<P> The script was started in December 1976, with a first draft completed by mid-1977 . The final pre-production draft was ready in January 1978, following "a concentrated two - week writing and water - skiing period in Barbados". The film would not have been made without Python fan former Beatle George Harrison, who set up HandMade Films to help fund it at a cost of £ 3 million . Harrison put up the money for it as he "wanted to see the movie" (this was later described by Terry Jones as the "world's most expensive cinema ticket"). The original backers, EMI Films, had been scared off at the last minute by the subject matter, particularly Bernard Delfont . The very last words in the film are: "I said to him,' Bernie, they'll never make their money back on this one"', teasing Delfont for his lack of faith in the project . Terry Gilliam later said, "They pulled out on the Thursday . The crew was supposed to be leaving on the Saturday . Disastrous . It was because they read the script...finally ." As a reward for his help, Harrison appears in a cameo appearance as Mr. Papadopoulos, "owner of the Mount", who briefly shakes hands with Brian in a crowd scene (at 1: 09 in the film). His one word of dialogue (a cheery but out of place Scouse "' ullo") had to be dubbed in later . </P> <P> Terry Jones was solely responsible for directing, having amicably agreed with Gilliam (who co-directed Holy Grail) that Jones' approach to film - making was better suited for Python's general performing style . Holy Grail's production had often been stilted by their differences behind the camera . Gilliam again contributed two animated sequences (one being the opening credits) and took charge of set design . However, this did not put an absolute end to their feuding . On the DVD commentary, Gilliam expresses pride in one set in particular, the main hall of Pilate's fortress, which had been designed so that it looked like an old Judean temple that the Romans had converted by dumping their structural artifacts (such as marble floors and columns) on top . He reveals his consternation at Jones for not paying enough attention to it in the cinematography . Gilliam also worked on the matte paintings, useful in particular for the very first shot of the three wise men against a star - scape and in giving the illusion of the whole of the outside of the fortress being covered in graffiti . Perhaps the most significant contribution from Gilliam was the scene in which Brian accidentally leaps off a high building and lands inside a starship about to engage in an interstellar war . This was done "in camera" using a hand - built model starship and miniature pyrotechnics, likely influenced by the then recently released Star Wars . Afterwards, George Lucas met Terry Gilliam in San Francisco and praised him for his work . </P> <P> The film was shot on location in Monastir, Tunisia, which allowed the production to reuse sets from Franco Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth (1977). The Tunisian shoot was documented by Iain Johnstone for his BBC film The Pythons . Many locals were employed as extras on Life of Brian . Director Jones noted, "They were all very knowing because they'd all worked for Franco Zeffirelli on Jesus of Nazareth, so I had these elderly Tunisians telling me,' Well, Mr Zeffirelli wouldn't have done it like that, you know ."' Further location shooting took place in Sousse (Jerusalem outer walls and gateway), Carthage (Roman amphitheatre) and Matmata, Tunisia (Sermon on the Mount and Crucifixion). Graham Chapman, suffering from alcoholism, was so determined to play the lead role--at one point coveted by Cleese--that he dried out in time for filming, so much so that he also acted as the on - set doctor . Following shooting between 16 September and 12 November 1978, a two - hour rough cut of the film was put together for its first private showing in January 1979 . Over the next few months Life of Brian was re-edited and re-screened a number of times for different preview audiences, losing a number of entire filmed sequences . </P> <P> A number of scenes were cut during the editing process . Five deleted scenes, a total of 13 minutes, including the controversial "Otto", were first made available in 1997 on the Criterion Collection Laserdisc . An unknown amount of raw footage was destroyed in 1998 by the company that bought Handmade Films . However, a number of them (of varying quality) were shown the following year on the Paramount Comedy Channel in the UK; it has not been disclosed how these scenes were saved or where they came from; possibly the source was the Criterion laserdisc . The scenes shown included three shepherds discussing sheep and completely missing the arrival of the angel heralding Jesus's birth, which would have been at the very start of the film; a segment showing the attempted kidnap of Pilate's wife (a large woman played by John Case) whose escape results in a fistfight; a scene introducing hardline Zionist Otto, leader of the Judean People's Front (played by Eric Idle) and his men who practise a suicide run in the courtyard; and a brief scene in which Judith releases some birds into the air in an attempt to summon help . The shepherds' scene has badly distorted sound, and the kidnap scene has poor colour quality . The same scenes that were on the Criterion laserdisc can now be found on the Criterion Collection DVD . </P>

Where was the movie life of brian filmed