The first photos from the late Heath Ledger’s final role have made their way to the Internets. The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus was the film that Heath was working on — was very close to finishing, in fact — when he tragically passed away earlier this year. As y’all know, Heath very expertly portrayed The Joker in this summer’s blockbuster film Batman: The Dark Knight but it turns out that his other performance as a clown will be remembered as his final film:

Newly released photos show Heath Ledger in the film role he never completed. The actor died of an overdose of prescription medicine halfway through filming The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus in January. The 28-year-old’s death temporarily stopped work on the film, but it has now been completed and is due out next year. The photos are the first official shots to be released. Following his death Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell all stepped in to fill his role for the remainder of the film, playing different incarnations of Ledger’s character. The £15 million fantasy film involves a supernatural mirror that takes people into different dimensions, allowing director Terry Gilliam to switch between actors. Gilliam, who previously worked with Ledger on The Brothers Grimm, has retained the footage shot of the late actor. A third of the movie was filmed in London’s Clerkenwell, with Ledger dying in his Manhattan apartment three days after completion. His co-stars, including model Lily Cole, went onto film in Canada.

Even tho it’s been many months since Heath Ledger passed away, I still find his loss very hard to accept. He was so vibrant and was such a talented actor … I really do miss him still. Even tho I had no reservations in watching Heath’s performance in The Dark Knight after his passing, I am hesitant about seeing this movie. I dunno why … there is a different sort of tragedy attached to this film for me. I have no doubt that Heath turned in an exceptional performance. After the jump, check out a few more photos of Heath as the motley clown in Parnassus … (more…)

People magazine is reporting that Matilda Rose, the only child of the late Heath Ledger, will be the sole heir of Ledger’s estate … which has been determined by Ledger’s next of kin. While I find this wholly appropriate, I cannot help but think on this as a sad, bittersweet development in Matilda’s very young life. There is a snag, tho … TMZ is reporting that the life insurance company that insured Ledger’s policy is opening their own investigation into his death to determine if he died by accident or by suicide … if suicide, they will not have to pay out the premium. Blah. What a sad, gross scenario this whole thing has become. Here are a few really supercute pics of Matila out for a stroll on the streets of NYC this weekend, lookin’ as cute as can be … thankfully, she’s too young yet to know what any of this stuff means:

Heath Ledger’s family has decided to donate his entire estate to the late actor’s daughter, Matilda Rose. Two years before his little girl was born, the Dark Knight star – who died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs in January – signed a will leaving his fortune to his parents and sisters. But Ledger’s father, Kim, says they have decided that all the money should all go to 2-year-old Matilda (the actor’s daughter with ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams). In fact, he tells PEOPLE, that was the plan “from the moment my boy passed away.” “There was never any question about the fact that Heath’s estate would go to Matilda,” he says, confirming a report in Australia’s Sunday Times. “Never a question. We are very close to Michelle and Matilda” … Although some reports have valued Ledger’s assets at up to $20 million, Adelaide accountant Mark Dyson – an executor of the actor’s estate – has refused to state the amount Matilda will inherit.

It’s unclear if the premium to be paid from Ledger’s life insurance policy is included in his estate … which could significantly affect Matilda’s inheritance:

The company that wrote Heath Ledger’s $10 million life insurance policy is being sued after claiming the actor’s death might have been a suicide, even though officials concluded it was accidental. Lawyers for Ledger’s daughter say it’s a transparent ploy to avoid paying the money. ReliaStar Life Insurance Company wrote the policy in June 2007 — six months before Ledger died. The beneficiary of the policy is a trustee who would hold the money for 2-year-old Matilda. Instead of paying the $10 mil, ReliaStar set out to investigate whether Ledger took his own life, despite the fact that the New York City Medical Examiner ruled the death accidental. TMZ has obtained a lawsuit, filed by Matilda’s trustee, claiming ReliaStar (owned by ING Americas) has acted in bad faith by not promptly paying the $10 million and by wrongfully prying into the life of Heath Ledger after his death. Sources say lawyers for the insurance company have claimed Ledger’s death was “suspicious” — possibly suicide, which would nullify the policy. The company alleges in its answer to the lawsuit, “ReliaStar is entitled to investigate Plaintiff’s claim to determine if the ‘Suicide’ provision is applicable.” That provision states, “If the Insured commits suicide … we will pay only the amount of premiums paid to us.” ReliaStar’s lawyers have informed Matilda’s lawyers they intend to take the depositions of Mary-Kate Olsen, as well as the masseuse who was at Ledger’s home when he died, Ledger’s colleagues on his last film, his agents, doctors, psychologists and others. Lawyers for Matilda believe the insurance company is trying to scare and shame them into submission. They believe ReliaStar is trying to drag the process out, for what could be years, to avoid paying the money. We’re also told ReliaStar believes Ledger may have lied on two questions on his insurance application — specifically, whether he was taking prescription drugs when he filled out the application and whether he ever used illegal drugs. In its answer to the lawsuit, ReliaStar claims it can contest the policy if Ledger lied on the application and it was a “material misrepresentation.” Sources tell us Ledger had a prescription for Ambien when he filled out the application, but Ambien was not in his system when he died, nor were any illegal drugs. Lawyers for Matilda’s trust claim ReliaStar is flagrantly violating California law, which prohibits insurance companies from re-examining insurance applications after the policyholder dies. In the lawsuit, Matilda’s lawyers say they received a letter from ReliaStar, asking them to identify “all physicians who attended to [Ledger] and all hospitals or institutions where [he] was treated since 1996.” Matilda’s lawyers say the request blatantly violates the law. An official for ReliaStar told TMZ, “No decision has been made on the claim.” But lawyers for Matilda’s trust believe ReliaStar should have already paid and, according to the suit, is acting “maliciously, fraudulently and/or oppressively … depriving plaintiff of the insurance policy benefits.”

I thnk it’s safe to assume any any insurance company is gonna do whatever it can to keep from paying out premiums, so this comes as no surprise. Whether or not they are able to build a case that benefits them, tho, is another question. In the end, who is the final arbiter? If ReliaStar determines that they don’t have to pay out … who has the final say? Again, I’m glad that little Matilda is too young to comprehend any of this stuff. She is such a little doll, the spitting image of her late father. My heart goes out to her because despite whatever money she may get in the end, it will never be enough to replace the absence of her father :(

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source, Source]

Here are a few pics of the new Joker action figure from Batman: The Dark Knight, created by Hot Toys, which is about to hit the market … I’m just amazed at how much this little figure looks exactly like Heath Ledger. I mean, I know that action figures are supposed to look like the actors who play their characters but that isn’t always the case … in this instance, the likeness is uncanny:

Hot Toys is releasing a 1/6th scale figure of The Joker in “Bank Robber” mode. The figure stands 12-inches tall, features 32-points of articulation, and comes with a choice of two removable heads, one with a huge grin, the other with the slicked back hair. Accessories include a removable clown mask, handgun, a bigger gun, duffle bag, smoke and fragmentation grenades, playing cards, gotham city money and more.

Click HERE to see more photos of this action figure, it’s really very remarkably made. I have a pretty good feeling that Heath would’ve gotten a real kick out of this action figure had he been able to see while he still lived. I think it’s a pretty cool tribute to the chilling character that he portrayed in The Dark Knight. Well done.

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Yeah, remember all that jazz about Mary-Kate Olsen getting subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury to find out what she may know about the circumstances surrounding Heath Ledger’s untimely death? Yeah, that’s already over with … the US Attorney’s Office has decided to officially end the investigation, putting a stop to all subpoenaed testimony before it was even given. You know somewhere Mary-Kate Olsen is heaving a HUGH sigh of relief right about now:

The U.S. Attorney’s Office closed its investigation into Heath Ledger’s accidental overdose death and will not enforce a subpoena against Mary-Kate Olsen, a law-enforcement source told PEOPLE. The probe was closed without any charges being filed. Olsen, 22, was subpoenaed by a federal grand jury on April 23, but her attorney had been in negotiations with federal authorities since then, the source said. Olsen had wanted immunity before testifying. Olsen’s attorney released a statement saying the actress “had nothing to do” with Ledger’s drugs and had already provided “relevant information” to investigators. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Olsen’s rep both declined to comment. Ledger, 28, was found dead in his Soho apartment on Jan. 22, and the coroner determined the actor died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs for pain, anxiety and sleep.

And that, folks, is that. To be honest, I never thought that things would be brought to this point, I never anticipated that subpoenas would even be issued so I’m not all that surprised that the investigation was ended (called off?). By the sounds of it, the investigation shouldn’t've even gotten this far (since “a massive investigation … launched over an accidental death in which no criminality was even hinted at” has never happened before). Hopefully now Heath can just rest in peace and the world can move on … and MK can finally get a peaceful night of sleep (which doesn’t necessarily mean her conscience is totally clear).

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Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, in their roles as Batman and The Joker, are featured on the cover and in the pages of this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly … here is the magazine cover and an excerpt from the coverstory that contains no spoilers but gives you a good understanding of what the article is all about:

With The Dark Knight, Nolan and Bale return to Gotham City for a second, even moodier and more savage installment of the superhero franchise they revamped in 2005 with Batman Begins. The movie delivers on its promise, pitting Batman against the freaky new fiend in psychotic cosmetics who robs banks and blows up hospitals for the sheer anarchic kick of it. Most of the familiar faces (and one new Two-Face) are on board, including wry butler Alfred (Michael Caine), stalwart police detective Gordon (Gary Oldman), and lawyer-slash-love interest Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, taking over the role from Katie Holmes), as well as a new crusading district attorney named Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). The Dark Knight has everything fans expect from the series: gizmos like a sleek new ”Bat Pod” motorcycle, eye-popping stunts (most performed the old-fashioned way, with real stuntmen and real explosions), and, of course, the brooding Bale, arguably the best, certainly the most serious actor ever to growl under the cowl. Still, when the film opens July 18, Ledger will be Topic A. His turn in The Dark Knight would have been widely talked about this summer even if the 28-year-old actor hadn’t died of an accidental prescription-drug overdose last January. It might have even earned him another Oscar nomination (it still could, posthumously). Now the performance is shrouded in tragedy, though, and may well be Ledger’s last cinematic testament (it’s unclear what Terry Gilliam will, or can, do with the actor’s unfinished footage from The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus). And that loads The Dark Knight with a poignancy its creators never anticipated. Certainly one they never desired. Along with the grief it caused friends and family, Ledger’s death cast a shadow of uncertainty over the film. It had Warner Bros. reexamining its entire marketing plans for the movie, conducting taste tests on the appropriateness of Ledger’s clown face on publicity stills and in trailers. Hardly the way the studio had hoped it would be launching its biggest summer thrill ride.

To be honest, I haven’t even read the entire coverstory for fear of reading too much about the movie that is still over a week away from release. If you are so inclined, you can read the article online HERE and risk the spoilers for yourself (a new trailer for The Dark Knight ran in front of Hancock last night and I tried to cover my eyes … there’s just so much TDK stuff out there that I don’t want to see any more until the movie comes out on the 18th). Even still … there is a lot of cool stuff that I think we can see safely, without fear of spoiling the movie. After the jump, check out a photo of Heath Ledger wearing The Joker prosthetics on his face but without make-up … it’s kind of an eerie thing to see … (more…)