Eerie Final Films of Stars Who Died Young

Brittany Murphy's last movies follow a morbid trend

By Evann Gastaldo, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 24, 2009 9:11 AM CST

(Newser) – In the wake of Brittany Murphy’s death, her latest film roles take on an especially creepy symbolism. The Frisky points to the just-released trailer for her upcoming movie Abandoned, in which she plays a woman under psychiatric care—and E! notes that the box art for another recent film, Deadline, shows Murphy’s character, lifeless, in a bathtub. The Frisky looks back at the final roles of others who died young:

Heath Ledger: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is about traveling performers who make deals with the devil—and let’s not forget his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.
River Phoenix: He was 90% done filming a movie called Dark Blood before dying of an overdose on the sidewalk in front of the Viper Room nightclub.
Aaliyah: The singer died in a plane crash before her last movie, Queen of the Damned, was released.

For the complete list, click here.

[Images (3)]

[Videos (1)]

Brittany Murphy is shown in a promo image for one of her last films. (Redbox via E!)

In this undated image originally released by Warner Bros., Heath Ledger portrays The Joker in a scene from "The Dark Knight." (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Stephen Vaughan, file)

Aaliyah at 'The Tonight Show with Jay Leno' at the NBC Studios in Burbank, Calif., on July 25, 2001. (Getty Images)

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Brittany Murphy is shown in the "Abandoned" trailer. (ALEKSmusicTv11)

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Eerie Final Films of Stars Who Died Young