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domino harvey wrote:I don't think his films are good. How he is at problem-solving, we're about to discover

[i][url=http://www.smart.co.uk/dreams/]Dreams[/url][/i] wrote:LATEST NEWS - 6 February 2008

The producers of The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus have been in touch with Dreams. There has been some misleading information out on the Internet, including at IMDB, suggesting that the film has been shut down. IMDB also removed Dr Parnassus from the list of Heath Ledger's films. It has been a very difficult time on the production, because all involved have been grieving and assessing the future. Since Heath Ledger's death, the producers have kept quiet, but now they have told Dreams that shooting of Dr Parnassus will recommence very soon.

More information on how the production will continue without Heath will be released in the next few days. But the producers have revealed that all of Heath's performance will remain in the film. Dreams will have an update as soon as further news is available.

A website has been launched at http://www.doctorparnassus.com.

Worst Previews wrote:It is looking more and more likely that Heath Ledger's "Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" could actually be completed, even though Ledger passed away in the middle of the shoot. Some of the proposed ways of continuing were to bring on an actor to replace Ledger during a mirror scene in the movie. Another way is to take all the already-shot footage and use that with CGI to have Ledger finish his part of the film.

AICN now reports that the first option will end up being used, but instead of one actor stepping in, there will be three. Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell will all take over for Ledger in different parts of the film, playing a character trying to save the daughter of a traveling showman, who sold her to the devil.

At this point, it looks like director Terry Gilliam will get his chance to finish the project and the same time, some of Hollywood's best will be able to pay tribute to Ledger.

Stories behind the scripts
From Theron to Ledger and back again
Glen Schaefer, The Province. Published: Sunday, March 09, 2008

It was last Thursday, which meant Vancouver-based producer Rob Merilees was in Los Angeles with Charlize Theron for that night's premiere of their Saskatchewan-filmed movie Sleepwalking, which opens across North America on Friday.

And Bill Vince, Merilees' partner in the film and television production company Infinity Features, was at a soundstage in Vancouver where work has resumed on director Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, the late Heath Ledger's last film.

Juggling far-flung locations and production schedules from Hong Kong to Britain and everywhere in between has been the Infinity partners' daily routine since their profile spiked when Capote took them to the Oscars in 2006. Nominations that included best picture, and a best-actor win for star Philip Seymour Hoffman, have drawn a steady stream of new collaborators, including actor-producer Theron and director-writer Gillian for his latest fantasy.

Parnassus became international news for the worst reasons when star Ledger died after having finished several weeks of exterior filming in Britain. Gilliam, Vince and a cast that included Christopher Plummer took a break while Gilliam rewrote the film to allow three other actors to finish the work that Ledger started.

The filmmakers aren't saying exactly how Colin Farrell, Johnny Depp and Jude Law will fit into Gilliam's fantasy narrative, except that the fantasy plot allows for Ledger's character to change his appearance.

"It's been a challenge, obviously," says Merilees who has watched as Vince, Gilliam, and Gilliam's producing partner and daughter Amy have restructured the film. "The worst thing that could possibly happen, happened, but you know it's going well. It's just been really heartwarming to see everyone stepping up to the plate, actors coming in and helping us pay tribute."

Filming resumed on Parnassus Feb. 24, after Gilliam rewrote to account for the different actors. It wraps April 15.

"It was Terry reimagining the film, pressing as hard as he could to keep it afloat and keep it moving forward," says Merilees.

"I'm not on the front lines of that one, but I'd have to say they put it back together in a pretty elegant way. With Terry leading on the cast and reimagining the project, the best thing we could do was stand by and support him."

Vince and Merilees first met director Gilliam when they were in Saskatchewan making the Ryan Reynolds comedy Just Friends and Gilliam was there making the surreal drama Tideland.

Johnny Depp Steps In to Finish Heath Ledger Film

By REUTERS
Published: March 10, 2008

LONDON (Reuters) - Work on Heath Ledger's last film, suspended due to his death by accidental overdose in January, has resumed after three Hollywood stars agreed to play his character, director Terry Gilliam said on Monday.

Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law will step in to complete Ledger's unfinished role in the movie "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," portraying various incarnations of his character, but Ledger's presence in the movie will also be maintained.

"Since the format of the story allows for the preservation of his entire performance, at no point will Heath's work be modified or altered through the use of digital technology," the film's producers said in a statement.

"Each of the parts played by Johnny, Colin and Jude is representative of the many aspects of the character that Heath was playing," they added.

Gilliam said filming on the British-Canadian production, due for release next summer, had resumed in Vancouver "with the blessing and support of Heath Ledger's family."

Ledger had just finished shooting scenes for the movie in London before his death. Newspapers have reported that the story involves a magical mirror that takes people into different dimensions, allowing Gilliam to switch between actors.

"I am delighted that Heath's brilliant performance can be shared with the world," Gilliam said. "We are looking forward to finishing the movie and, through the film, with a modicum of humility, being able to touch people's hearts and souls as Heath was able to do."

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is described as a modern-day fantasy adventure and has a budget estimated at $30 million.

Terry Gilliam Curse Tempted Once Again as 'Dehydrated' Verne Troyer Rushed to Hospital

Believe it or not, the last person we'd expect to perpetuate the Terry Gilliam Curse recently landed in the emergency room: Verne Troyer, soon to be seen as Mike Myers' tiny bad-joke magnet in The Love Guru, was reportedly dispatched to a hospital outside Vancouver while shooting Gilliam's near-doomed Heath Ledger project The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus:

A source close to Troyer, 39, says the actor was experiencing "flu-like symptoms."... Adds the source, "He's been working really hard on the film. They just wanted to hydrate him."

A rep for Troyer denied that he was treated for a drug-related problem. "Verne is fine and doing well and is back to work," the rep tells Us.
We wouldn't normally care to speculate about Troyer's potential for relapse here (he underwent treatment for alcoholism in 2006), but with Gilliam and Us Magazine both being who and what they are, we're not exactly choking on our grain of salt. Anyway, didn't new insurance regulations after Ledger's passing require all Gilliam principals to be under strict 24-hour supervision throughout production? And how much water does Verne Troyer really need in a day, anyway?

And how much water does Verne Troyer really need in a day, anyway?

Fletch F. Fletch wrote:First pic of Tom Waits in character.

AWA wrote:Apparently the distribution problem for this film is rooted in the fact that no one has seen it yet and won't commit to it until they see Gilliam's final cut... which apparently will not be until the end of April. So this will likely be slow moving in terms of news until then as a result.