The story follows its protagonist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Doctor Gonzo, as they descend on Las Vegas to chase the American Dream through a drug-induced haze, all the while ruminating on the failure of the 1960s countercultural movement.

Hunter Thompson said Fear and Loathing was “75% true.” He was hired by Sports Illustrated to write a short piece on the Mint 400 dirt-bike race. He never got it done. Which incidents were true and which not is anybody's guess, but Thompson liked to put himself in dangerous situations and see if he could survive.

Depp and Gilliam were paid $500,000 each but the director still did not have a firm deal in place.