just found this on JustJared.com

who knows if it's actually true, but if anyone can do Heath justice, it's Johnny.

Hmmm thanks Lola!! Interesting find.

I just can't see that happening. Johnny is just weeks away from the PE filming, scheduled to begin March 10. I think it sounds like someone wants some publicity using Johnny's name.

Oh well, time will tell. ;)

I just wondered how long it was going to take before you heard Johnny's name being mentioned as a replacement for Heath since it's a TG movie. But like Karen, I just can't see that happening because won't he have to be starting any pre-production on PE?

Nicci :angel

I have to agree with you ladies---sounds like TG is grasping at straws unfortunately-----

-Donna

I've been digging around on Variety, trying to find something one way or the other. The only thing I could come up with is from yesterday's issue.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117979535.html

Posted: Wed., Jan. 23, 2008, 5:24pm PT

Fate of Ledger's last films uncertain

Gilliam, WB mull fate of 'Knight,' 'Parnassus'

By DIANE GARRETT

One day after Heath Ledger's death, Hollywood was still figuring out how to proceed on the two projects most immediately affected.
Production on Terry Gilliam's indie "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" has temporarily shut down, while Warner execs are still determining how to adjust their marketing campaign on "The Dark Knight," which is keyed to Ledger's Joker character in its early stages.

"Parnassus" has three options: Replace Ledger in the role, shoot around him or shut down the production entirely. The insurance company will likely determine which option the producers take.

Samuel Hadida, Bill Vince and Amy Gilliam are producing the $30 million indie, which is largely financed through Hadida's Paris-based Davis Film. Ledger's involvement was a key factor in raising the coin.

Over the years other productions have employed a variety of techniques to work around the death of the actors portraying major characters. For better or worse, advancements in CGI and digital effects made it easier for producers to finish "Gladiator" and an episode of "The Sopranos" after the deaths of Oliver Reed and Nancy Marchand, respectively.

In other instances they have used stunt doubles to finish projects or reworked scenes after the star's death. James Dean's final scene in "Giant," for example, had to be looped after his death in a car crash because he mumbled so much in the shot. When Brandon Lee died during an accident on set during production of "The Crow," director Alex Proyas used a stunt double to complete scenes; Lee's face was added using special effects. That film was days away from completion, however. Similarly, a look-alike for Natalie Wood was used after her drowning death during production of "Brainstorm."

The producers used several techniques to finish "Wagons East" after John Candy died of heart failure, rewriting scenes or using a body double.

Further back, Louis B. Mayer threatened to scrap "Saratoga," when Jean Harlow died suddenly, but relented after fans demanded he release it; a body double finished the remaining scenes with her back to the camera.

River Phoenix was supposed to co-star in "Interview With the Vampire," but when he died, they recast Christian Slater in the role. He was working on another film called "Dark Blood" which was scuttled entirely.

And Chris Farley was working on "Shrek" for DreamWorks when he died; Mike Myers took over the lead voice role after his "Saturday Night Live" cohort overdosed in 1997.

Warners has a different predicament with "The Dark Knight." Production on Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" sequel is believed to largely completed -- principal photography concluded in the fall -- but the initial marketing campaign focuses on the ghoulish Joker character.

To complicate matters further, the studio has just restructured its marketing operation. International marketing topper Sue Kroll now oversees all marketing for the studio in the wake of the exit of former domestic marketing president Dawn Taubin, who developed the "Dark Knight" campaign.

Kroll will likely have to move quickly to rejigger the studio's current phase of the marketing campaign for "Dark Knight," focusing on Ledger's Joker character. This phase of the campaign had been set to run until March.

Ledger's death is just the latest production snafu to afflict Gilliam. He started shooting "Parnassus" in early December and was due to wrap in March. Production segued from London to Vancouver this week.

Ledger was the biggest name in an ensemble cast including Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole and Tom Waits. Story concerns an ancient traveling show that arrives in modern London with a magic mirror that can transport its audience into fantastical realms of the imagination. Plummer plays the impresario Dr. Parnassus, and Ledger took the role of a mysterious outsider who joins the troupe on a quest through parallel worlds to save the doctor's daughter (Cole) from the clutches of the devil (Waits).

Gilliam previously weathered a problem that plagued shoot of "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," dealing with flash floods and the injury of star Jean Rochefort before ultimately scrapping the production.

Ledger's death also came as he was working on what would have been his feature directing debut, an adaptation of the Walter Tevis novel "The Queen's Gambit," with British writer-producer Allan Scott.

The leading role of a young female chess prodigy had been offered to Oscar nominee Ellen Page. Ledger, a skilled chess player, was due to play a supporting role.

In an interview last month, a few days after shooting started on "Parnassus," Gilliam said, "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."

(Adam Dawtrey, Tatiana Siegel and Pamela McClintock contributed to this report.)

That's ver interesting---Johnny's a fan of Tom Waits isn't he? Think he might actually do this? It does seem awful close to the beginning of filming of PE---just don't see how he could do this.........

-Donna

Time wise, I just have a hard time seeing how it could happen. He's usually pretty immersed in his character by now (using past history) and I wonder if he could do justice to another character so fast and then jump back to do Dillinger. Plus, the film's shut down for how long? tick tock Pre-production is under way as we know from Colleen's quote that they are working on costumes.

Gilliam just seems to have the worst luck sometimes. Chaos and entropy are attracted to him somehow. So sad.

My thoughts exactly. Not only is Heath's death a tragic loss, but also it is sad that this movie - which was Heath's last one - maybe won't ever be finished...

I'd really love for the rumours to be true, since I think Johnny would do Heath great justice and also would be able to help Terry Gilliam out. But as has been said before I simply can't really see it working out with the time line. On the other hand I guess it also depends on how much material they'd need to finish the movie. Maybe they'd only need Johnny for a couple of takes. On the other hand that doesn't give him much more time to prepare for the role, so I really don't know whether that could work out....well time will tell, I guess.

I'll take it with a grain of salt.

Heath seemed to follow a Depp-ish career,that's why they brought up Johnny's name.It would be nice to see this happening,but as Karen said,i doubt it,since PE shooting is starting soon ;)

This seems a bit far fetched, can't see Johnny wanting to do it. Thanks for the heads up though! :thumbsup

I agreed, I do not see Johnny stepping in, and how would that work with Ledger in part of the film and Johnny in the last part. I do think Gilliam would want Johnny and if Depp did this it would only be tto help Gilliam out.
Frances

Found this little ditty on People.com. Still mentioning that TG has approached Johnny about replacing Heath but obviously no comment from the Depp camp about this. You have to scroll down to the bottom.

Nicci :angel

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20174404,00.html

Thanks for the bit from People Nicci.


Here's the quote:

It really doesn't say that TG has approached Johnny. Read it very carefully. I still think someone wants attention and using Johnny's name sure gets it these days.

Yes Johnny loves Tom Waits. He named him as one of his musical heroes in his latest interview w/ RS.

Now that line didn't read like that when I posted that article. Gee, things change quickly on the 'net, don't they? When I posted that the line said that there had been no official word from Johnny's rep.

Nicci :angel

It was worded differently when you read it Nicci? Maybe Johnny's people saw it and had them change it?

-Donna

Yep, it changed very quickly. Unless they issued that statement after People.com first posted that article on their site.

Nicci :angel

I found this on Variety.com

http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/

Thanks for that MissCaptainWeird!
I can see Johnny doing it as a favor for Terry, but the timing is bad.
Poor TG he has the darnest luck

This was posted on Cinematical---maybe the film will just use CGI---still a "time will tell" on this one....

Article title:Gilliam to Finish 'Parnassus' with CGI Heath Ledger?

http://www.cinematical.com/category/johnny-depp/

-Donna

CGI effects are cool, but people?? I don't know.

Here's the similar report of Johnny's involvement on 3/11/08 in The Hollywood Reporter:



3/14/08 THR:

Great scans, I appreciate your sharing them with us.