After the shock of Heath Ledger's death, there were questions about his latest project, Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Then came rumors last month from AICN that Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell would ALL step in to replace the actor. Well, the site was right! Reuters reports that the filmmaker has confirmed the involvement of all three actors.

According to a statement from producers: "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." They follow with: "Each of the parts played by Johnny, Colin, and Jude is representative of the many aspects of the character that Heath was playing."

For once, it seems like Gilliam's notorious bad luck will pay off into something special. In the words of the man himself: "I am delighted that Heath's brilliant performance can be shared with the world. 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."

Variety reports that Virgin Comics will partner with Jonathan Mostow for a feature film version of his just-published comic, The Megas. Based off an idea from Mostow about a group of elites, it is part of Virgin's Directors Cut line of comics. Mostow is perhaps best known as the director of Terminator 3, but he is in good company at Virgin. Other directors who have signed up include John Woo, Guy Ritchie, Ed Burns, and Terry Gilliam.

The story "revolves around Detective Jack Madison and his race-against-the-clock investigation to uncover secrets behind the mysterious sex-fueled suicide of a Prince in The Megas royal family. Meanwhile, the King is on his deathbed at The White Palace (yes, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!), and society is bracing for the inevitable chaos that will surely ensue once he dies." Basically, it seems to be about a corrupted ruling class and the everyman who is forced to bring them down.

There is no word yet on whether Mostow will be involved with writing the script, or directing it for that matter. Mostow already has a remake of The Swiss Family Robinson, and the sci-fi thriller The Surrogates, with Bruce Willis, lined up for 2009. If Virgin wants to get this production going any time soon, they might have to start looking for someone else to take over. The original model for the Director's Cut series was to create comics that were tailor-made for film adaptations, so I would assume that we are going to start to see a lot of Virgin comic book movies in the near future.

The pic above is a smaller, cropped look at the hi-res still that was just thrown up over at the official website for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Hearing about any of Terry Gilliam's films can make one ooh and ahh over the possibilities, but there's nothing quite like the first good look at what he's molding with those amazing filmmaker hands of his -- especially when it's a morality tale about selling precious things for selfish means.

I think what I've always loved about Gilliam isn't the creative worlds he creates (those are great, don't get me wrong), but rather some of the small moments within them. A lot of people didn't like Tideland, but there was something about Jodelle Ferland's Jeliza-Rose talking to those doll heads that instantly charmed me.

Anyway, after all the trouble recently with the passing of Heath Ledger, I'm really glad that the project lives on -- for Gilliam, for Ledger, and for us, the eager fans out there.

Despite the fact that nobody knows for sure how the film will be finished, the website for Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus went live today. Sure, it only features the title, director and "Coming Soon," but at least it's a good sign that the film will go on ahead. Unless you've been living in a bubble, you likely know that production on Parnassus shut down a few weeks ago due to the sudden death of its star, Heath Ledger. As of yet, the film doesn't seem to have restarted shooting, but there have been rumors and hints about how Gilliam plans to continue a film without its principal actor. First, we heard that Johnny Depp would replace Ledger completely. Then, Parnassus co-star Christopher Plummer mentioned the use of CGI as a solution.

Now there's another option. According to Quick Stop Entertainment, the film is definitely going forward and is definitely going to keep Ledger's footage, as a tribute to the actor. According to Aint it Cool News, additionally, is word that another actor could actually replace Ledger for his unfilmed scenes, because Ledger's character actually transforms into another person once he enters some kind of magic mirror. So, Depp or some other star could be cast as Ledger's "'other side' personae" as AICN calls it. Anyway, now that we have that website to check in with, we might have a better source for updates as they come.

As much as I hated Terry Gilliam's last film, Tideland, I still consider him my favorite living filmmaker (Tideland was the first to completely disappoint me) and was looking forward to his next feature, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus more than possibly any other film in the works. Unfortunately, Parnassus lost its star when Heath Ledger died suddenly last week, and there was lots of talk that Gilliam's latest would be scrapped. Anyone who has followed Gilliam's career knows that would be more than tragic, because Parnassus would be the second major work of Gilliam's to go unfinished after shooting had begun (see the depressing documentary Lost in La Mancha for the story on his shut-down project The Man Who Killed Don Quixote). Well, after rumors that Ledger would be replaced by Johnny Depp, who would come in and reshoot the late actor's scenes, there is a new claim that Gilliam is going to keep Ledger's footage and continue the shoot using special effects magic.

The claim comes from Parnassus co-star Christopher Plummer, who spoke to People magazine and had this to say: "Fortunately, because the film deals with magic, there is a way, perhaps, of turning Heath into other people and then, using stills and I think they call it CGI..." Plummer, who plays the title character in the film, also mentioned that Gilliam wants to finish the film for his friend (Ledger) and dedicate it to him, too. Additionally Plummer spoke on the working conditions of the Parnassus shoot in London and on Ledger's health prior to his leaving the set, further providing for speculation that Ledger's death was of non-narcotic causes. Anyway, about the finishing with CGI Ledger, that is excellent news, and something I've been expecting to happen all along (if it was good enough for The Crow 14 years ago, it's good enough now). I absolutely loved Ledger in The Brothers Grimm (the first of Gilliam's films to somewhat disappoint me), and I can't wait to see him and his computerized clones in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.

We are talking about the UK Sun here, but I'd say for any rumored possibility, this is the one to pay attention to. As I last told you, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was in total shutdown. The workers questioned seemed to think it was the end, but this is Hollywood, and that pic has got a lot of money behind it, so I'd be surprised if they stopped that easily. That means filling Heath Ledger's shoes for all of the blue-screen work. According to The Sun, Terry Gilliam is thinking about asking Johnny Depp.

The two have a long history, so if I was to believe any rumors of replacement, it'd be this one. But how could they do it? Sure, under certain conditions they can look similar, but "similar" really isn't good enough. However, a studio source reportedly says: "There is a point in the film when Heath falls through a magic mirror. He could change into another character after that and that is where Johnny would come in." Well, that would make sense, and be pretty darn convenient. Personally, I'm hoping it's true. With Johnny, there's still a big name in it to appease financial backers, and he could certainly do the role justice and allow fans to see Heath's last work. Thoughts?

After the shocking death of Heath Ledger yesterday, some fans wondered about The Dark Knight, while others were curious about Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. While the bat-flick wrapped earlier, Variety reports that there was still a lot of work ahead for the Python alum's next movie: "The $30 million indie pic wrapped the London leg of its shoot last Saturday. The production team has moved to Vancouver, Canada, where blue-screen work was due to start next week and continue until early March." (Ledger's name was a key part of the indie flick getting so much money.)

So far, there has been no statement issued by the producers on the film's plans, as I imagine they're all suffering from a mixture of shock, grief, and panic. The project, which also includes the likes of Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, and Tom Waits, focuses on "the story of an ancient traveling show which arrives in modern London with a magical mirror that can transport its audience into fantastical realms of the imagination."

Between this and the Don Quixote turmoil, I would not want to be in Gilliam's shoes.

But I do want to leave you with this sad, yet touching, quote that Variety posted from Gilliam, which he said last month during an interview: "Heath is extraordinary. He's just so good, and he's going to be a film director. He's watching everything, and he's going to be a much better director than I will ever be." (Ledger had been planning his directorial debut with The Queen's Gambit.)

UPDATE: According to US Weekly, the production was shut down.

At this point I'm starting to think that the paparazzi have camped out on the set of Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus. Of course, the legions of squealing teenage girls trying to get a shot of the 'dreamy' Heath Ledger might have something to do with that. Just Jared.com is now hosting five new photos of star Heath Ledger hard at work on Gilliam's latest fantasy flick. These photos don't really give anything away, but you know how proprietary those photogs can get, so you'll just have to visit Just Jared to get a look. Last month, Jared had posted some photos that could be described as 'spoilerific'; but fear not, these latest give you a look at Ledger in the midst of a what looks like a fancy dress ball. Keep in mind, though, that this is a Gilliam flick after all, so for all we know the scene could be taking place in a 7-11.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is Gilliam's first original script in a long time and is set in parallel versions of modern-day London. *Christopher Lee plays the 1000-year-old Parnassus who, along with his traveling theater troupe, has a debt to pay to the big baddie himself: the Devil (as played by the gravel-voiced Tom Waits). The cast also includes Verne Troyer (the man forever known as Mini-Me) and Lily Cole. Gilliam wrote the script with his long-time collaborator Charles McKeown. The film has a budget of $30 million, which is a pretty big price tag for an independent film, but I'm guessing all that set decoration isn't cheap. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus is slated for release in 2009.

*Correction: Parnassus is played by Christopher Plummer

This has been going on and on and on for what seems like forever. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote has continually been just a step away. After news started to heat up in May of 2005, Johnny Depp was back on board, then they were "closer" to solving some legal troubles in the fall of '05, and then after a long pause, Terry Gilliam said that they were in the "final, final, final" stages of fixing this legal brouhaha. Of course, almost a year has gone by since then, and the legal issues are still not settled, but Gilliam remains positive and once again is talking about how close they are, this time to Empire.

"[Producer] Jeremy Thomas is very close to getting all the pieces of paper signed from all the people who you gotta get signed. He's been on it for a year now, and he's come the closest to getting it untangled from the legal swamp it was in. And, um, I don't see why, I don't see anything that's gonna stop it now. He's just gotta get all the paperwork done and then I call Mr. Depp and see which pirate film he's still on."

Last year, I probably would've gotten excited over this news, but after the way things have played out, I would be more surprised if the film got made, then if I had to write another blog post next year about Gilliam talking about how close they are to getting it made. But maybe this year will be the year. They'll just have to find a new Quixote first, since Gilliam says Jean Rochefort won't be returning: "Physically, he can't do it. It's a real tragedy, but he can't. His arse is broken."

Stay tuned -- at some point we'll either have production news, or yet another teaser that the film is this close to being made.

So you might be wondering why I chose not to include the actual photos from the set of Terry Gilliam's latest, The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus. Well trust me, it's in your own best interest if you are not a fan of spoilers. Just Jared has a few on-set photos of star Heath Ledger and they are pretty creepy, not to mention "spoilerific." So if you like to keep things a surprise, you probably won't want to peek at those ones. The film is a passion project for Gilliam and is his first original screenplay in a long time. The story (or what we know so far) centers on the magical Dr. Parnassus and jumps between parellel stories of a modern day London and a far more mystical version of that very same place.

Gilliam sees a little of himself in Parnassus, telling Variety, "Parnassus is trying to bring amazement to people, and not doing a very good job of it, because they aren't paying attention to him. But if they will enter his mirror, and allow their imagination to mix with his, they enter these extraordinary worlds, and they come back transcendent -- or they strangely disappear" -- sounds about right as a metaphor for a Hollywood career. Along with Ledger, the cast also includes Christopher Plummer (as the good Dr), Verne Troyer, Tom Waits, and Lily Cole.

Back in October, Christopher had reported on the film, and a glimpse at some of the concept art for the film. Now, there are also some images floating around the web of some of the set pieces for the film that emerged in London on Monday. The flick had started production earlier this month, and as anyone who is a fan of Gilliam knows, his kind of fantasy doesn't come cheap. So keep your fingers crossed that Gilliam gets the chance to finish his masterpiece this time around. The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus is set for release in 2009.

[via Movies.com]