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With Ledger's passing here's some info on his last 2 films and if his death effected them...
The Dark Knight's Dilemma
How will Ledger's death affect his future films?
by Stax
January 23, 2008 - Even as the investigation into yesterday's shocking death of actor Heath Ledger continues, Hollywood is trying to determine how the Oscar nominee's sudden passing will affect his last two film projects, this summer's The Dark Knight and Terry Gilliam's now-filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
With The Dark Knight, Ledger was poised for the sort of Hollywood blockbuster success he had largely shunned in favor of indie fare such as Candy and I'm Not There. But the role of the villainous Joker in the Christopher Nolan-directed sequel to Batman Begins offered Ledger the opportunity to put his own decidedly dark spin on the Joker, who was last played on the big screen by the iconic Jack Nicholson. Bat-fans' responses to the recently released Dark Knight trailer (see below) had been overwhelmingly positive, suggesting that Ledger had succeeded in making the role his own.
Alan Horn, President and COO of Warner Bros., the studio behind The Dark Knight, said in a statement yesterday, "The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news. The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."
Although Ledger had wrapped filming on The Dark Knight last fall, it was not immediately known whether he had completed any post-production work that may have been required. According to Ain't It Cool News, "Heath's post work was complete. He had indeed finished it, as to not interfere with the production of the film he was doing with Gilliam."
The dilemma that Warners now faces is how to market The Dark Knight in light of Ledger's death. The Joker had been the cornerstone of the film's marketing thus far, especially its online viral campaign that concentrated on the actor's grim and ghoulish take on the Clown Prince of Crime.
An unnamed insider with knowledge of the film's marketing campaign informed Variety, "The Joker character is dealing with chaos and life and death and a lot of dark themes. ... Everyone is going to interpret every line out of his mouth in a different way now."
The trade adds that, as of yesterday, The Dark Knight was still slated for release July 18.
Less certain is the fate of Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which is still in production. Ledger had been working on the film in London as recently as last week, and was reportedly due back on set in Vancouver this week. There's no word yet whether Gilliam will re-cast the role, if Ledger's work can somehow be completed in post-production a la Brandon Lee in The Crow, or if the movie will be canceled. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "The film's producers were in meetings Tuesday afternoon in an effort to work around the tragedy."