will be cut, but he has made simplifications that made sense for all parties.”

Film Finances’ representatives in Rome could not be reached Friday for comment. Sources in Rome said Gilliam had gone home to London but would return Sunday to begin reorganizing the shooting schedule.

“Munchausen,” due for a Christmas, 1988, release by Columbia Pictures in the United States, had completed seven weeks of filming in Italy and Spain and has 12 weeks of shooting remaining.

Schuhly said he could not say how much “Munchausen” is now expected to cost. The film was originally budgeted at $23.5 million, but it was rumored to be running from $7 million to $9 million over that amount.

Film Finances had guaranteed “Munchausen’s” financial backers--Columbia Pictures, RCA/Columbia Pictures Video and various European distributors--that the film would be made for $23.5 million. Unless other backers were brought in, Film Finances would be responsible for any cost overruns.

A Columbia official said Friday that the studio has not yet heard from Film Finances regarding script revisions.