NEW DETAILS: Heath Ledger's Last Role
April 30 2009, Published 6:41 a.m. ET
Heath Ledger's final movie performance in The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus will make its debut at The Cannes Film Festival on May 22, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Ledger – who died at the age of 28 from an accidental drug overdose on Jan 22, 2008 in New York – had completed half of his work performing the role of Tony in director Terry Gilliam’s fantasy blockbuster.
In a surprising move, after Ledger’s untimely death, Irish star Colin Farrell stepped in to play the part so that the movie – which also stars Johnny Depp and Jude Law – could be completed.
Director Gillam told UK site This Is Bristol: “I just didn’t want to waste any moment of Heath in life or on screen, and that’s Parnassus. The main thing is that it really works. That is what I was concerned about and I can say, hand on heart that it is really good.”
The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus tells the story of his extraordinary traveling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom.
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So far, the movie does not have a US release date, although several companies have expressed an interest in buying the rights to the film because so many people will want to see his final performance.
Meanwhile, fans of Ledger may still get to see a music video he directed for the band Modest Mouse before he died.
The video for the song King Rat is slated to be released sometime in the near future. Modest Mouse’s Australian singer Issak Brock struck up a relationship with Ledger after their families took a boating trip together in their home country.
Ledger received a posthumous Oscar for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
(Photo: Splash News)