Recently, it's been announced that Ridley Scott is working on a 4-hour cut of his 1992 classic, 1492: Conquest of Paradise. Unfortunately, with such great news came great pain as Scott made the following comment:

"The problem with Gérard is he doesn’t speak very good English and I didn’t have the heart to say, 'Gérard we need to [re-record all your lines]'. . . . Now if I asked, 'Gérard, can we ADR you with Kenneth Branagh?' he’d probably say, 'Yeah, of course.'"

Although he's likely correct that Gérard Depardieu wouldn't say "no" to ADR, I believe such a move would result in a colossal mistake. Depardieu's voice in this film is so iconic, beautiful, and soothing, that replacing it with another actor, no matter how acclaimed or "good," would do an eternal injustice to the film. If they go through with this, they might as well replace the majestic score of Vangelis, or perhaps reshoot the movie entirely.

Yes, Depardieu has an accent. He was born in France; what of it? Personally, everyone I know has never had a hard time understanding him. In fact, I feel that his accent elevates his performance. 

Please help me save Depardieu's voice in 1492. Ridley Scott made a masterful film, one that will never be forgotten; a film for the ages. I can't wait to see it when it's re-released, but we can't lose Depardieu's voice in the process. Such a sacrifice isn't necessary. I hope they reconsider it. Please, sign this petition and aid Ridley Scott in rescuing 1492: Conquest of Paradise!

Thank you for your support.