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« A Beautiful Fraud
Depp, Law and Farrell to Replace Heath Ledger?
Johnny Depp by Eamonn McCormack/ WireImage.com, Heath Ledger by J. Vespa/ WireImage.com
From Bela Lugosi’s heart attack during Plan 9 from Outer Space and Natalie Wood’s drowning midway through Brainstorm to Brandon Lee’s fatal shooting on the set of The Crow, a number of productions have had to work around the unexpected death of a leading actor. Now it seems Terry Gilliam, the director of Heath Ledger’s last project, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, may have found a most creative way around his own tragic dilemma. According to Ain’t It Cool News, Ledger’s role in the film will now be played by not one but three alternating replacements: Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law.
Not much is known about the plot of the film, but Ledger’s character has been described as a man in love with a young woman whose soul has been sold to the devil by her father, the traveling showman of the title, in exchange for eternal youth. No word yet on how the rather extreme differences in the four actors’ looks will be explained.
If any one could pull this off, it’s the imaginative and daring Gilliam, who also directed Ledger in 2005's The Brothers Grimm, but it sounds to me like a risky gambit. This could be either a touching tribute from a director and trio of fellow actors, or a confusing disaster. What do you think?
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Feb 15, 2008 3:19 PM
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This is brilliant.
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Feb 15, 2008 4:29 PM
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The concept is brilliant. He may use each actor as different phases of the character's life. I can see how it could be a little confusing, but I have no doubt it will follow along with the plot. Excellent!
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Feb 15, 2008 4:37 PM
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Cool! Hollywood is so much of the same old, same old. Maybe this works, maybe it doesn't but at least it's something different.
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Feb 15, 2008 4:39 PM
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I read something somewhere that they thought this may be an option so that they could finish film and that the way they would explain the difference in appearances would be that Heath's character changed his appearance as a result of his soul being sold to the devil (or something like that). Whatever it is, I'm willing to give Gilliam and Depp, Farrell & Law the chance to make it work. You know actually I can see where Depp and Farrell look a LITTLE BIT alike (not much, but a little ... I guess its the dark hair and kind of scruffy look), but not Law. But like I said, I'm willing to give them (and the movie) a chance.
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Feb 15, 2008 4:54 PM
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Fabulous! I'd read that perhaps they would complete the picture using CGI, but I like this idea better. Kudos!
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Feb 15, 2008 4:56 PM
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From what I've read, there's a point in the film where Ledger's character falls through a magic mirror into some sort of fantasy world. Apparently, he goes through the mirror a couple of other times in the movie. All the real world segments of the film have already been filmed already, so theoretically, his character would change in appearance each time he goes through.
I like the actors they've chosen to complete the film and I hope it works, although I am kind of bothered by the fact that Depp is 16 years older than Ledger.
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Feb 15, 2008 5:40 PM
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I think Depp is perfect - after all, he has his own aging portrait hidden up in an attic somewhere. LOL
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Feb 15, 2008 5:45 PM
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Having the character's face change a few times is much better than having it change just once. If only one of the above-mentioned actors were to take over the role it would be more obvious while watching the film that it was done so because of Ledger's death, but if this face changing can be explained as a trait of the character, and it happens more than just once, it could fit seamlessly into the film, rather than stick out like a sore thumb.
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Feb 15, 2008 5:53 PM
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It sounds awesome. And what a great tribute to Heath that these other wonderful actors are stepping up to finish his final film.
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Feb 15, 2008 6:03 PM
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Sounds wonderful.
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Feb 15, 2008 6:33 PM
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Johnny Depp is a loser.
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Feb 15, 2008 6:35 PM
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Genius. Great actors, too.
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Feb 15, 2008 6:44 PM
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Good for them. I realize it’s unavoidable in most cases but I always feel bad when a great actor/actress dies and their final work is relegated to some forgotten shelf because it was unfinished. This honors the actor, gives his fans a chance to see his last work, keeps the cast/crew from losing their jobs, and even probably even makes the producers a ton of money.
That’s a lot of good being done and well worth the effort imho.
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Feb 15, 2008 6:52 PM
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Similar concept as "I'm Not There", except here it makes infinitely more sense in a fantasy movie, and if anyone can pull it off, Terry Gilliam and these three actors can.
Looking forward to the film.
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Feb 15, 2008 6:54 PM
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