At the time of his death in January 2008, Heath Ledger was at work on another project following his turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Studio executives are already clamoring over the rights to The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a present-day fantasy written and directed by the visionary Terry Gilliam (Brazil, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas).
Although the movie hasn't even had its premiere as an out-of-competition entry at the Cannes Film Festival -- which begins May 13 -- The Hollywood Reporter says Parnassus may be in the hands of a U.S. distributor even before Cannes gets underway. We'll keep you posted for further details.
Following Ledger's death, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell were cast to fill in his role. They will reportedly represent transformations of Ledger's character, an enigmatic outsider who joins the traveling troupe of Dr. Parnassus, who gives his audiences visions of alternate realities. Also in the cast are Tom Waits, Verne Troyer (aka Mini Me), and veteran Christopher Plummer in the title role.
Posted 05.06.09 by reelz