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FIRST LOOK

First Look: Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

by Alex Billington
October 21, 2008
Source: SlashFilm

This isn't exactly our very first look at the late Heath Ledger in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, but it's one of the very first official photos from the film. Thanks to SlashFilm (and his reader David) we've got this rather somber photo of Ledger in what looks to be a fantastically imaginative new film from the twisted mind of Terry Gilliam. This follows a weird introduction video that we ran for Doctor Parnassus back in September. Even though this isn't much, I guess I'm just very intrigued by this film and always want to see and hear more about it, even if it's just one new photo like this.

The magic mirror in which the actors travel through seems to be sitting behind Ledger in the photo below. Sadly, Ledger passed away during filming, so Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell all stepped in to fill his role for the remainder of the film. "Ledger's character falls through a magic mirror four times throughout the film" making these transformations into other actors actually feasible. Interested?

For more information on the film, head to: doctorparnassus.com.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is both co-written and directed by eclectic filmmaker Terry Gilliam, of films like Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Time Bandits, Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas previously. The film was written by Gilliam and actor Charles McKeown, of Brazil and Ripley's Game scripts previously. This film doesn't actually have a US distributor just yet, but it's expected to pick up one fairly soon and arrive in theaters sometime in 2009.

Explore tags: First Look, Hype, Movie News

Red Buttons

I miss him.
Sleazy EZ

I miss him, too. I'm just glad there's one more film I get to see his incredible talent displayed in. Can't wait.
http://houdini_splicer.livejournal.com Houdini Splicer

I really want to see this film, but I know I'm going to have a problem watching it Heath was always one of my favorite actors and I'm excited to be able to see him in action one more time, but to know it's the last.....:(
tzarinna

I thought this was a no go. Well, it's good to see that's not the case anymore, sounds like a pretty neat story with a fine line up of actors.
django

Seems like a far more appropriate bow-out for the late, great Mr. Ledger. To literally turn into other characters, and even actors. Something surreal and poetic about that - not least of which b/c Gilliam will be directing it.
Samantha

I cried a little watching Heath as the joker in the Dark Knight and I know I will watching The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Such a great talent and I sadly miss him.
Fenris

you all miss him ?? did you know him ?? Come on no one outside his family and friends knew him.... its a great shame he died but dont put the guy on a pedestal he died in a stupid pointless way. Now im not hating on him he was a good actor and had some great roles of late that were giving him a chance to shine espescially his Joker but this character like all others is only made great by a team effort of script, direction, budget and acting. Im sorry but i dont get with all this "the dead actor was the greatest" hysteria thing... Marylin, james Dean, Lennon, Princess Diana all these people gained a higher fame by young deaths. im sure they would have slipped from fame in one way or another as they aged or made bad choices in career or life its only that they now have a minds eye perpetual youth and died at the height of their climb to fame that they become revered..... Credit the living and mourn the dead but dont make people saints for little or no reason...... p.s apologies for the rant but i get fed up with all this sentimental falseness..
twispious

oh shut up fenris for god's sake anyhu this should kill off the joker buzz
Matt

Go Fenris!!!! I agree with you man. It's stupid that people with a fair bit of ability become cult heroes and legends through death. Heath was a good actor, but do not pretend that he revolutionised cinema or changed peoples lives through his work. So few people gave a crap about him or even knew who he was 12 months ago. Now even my friends grandma talks about what a great talent he was and I doubt she's even seen one of his films!!!!
Red Buttons

Well #7 & 9 We mourn him in the scope of film. Isn't that obvious. No heath wasn't a Churchill or any earth mover. But he moved us in film. And that is a good enough reason to miss him. Get over yourselves.
heathlover

oooo i cant wayt till this comes out it comes out 4 days before my be day soo i am gunna i like book the whole cinema so no one else can watch it hahaha
James Dean

I think that Parnassus will be one of the best films of the last years. I'm looking forward to it, can't wait!
samy

awww I miss him =(
tyler wilson

thank you fenris, yes he was great, and this new addition should be as well but I dont know if you can top the joker, I also hope that buzz never stops, it was great. he should have been more appreciated when he was alive.
http://houdini_splicer.livejournal.com Houdini Splicer

People can be 'missed' on different levels. Just because you didn't personally know someone doesn't mean they weren't important to you. I, nor anyone else, in this topic anyway, said he was a saint, god, etc...and we all know he wasn't. He did die in a stupid way. He fucked up. We all get it, and I am damn sure he knows it too. Anyone who says he 'he did something stupid, that's why he died', isn't saying anything new or even remotely relevant because everyone and their mother knows that. I'm not going to get into why I personally miss him in great detail because it will just be a case of tl;dr, but there are reasons why people can become attached to other people in situations like these. No one feels the loss greater than his family, friends and people that actually knew him, no one is saying otherwise, but you don't always have to 'know' someone for them to make an impact on your life in one way or another.
torres9

alittle long # 7 but fact and # 15 i dont think he knows he f'd up ,hes dead siiiiiick
avoidz

Heartless morons. Probably 12-year-olds who feel more for their iPods than for people.
Angel

#16 - Coming from someone who believes in an afterlife, then he probably does know he fucked up, dead or not. #17 - If it were another actor/musician/celebrity/etc...that they were more personally attached too, they'd be singing a different tune.
Red Buttons

Great post angel.
Fenris

#17 no im not 12 and that was a really profound post of yours..... As i clearly stated i am not hating on Heath Ledger i am simply saying celebrate his work but dont get all maudlin and confused over soemone you never knew and never will. believe me when i say this as it is fact... Heath Ledger was nothing like his roles in film so to say you miss HIM is a physical impossibilty.. And you cant miss his work as its all on DVD.... if you have lost family or people you are close to you will know the difference of actually missign someone. I do !! Anyway i hope the movie is good as i like Gilliams work.. god i hope he doesnt die "I'll Miss Him" lol
Linwe

LOL, wow Fenris. You probably aren't 12 years old, you're probably just an asshole and obviously with your last statement, didn't actually thoroughly read what some of the other posters were even saying.
Fenris

21 Linwe - i read all of them and the majority agree with what i said........ seems you didnt read them numbnuts..... and thanks for lowering the bar and bringing insults into a conversation so as you can see i responded by highlighting your utter lack of situational awareness. and the award for most pointless and utter nonsensical post goes to ..tantaaraaa LINWE !!!
Red Buttons

I think only matt agreed with you. Tyler said thanks, but then talked about how awesome the joker was and i started to remember the movie in my mind. Man i love that movie.
Fay

Oh, for goodness' sakes. Yes, raising Princess Diana/James Dean/Marilyn Monroe/Heath Ledger whoever onto a pedestal because they were pretty and famous and died young is NOTHING remotely like mourning the death of someone you actually knew. Yes, I dare say that some of the people who have said "Oh, that poor guy, what a talent, cut off so young" etc etc etc had never heard of him before he was suddenly famous for dying. It doesn't make them idiots; it just means that they have social skills, and they think it's sad a young man died. But there are plenty of us who remember him from 'Home and Away' (Australian soap - don't know if you got it in the US? It's v. popular in Britain) and have thoroughly enjoyed watching him succeed in Hollywood, and been impressed by his depth and flexibility as an actor, and who are genuinely (albeit selfishly) sorry that we won't get to see him go on developing into older roles. Yes, he was great as The Joker - but, Jesus, he ripped my heart out of my CHEST with 'Brokeback Mountain'. And he charmed the hell out of me in 'A Knight's Tale' and 'Casanova' and in 'The Brothers Grimm', and in '10 Things I Hate About You' - arguably my favourite reworking of a Shakespearean play. Will "I miss him" in the sense that I would miss a lost friend? Well - duh. No. And I very much doubt that the people here who have used that phrase are using it in that sense. Will "I miss him" in the sense that I regret all the roles that he won't play now? All the wit and panache and depth and emotion that died along with him? The growth, maturity, increased mastery of his craft that might have been? Yes. I regret that, and if I were a rather less wordy person I might well encapsulate that with "I miss him". Selfishly, I'm sorry I won't get to see any more of his work. I'm also enough of a decent human being to be sorry that he left a young child fatherless, and a family and friends bereft of someone they loved. All of which aside - I love Gilliam's work, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to this film.
jocelyn

You know I have read some of the above comments and some are very well noted and some are ..well not.....I have seen some of Heath Ledger's movies...not all but some and what I have seen were well performed. Especially his performance in The Dark Knight as the joker. I am looking forward to seeing The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. For sure his performance in this movie will be great even though it was short lived.....To Johnny Depp, Colin Ferrall and Jude Law...thumbs up for your most generous offer to complete the movie for Heath and Terry Gilliam and for your donation to Heath's daughter Matilda....If anyone has seen pictures of Matilda, she is the spit of her father and hopefully she will have inherited his talent and kind personality too and maybe some day as she grows up she will come to know who her father was and be so proud of him....So sad he is leaving behind a beautiful daughter, one he loved so much, but this is life and some mistakes we learn from and some are fatal and in this case Heath's mistake was fatal.....I am sure everyone who knew him, i.e....family, friends, fellow actors and actresses and ones who didn't know him all feel a void in their lives with his pasing.....There will be no more movies, but there are memories and Heath Ledger will never be forgotten.....as long as his daughter is with this life he will never be gone....We read so many articles about his problems with substance abuse and if they are factual then this part of his life is sad.....addictions are horrible and some overcome these issues and some don't. For some in the movie industry I guess life can be hell and for some not so bad...very demanding business, but I guess he loved the challenge of the work...he someday wanted to direct movies and he would have been great at it, but I guess we as the general public will never know....Heath well deserves an Oscar, not for his passing, but for his great performance as the Joker....I personally loved the movie and I am not a fan of Batman Movies......All we can hope for is a good life for Matilda and should she venture into the industry, hopefully she will not fall into the trap of the business.....
costy

better say all a prayer for him.
Kitty

well finally people can stop blaming dark knight for heath ledgers death. i swear if i hear he killed himself or that move killed him i'm gonna slap someone seriously hard. however i do see this movie driving him to the brink of needing some prescrption pills i mean right after he does dark knight he jumps into this dark and twisited fantasy. Knock Off Tim Burton style. please. if i had to act in this crap. i'd need help as well....
Kenna

seriously.. fenris... they are saying they miss him like as a person. it is sad that he died.. and we wont see him in nemore films. get your Gawd damn head out of your ass.
jocelyn

YES, YES, YES....Heath Ledger won the Golden Globe Award for the Joker...Gotta love it....looking good for an Academy Award....cross your fingers....