Heath Ledger’s Final Movie With 2 Oscar Nods Is Still the Best Fantasy of All Time

You don’t have to be a Terry Gilliam diehard to know that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is straight-up notorious for being Heath Ledger’s last film — but honestly, the behind-the-scenes story is almost wilder than the movie itself. Let’s dig into how this trippy fantasy came together, how the crew handled disaster mid-shoot, and why the movie landed on so many 'Best Fantasy' lists, even if it didn’t take home any Oscars.

The Movie That Almost Didn’t Get Finished

So, here’s the setup: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is pure Gilliam — surreal visuals, a fantasy circus on wheels, grubby modern London colliding with mind-bending dreamscapes. If you’ve watched 12 Monkeys or Monty Python’s weirdest stuff, you get the vibe. Gilliam and co-writer Charles McKeown cranked this one out for Sony Pictures Classics, with a limited US release on December 25, 2009 (if you wanted weirdness for Christmas) and a wider showing in early 2010.

What’s the actual plot? Honestly, it hardly matters — Gilliam’s visuals are trippy enough that watching is its own reward. But for those who care: a carnival troupe (dragging around this insanely elaborate wagon across London) offers people a door into their wildest fantasies — but as usual, there’s a twist, and lots of existential soul-bargaining with Mr. Nick (the Devil, just with better tailoring).

Oscar Nods & Fantasy Street Cred

You might not remember Parnassus sweeping at the Academy Awards, but the film did get some well-deserved attention for its visuals:

• Best Art Direction (Production Design) for Dave Warren & Anastasia Masaro, with set decorator Caroline Smith.
• Best Costume Design for Monique Prudhomme.

Prudhomme herself apparently got a full license to go as over-the-top as possible — she’s said Gilliam wanted everything pushed to the limit, since it was basically his ‘Imaginarium’ made real. She and her team absolutely delivered, racking up a Costume Designers Guild award and a Satellite Award on top of the Oscar nomination.

The Real Drama: Ledger’s Passing and the Movie’s Pivot

Now, the part everyone remembers: Heath Ledger died in January 2008 in New York, just a third of the way through filming as con man Tony. Production shut down, everyone was in shock, and it looked like the movie might die then and there — but Gilliam, instead of just recasting or trying to paste in Ledger digitally (ugh, thank god), pulled off an actually clever solution.

Here’s what Gilliam did: whenever Ledger’s Tony stepped into a fantasy world (by way of a mirror — because of course), he would reappear in a new form. And who did they get to step in? None other than three of Ledger’s friends, with some serious star power:

• Johnny Depp — doing a slick, charming spin as Tony.
• Jude Law — turning on the tragic, scrappy energy.
• Colin Farrell — playing the most intense, grounded version of the character.

This trio basically save the movie and turn what could’ve been a tragic, lopsided mess into one of the most unexpectedly elegant tributes in movie history. The film actually leans into its fragmented approach; the handoff between actors isn’t hidden, it’s a plot feature. And fun fact: Depp, Law, and Farrell all gave their pay to Ledger’s daughter, Matilda, which is about as classy as you get in Hollywood.

Where Does It Stand Now?

If you’re just in it for fantasy movie bragging rights, Imaginarium makes most ‘Best Fantasy Movies’ lists (84th on Rotten Tomatoes, if you’re counting) and remains a must for anyone who wants to see Gilliam go full wild. It’s also, undeniably, a last look at a major star who went out too soon — and a case study in how to save a movie when everything falls apart.

'The paradigm, the scheme that Terry had come up with was that we would build this marvellous wagon, we’ll sink all our money into it, it will be the great Swiss Army knife of film sets, and then we’ll just haul it around London with four horses and wherever we shoot we open it up, light it, and bang – bang – bang – off we go.' — Dave Warren (Production Designer), explaining the movie’s lo-fi, high-concept approach

If you haven’t watched it lately, or just want to see one of the most inventive fixes to a mid-production disaster, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is available on Prime Video and Apple TV. It’s a slice of movie history, even if you forget half the plot by the next day (which, let’s be honest, is part of the charm).