While the late Heath Ledger’s family and friends tend to the sad
details of his burial this weekend, a debate is ripping through Internet fan sites about what will stand as Ledger’s last completed
film, the Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight (due to open on July 17th). The burning
question is, how complete was Ledger’s post-production work on the
maniacal character of the Joker?
On Jan. 25th, E! Online gossip columnist Ted Casablanca posted an item quoting a "studio insider" saying that Ledger had done "zero"
post-production looping on the movie. (Typically, an actor re-records
many lines for a film long after principal photography wraps, in a
process called "automated dialogue replacement," or ADR. It’s an
especially extensive process when many shots have been filmed on
location, since all kinds of incidental noise can interfere with the
dialogue’s clarity and can require up to three-quarters of the lines
to be re-performed on a dubbing stage, with the actor looking up at the
film images and matching his or her own mouth movements.) But Ledger’s vocals are
perfectly clear in the bits of footage so far released—trailers and a
prologue bank-robbery sequence shown with IMAX prints of I Am Legend.
Fan websites like Ain’t-It-Cool-News, Superherohype.com and
Batman-on-Film.com are full of assertions contrary to the Casablanca
report, saying that in fact Ledger was done with all significant looping. Ledger himself, while promoting the
Todd Haynes film I’m Not There last fall, had said he was finished with
his work on Dark Knight.
Still, given the way post-production schedules usually run on
mega-budget superhero films, it’s not out of the realm of possibility
that director Chris Nolan might have wanted to call on Ledger for
limited additional sessions with more than six months to go before
opening weekend. Directors often decide to insert new bits of dialogue
in post-production for the sake of clarity and economy. Doing anything
like that now with Ledger’s Dark Knight role would require hiring
another voice actor to emulate his speaking voice, or creating a
complicated mash-up from Ledger’s existing dialogue tracks. (Both of
these alternate approaches have been taken in similar past situations,
as when Oliver Reed passed away before the completion of Gladiator and
James Dean died before the release of Giant.)
Dark Knight director Chris Nolan and execs at Warner Bros., the studio
releasing the film, were not available for comment, and have not issued
any public statements about the status of the movie. EW placed a call to Oscar-winning sound
designer and sound editor Richard King, who’s handling the Dark Knight
audio work, but he declined to comment. According to several other
sound-mixing experts who also declined to speak on the record, there’s
no way to tell what the situation is with Dark Knight from the outside,
since the amount of ADR required, and the timetable for doing it,
varies wildly between films. (In plenty of instances, looping is not
completed until very close to the final release date, perhaps as little
as a month or two out.) Ledger had been working in London on Terry
Gilliam’s film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which meant he was
close to Dark Knight director Chris Nolan’s home turf and might well
have been available if needed.
Warner Bros. has temporarily pulled back on some of the promotional
material centered on Ledger’s creepy whiteface makup as the Joker,
keyed to the tagline "Why So Serious"? It remains to be confirmed
whether the film’s technical wrapup will require a new game plan as
well. —Steve Daly
Still, given the way post-production schedules usually run onmega-budget superhero films, it’s not out of the realm of possibilitythat director Chris Nolan might have wanted to call on Ledger forlimited additional sessions with more than six months to go beforeopening weekend. Directors often decide to insert new bits of dialoguein post-production for the sake of clarity and economy. Doing anythinglike that now with Ledger’s Dark Knight role would require hiringanother voice actor to emulate his speaking voice, or creating acomplicated mash-up from Ledger’s existing dialogue tracks. (Both ofthese alternate approaches have been taken in similar past situations,as when Oliver Reed passed away before the completion of Gladiator andJames Dean died before the release of Giant.)
Dark Knight director Chris Nolan and execs at Warner Bros., the studioreleasing the film, were not available for comment, and have not issuedany public statements about the status of the movie. EW placed a call to Oscar-winning sounddesigner and sound editor Richard King, who’s handling the Dark Knightaudio work, but he declined to comment. According to several othersound-mixing experts who also declined to speak on the record, there’sno way to tell what the situation is with Dark Knight from the outside,since the amount of ADR required, and the timetable for doing it,varies wildly between films. (In plenty of instances, looping is notcompleted until very close to the final release date, perhaps as littleas a month or two out.) Ledger had been working in London on TerryGilliam’s film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which meant he wasclose to Dark Knight director Chris Nolan’s home turf and might wellhave been available if needed.
Warner Bros. has temporarily pulled back on some of the promotionalmaterial centered on Ledger’s creepy whiteface makup as the Joker,keyed to the tagline "Why So Serious"? It remains to be confirmedwhether the film’s technical wrapup will require a new game plan aswell. —Steve Daly
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It’s sad to think this is still important in retrospect, but clearly it is.
I hope the amount of work Ledger put into this role will be apparent once released.
http://framespersec.blogspot.com/
I agree, it is very sad to think that this is still important but I completely understand why it is. For those of us who didn’t get the pleasure of knowing him on a personal level, it is still a significant loss as we have grown with him over the years through watching his movies and interviews and being allowed a peak into his personal life now and then, although not a personal relationship, still a significant loss as he was in our homes in some way or another.
Although Heath was an actor by trade, I think we all need a little more time to grieve the man behind “Joker” such as the father, son, brother, and friend to so many.
-Caroline
(R.I.P. Heath, may you find some comfort in being a guardian angel to your sweet baby girl Matilda for all eternity)
I think it is completely inappropriate to address these concerns when his family hasn’t even had his funeral yet!
I was at a movie theater today and the “why so serious” poster was on display. Although it is terribly sad thsi happened, I think their original plan should go on because well, the show must go on.
The lyrics of the Cat Power song, The Greatest, have hung over me this week has I reflected on Heath’s passing:
Once I wanted to be the greatest
No wind or waterfall could stall me
And then came the rush of the flood
Stars of night turned deep to dust
Melt me down
Into big black armour
Leave no trace of grace
Just in your honor
Lower me down
To culprit south
Make ‘em wash
The space in town
For the lead and the dregs
Of my bed i’ve been sleepin’
Lower me down
Pin me in
Secure the grounds
For the later parade
Once I wanted to be the greatest
Two fists of solid rock
With brains that could explain
Any feeling
Lower me down
Pin me in
Secure the grounds
For the lead and the dregs of my bed
I was sleepin’
For the later parade
Once I wanted to be the greatest
No wind or waterfall could stall me
And then came the rush of the flood
Stars of night turned deep to dust
I think this sort of thing should not be discussed around Mr. Ledger’s family and loved ones at the moment.
They have plenty of things to be upset about and they dont need to hear the complaints and wining of the coldhearted, money hungry, heartless movie production company talking crap about Mr. Heath Ledger and what he DID NOT do to promote or finish the movie before he passed away.
This movie company needs to grow a heart and show a little compassion and sympathy and stop thinking of themselves for a moment!
Because of this show of selfishness that this movie company is presenting, I am boycotting this movie in loving memory of Mr. Heath Ledger. I know this is his last works of art but I also know that this movie caused him alot of stress and could possibly be the main cause of Mr. Ledger’s untimely death. I refuse to support something that caused a persons demise.
But those money hungry people are going to do everything in their power to get their share.
Hollywood is full of a bunch of greedy, ignorant pigs! It is completely inappropriate to address these concerns when his family hasn’t even had his funeral yet!
How is it inappropriate? I hate to say it, but death is a part of life and the world can’t stop spinning because of this. While it is very sad and tragic, it still needs to be figured out.
It’s not as if it’s strange that he didn’t do post-production work at this point… in fact it’s quite normal. For those that say they are boycotting the movie, bummer for you because it’s going to be a great movie and ledger will be amazing in it. I don’t think the studio was discrediting his hard work, in fact all I’ve heard is how dedicated of an actor he had been (not only in the dark knight). Life must go on, and to completely stop the movie and not going to it is more of an insult to him than boycotting it because you think you know the whole story based on a gossip column.
Paul, Betty, did either of you even read this article? Nobody connected with the film is “talking crap” or even commenting.
“Dark Knight director Chris Nolan and execs at Warner Bros., the studio releasing the film, were not available for comment, and have not issued any public statements about the status of the movie. EW placed a call to Oscar-winning sound designer and sound editor Richard King, who’s handling the Dark Knight audio work, but he declined to comment.”
You two need serious work on reading comprehension.
This is a legitimate question that immediately crossed my mind when I learned of Heath Ledger’s death.
It’s also an important issue when you consider what happened when Natalie Wood drowned during Thanksgiving weekend in 1981. She hadn’t completed all of her work on “Brainstorm,” and the film that resulted was negatively affected because of her loss.
I know for a fact that Heath’s performance as the Joker is gonna be the greatest performance I have seen. Where one actor completely just immerses themselves into the role and blows everyone away.
I cannot wait.
Um, Paul, it clearly says in the article that Warner Bros and Mr. Nolan have not commented on what work may have remained to be done on the movie, nor have they been “talking crap” about Heath Ledger.
I don’t think it is disrespectful to Heath’s memory to talk about the work he was doing; what’s disrespectful is the media speculation on why he died.
Rest in peace, Heath, you’re already sorely missed.
Aha, Jakeem….you make a good point about Natalie Wood. But think about Brandon Lee’s untimely death during production of “The Crow”….what resulted was one hell of a movie, a fine piece of work that served as a great eulogy to a rising young actor that also died far before his time.
Why is everyone being so angry towards the production company? This is an article written by EW that is based purely on speculation and clearly states that the studio would not comment on it.
I really dislike Ted Casablancas. He seems like he’s always looking for the negative where it may not exist and if anyone disagrees with him, they’re “pissy” or in denial or something. Blech. Some people don’t know when to quit, even when it’s a case where a wonderful young man has just died.
What I was talking about in my first posting wasn’t all from this article. I have been reading numerous articles from various websites such as CNN, OMG, Yahoo, MSNBC, Eonline, EW, not to mention, local news stations. I have read numerous other articles that officials who have hands in this Batman movie are complaining about what Mr. Ledger DID NOT do before his passing. I have been keeping up with this since he died and I am adding everything up together and realizing that all of this is equaling up to be about the money lost by the officials of the production company instead of showing sympathy for the family. I have seen every movie Mr. Ledger had made and enjoyed everyone except this one. This is the one that is being marked as causing him alot of stress and nightmares. Yes, I will not feel right supporting something a great actor,who was very well loved,being blamed because he died.I have my right to boycott and if the rest of you would read more, you’ll understand what I’m saying.
What I was talking about in my first posting wasn’t all from this article. I have been reading numerous articles from various websites such as CNN, OMG, Yahoo, MSNBC, Eonline, EW, not to mention, local news stations. I have read numerous other articles that officials who have hands in this Batman movie are complaining about what Mr. Ledger DID NOT do before his passing. I have been keeping up with this since he died and I am adding everything up together and realizing that all of this is equaling up to be about the money lost by the officials of the production company instead of showing sympathy for the family. I have seen every movie Mr. Ledger had made and enjoyed everyone except this one. This is the one that is being marked as causing him alot of stress and nightmares. Yes, I will not feel right supporting something a great actor,who was very well loved,being blamed because he died.I have my right to boycott and if the rest of you would read more, you’ll understand what I’m saying.
It is sad when someone dies, especially when they are so young and have so much to look forward to. Heath Ledger was a very talented person and he was a great actor. I feel in The Dark Knight his full performance should be shown and nothing cut short because of his untimely death. As a great actor he deserves this last tribute to his talent. Our prayers are with his family and we are sad at his passing.
Ted Casablanca is gay.
frankly, Paul, you’re just a jerk who is looking for attention… if you want to boycott thats your own stupid choice, but did you really have to announce it on the EW comment board?
yeh, you jerk.
Sorry, I don’t generally read entertainment sites and I also don’t believe everything I read. If you choose not to support things that caused a persons demise perhaps you should consider that statement further… peoples unique passions have caused their own demise for as long as anyone can recall, writing, acting, flying, sports, love… pretty much anything can cause a person to make poor choices because of their passion for it.
I know that in my own life there is much that would be left undone.
Why are people saying what Mr. Ledger did or didn’t do? Look at your own life, folks. Do you have Wills? Power of Attorney for healthcare, financial? Have you got your house in order? Is all your work on your job done up to the moment of your demise?
Last night I bought People mag … I look at Heath Ledger’s picture and read what is written, and cannot believe he’s gone. Yet, my dear husband died of Esophageal Cancer at the age of 55 and we knew and planned for his passing by enjoying our lives together.
If you or anyone you know has heartburn and/or reflux, a simple endoscopy procedure can show if cancer might be on your horizon. Will YOU take care of that in YOUR life — before it’s too late?
RIP, Mr. Ledger. Maybe Life is the accident.
I can empathize with fans and family of Heath Ledger, and acknowledge how trivial these concerns may seem faced to the untimely death of the actor, but we also need to be concerned with the living people who worked for a long time in producing and filming The Dark Knight. We can’t ask them to throw away their work and livelihood. Moreover, I am quite sure that Heath would have wanted them to honor him by completing their work and bring to the public the best movie they can make. Heath was an artist, and his art relied on the work on countless people. He would not want them to suffer from his tragedy more than they already did. What is trivial to us, is essential to them because it is what brings food on the table.
i think heath ledger was a extrodinary actor my 2 fav. and his role as the joker will be extrodinary too! i watched the trailer he looked scary but cute as always but why the quetioning about the movie he finished it and its gonna be awesome i think it should be released on time if not sooner love ya heath!!
You two need serious work on reading comprehension.
I could not have put that any better.
Well said, David. Paul, Betty…
Read what is written, not what you think is written.
I find it funny, so many comments mentioning how heartless the movie execs are for mentioning this before even the funeral, etc… If you actually read the article, you would see that there’s been no comment about this situation, not from the studio, or the director. This is a media created controversy, and I feel so sad seeing how the people fall for it
Nolan and the WB need to make some sort of announcement saying everything is under control otherwise there’ll just be endless rumor and speculation. Obviously I wouldn’t expect any such announcement until after the funeral, out of standard decency.
Hollywood lost a great soul and a great actor. My thoughts are with Heath and his family at this time.
MGT – Hollywood Productions