Director May Save Ledger's Last Film

Actor had pneumonia, took sleeping pills on set, co-star confirms
By Sam Gale Rosen,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 28, 2008 6:43 PM CST
Director May Save Ledger's Last Film
Terry Gilliam attends Bangkok's International Film Festival in this undated file photo.   (Getty Images)

Heath Ledger's last unfinished film may live on thanks to the magic of CGI, People reports. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was partly about sorcery, so Ledger's character could morph into someone else using computer wizardry, co-star Christopher Plummer said. He added that director Terry Gilliam is "throwing himself into the job of trying to salvage" the $30 million picture.

Plummer confirmed that Ledger caught pneumonia on Imaginarium's damp London set and failed to "deal with it immediately with antibiotics." He said Ledger was also popping pills to cope with insomnia. Meanwhile, reps for Johnny Depp are snubbing rumors that the actor has been asked to take Ledger's role. (More Heath Ledger stories.)

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