Earlier today, as you might have expected, the future of Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” was cast into doubt due to the untimely death of one of its main stars Heath Ledger.
Terry Gilliam, while probably monstrously upset, probably couldn’t help but wonder if he was cursed? Gilliam’s had a rocky – to say the least – number of last few years when it’s come to getting films off the ground (as we’ve discussed many times). His ‘Don Quioxte’ film (which he’s trying to get off the ground again, the glutton for punishment) was demo’d by difficulties and shut down a few weeks into production (which was painfully documented in the 2002 film, “Lost In La Mancha”), and his next two films “The Brothers Grimm” – starring Heath Ledger – and “Tideland,” were bombs neglected by studios and limped into barely-there theatrical releases (no to mention the huge studio debacles that were “Brazil” and “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen”).
The $30 million indie wrapped its London leg of shooting last week and the had been move to Vancouver, Canada, where blue-screen work was due to start next week and continue until early March, presumably with Ledger. Well, absolutely with Ledger (20 days of filming had been completed; other stars included Tom Waits and Christopher Plummer).
Gilliam’s luck isn’t getting any better. Ledger wasn’t the film’s lead, but apparently funding for the film was contingent on his participation. Us Weekly is now reporting that the film has been shut down for good.
“I just got the call [Tuesday] saying everyone was being let go,” an on-set source told the gossip rag. “We were supposed to start this weekend, but obviously they fired everyone today.They don’t know yet what they are doing with the footage that was already shot. Right now, everyone is in complete shock and can’t even speak.”
Not a huge surprise and yet another sad blow to this sad story.
‘Parnassus’ was supposed to follow an ancient traveling theater company “which arrives in modern London with a magical mirror that can transport its audience into fantastical realms of the imagination.” Plummer was supposed to play the Dr. and Ledger’s role was an outsider that fends off the devil (Waits).
It remains to be seen whether Ledger’s death was a suicide (and all reports point to an accidental overdose), but nonetheless ‘Imaginarium’ had a weird, now chilling hanging scene in it with a noose around Ledger’s neck that’s pretty disturbing in retrospect.
In an November MTV News interview while promoting “I’m Not There,” Ledger called the film “mind-bending” and “a hoot.” “It’s going to be fun. I love Terry. I’d really do anything for him. I’d cut carrots and serve catering on his movies.”
Ledger was attached to Terrence Malick’s long-gestating “The Tree of Life,” but left the project before he died (Brad Pitt is in talks to replace him).