Directed by Terry Gilliam

For the 18th century poet, William Blake, "The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom." For sportswriter Raoul Duke and his 300-pound Samoan attorney, Dr. Gonzo, the proud highway leads straight to Las Vegas in a mean crimson convertible dubbed "The Red Shark." Packing a trunkload of mind-bending pharmaceuticals along with an armory of herbal remedies, they're on a savage journey to the heart of the American Dream. Duke may call it an assignment. Gonzo may believe it's a sacred mission to protect his client. Whatever "it" is, it's moving, and fast. Johnny Depp stars as Raoul Duke, Thompson's manic alter ego, and Benicio Del Toro is Dr. Gonzo, his jurist sans prudence. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the classic 1971 novel by Hunter S. Thompson, has at long last been translated to the big screen by director Terry Gilliam. It is at once an idiosyncratic commentary on what Thompson referred to as "the foul year of Our Lord, 1971" and a decidedly exaggerated account of a personal odyssey careening in between the hilarious and the horrifying.

Johnny Depp (Raoul Duke) is one of today's most versatile leading actors, however, most recently, he directed, co-wrote and starred in The Brave, featuring Marlon Brando. He recently finished filming The Astronaut's Wife with Charlize Theron, due out later this year. Depp has earned both critical and popular acclaim for his work in a variety of memorable roles in unique feature films. Previous to The Brave, he most recently starred in the critical and commercial hit Donnie Brasco for TriStar Pictures alongside Al Pacino. Prior to that, Depp starred in Miramax Films' Dead Man, a western set in the late 1800s directed by Jim Jarmusch, and Paramount's thriller Nick of Time. He starred in Don Juan DeMarco as a man convinced he is the world's greatest lover, opposite legendary actors Marlon Brando and Faye Dunaway. It was Depp's compelling performance in the title role of Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands that established him as one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents, earning him a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination. He was honored with a second Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal in Benny & Joon, an off-beat love story in which he starred with Aidan Quinn and Mary Stuart Masterson.

Depp was reunited with Tim Burton for the heralded Ed Wood, the story of one of America's most eccentric film directors. His performance in this film garnered Depp his third Best Actor Golden Globe nomination. His other films include Lasse Hallstrom's What's Eating Gilbert Grape, which starred Depp in the title role, Emir Kusturica's Arizona Dream, in which he starred with Jerry Lewis and Faye Dunaway, and his feature film debut, John Waters' affectionate homage to the 1950s, Cry Baby.

Benicio Del Toro (Dr. Gonzo) has recently won back-to-back Independent Spirit Awards for Best Supporting Actor, first as Fred Fenster in The Usual Suspects, and then in Julian Schnabel's Basquiat. Most recently, Del Toro starred opposite Alicia Silverstone and Christopher Walken in the Columbia Pictures' Excess Baggage. Del Toro studied acting in New York City and Los Angeles with Stella Adler and Arthur Mendoza as a way of diversifying from painting, which he continues to practice in a multi-media manner. He made his motion picture debut on the James Bond film License to Kill, which was followed by the television mini-series Drug Wars, The Indian Runner, China Moon, Fearless, Money for Nothing, Swimming With Sharks, The Funeral and The Fan.

Director Terry Gilliam's filmmaking career also encompasses work as a writer, screenwriter, performer, animator and production designer. As a director, has created some of the most unforgettable visuals ever portrayed on the motion picture screen. Gilliam made his film debut in Monty Python's Flying Circus' first feature, And Now For Something Completely Different. On the group's next venture, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Gilliam co-directed the production with colleague Terry Jones. He made his solo directing debut two years later with Jabberwocky, his comically grisly medieval interpretation of the Lewis Carroll poem. Gilliam's sumptuous extravaganza, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, won four Academy Award nominations upon its release in 1989, and was followed two years later with another critically-acclaimed feature, The Fisher King, starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges. The movie garnered five Oscar nominations, with co-star Mercedes Ruehl winning a Best Supporting Actress award. Gilliam was cited with a Golden Globe nomination as Best Director. His most recent directorial effort, 1995's thought-provoking science fiction drama 12 Monkeys, was also a critical and box office hit. The film starred Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.