Heath Ledger''s frenzied reinvention of the
Joker had fans and colleagues buzzing. The
deaths of others — notably Bruce Lee and his son Brandon — created an eerie allure that heightened interest in their final films. Opening July 18, the film''s must-see status has only risen since Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose Jan. 22.
In today''s anything-goes celebrity climate, it''s doubtful anyone in
Hollywood ever felt Ledger''s death might hurt the box-office prospects for "The Dark Knight," Gehring said. In the days after Ledger''s death, fans debated how it might affect the film. Would the advertising shift away from its early focus on Ledger''s demonic Joker and his mocking taunt, "Why so serious?" "Of course, you find more poignancy in moments, and I''m very, very aware he''s not here with us," said Bale in an interview shortly after the film''s opening segment — in which Ledger''s Joker orchestrates a bank heist — was screened in mid-March at ShoWest, a convention for theater owners. It was the first time Bale had seen the sequence, and Ledger''s death weighed on his mind. Director
Christopher Nolan , who revived the franchise with "Batman Begins," said he expects the
performance will speak for itself, that morbid thoughts of Ledger''s death will not affect the way audiences view "
The Dark Knight ." "What I found in watching the movie myself is that you''re not
looking at the actor, you''re not looking at the friend, you''re not looking at the colleague. Ledger — known for serious films including "Brokeback Mountain," which earned him a best-actor Academy Award nomination — was a surprise choice for the Joker, most famously played previously with Jack Nicholson''s giddy performance in 1989''s "Batman." Caine''s first glimpse of the character came when Ledger emerged onto the set from an elevator; in an interview last September, four months before Ledger''s death, Caine said he was so startled that he forgot his lines.
Unlike Oliver Reed, whose death during the filming of "
Gladiato r" prompted the filmmakers to digitally graft his head onto another man''s body to complete a scene, Ledger had finished his work on "The Dark Knight." Gilliam salvaged the production by casting Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell for the fantasy portions, each playing Ledger''s character on trips through a magic mirror into a parallel realm. The snippets of Ledger''s "Dark Knight" performance released in trailers have captivated not only the average fan, but also his close colleagues from past films.