In October 2008 we got our first look at photos from the film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus which was the film that the last Heath Ledger was filming when he passed away in early ‘08. After some delay and story re-shoots and tweaks, the film was finally completed and enjoyed its UK premiere in Empire Leicester Square in London, England last night. Here are a few photos from the premiere’s red carpet arrivals:
When the actor Heath Ledger died unexpectedly in New York last year, he was midway through shooting a film with the director, Terry Gilliam. The death left Gilliam heartbroken and without his lead. Yet he managed to finish the film, using Ledger’s friends – Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law – to complete the unshot scenes. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus opens here next week … Director Terry Gilliam and members of the cast are in the UK to celebrate the film’s long awaited launch. Heath Ledger, the film’s leading actor, died suddenly of an accidental overdose in January 2008 forcing Gilliam back to the drawing board in order to save the film he was half way through shooting. The fantasy drama tells the tale of Doctor Parnassus and his “Imaginarium” – a travelling show where members of the audience get to live through their imaginations. But, after doing a deal with the devil to trade his immortality for youth dark forces begin to creep up with Doctor Parnassus and his travelling show. Ledger stars as an interloper with a keen interest in Parnassus’s daughter, played by model Lily Cole. Luckily for Gilliam most of Ledger’s ‘real world’ scenes were finished before his death and three actors, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law, were keen to step in and help finish the film. The actors now appear as three different aspects of the character’s personality.
It’s crazy that so much time has passed since Heath’s death … it doesn’t seem like that long ago. It was odd seeing Ledger on screen as The Joker in Batman: The Dark Knight last summer just a few months after he passed away … I imagine those same strange feelings will come into play when Parnassus opens in theaters this Fall. This film is THE last of Heath Ledger’s work … it’s kinda weird that there will be some sense of loss again when people see this film in theaters. I must admit, I’m anxious to see Heath on the big screen again … it’s just a real shame it will be for the last time ever.
[Photo credit: Splash News, Wireimage; Source]
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