Heath Ledger Might Appear in Next Batman Movie

Greg Tito

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Sep 29, 2005
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Heath Ledger Might Appear in Next Batman Movie



The director of The Dark Knight wants to reuse footage of Heath Ledger in the next Batman film, even though he died in 2008.

Christopher Nolan did a great job bridging his first reboot Batman film, Batman Begins, with the second film, The Dark Knight, by showing the villain Scarecrow being captured early on in the sequel. Hollywood sources report that Nolan might want to do the same thing with his third film, The Dark Knight Rises, by briefly showing the Joker, perhaps incarcerated in Arkham Asylum. The only problem is that Heath Ledger, who played the Joker in The Dark Knight, tragically died from a drug overdose in 2008 before that film was even released. Nolan might get over that little challenge by a liberal use of CGI on existing footage of Ledger as the Joker.

"The idea is to use these fragments of cut scenes and use CGI to have The Joker appear one last time," said a source close to the director. "Chris wants some continuity between movies and for the franchise to pay tribute to Heath and his portrayal of the Joker."

Luckily, Nolan wants to make sure that using Ledger's likeness wouldn't offend anyone, especially the actor's family. "It would only be a fleeting moment in the movie and would only be included with the full consent of Heath's family."

I honestly think that it's a wonderful idea, as long as it's handled well. As little as ten years ago, I could totally tell that Oliver Reed's character in Gladiator was faked in the one scene that needed to be filmed after the actor had passed away. But film technology creeps ever forward, and it's possible that a short cameo appearance by a deceased Ledger will not be as obviously doctored.

It would certainly be a great tribute to a brilliant performance by Ledger, not to mention his whole career.

Source: Showbizspy.com [http://www.showbizspy.com/article/219872/heath-ledger-to-feature-in-new-batman-movie.html]

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Dec 14, 2009
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It would definately work for continuity purposes. Wouldn't want to get a new actor because that'd piss off all the 'OMG Heath waz tee bestes joker, nobodie should play the joker every again!!11" kids.
But damn, he was a brilliant Joker. Now, if we could find a brilliant actor who just happened to have Mark Hamil's voice...
 

Darth Rahu

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Nov 20, 2009
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Heath returning from the grave with the power of computers to maintain some semblance of continuity in the Batman movies? Now if only the comics can have the same decency with them bringing Bruce Wayne back, which I'm refusing to believe until they make it less stupid. Either way, w00t!
 

mjc0961

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Nov 30, 2009
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True, tech is probably pretty good to the point where you could do something like that and not have it be obviously fake.

However, if the part is so small, it seems like it would be a whole lot simpler to just get somebody close to Ledger's body and face type to put on the Joker makeup and costume, and then you wouldn't have to worry about the scene looking fake. Of course, I guess that ruins the whole tribute aspect of it.
 

Buizel91

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Aug 25, 2008
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Well, Nolan hasn't let us down yet, why would he start now?

If it's only for a brief moment, their is no problem :)
 

Jamboxdotcom

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i don't see the point of having Joker in the next movie at all. i loved Ledger as Joker, and don't think anyone could top his role, but why have him in the next movie? to cheesily boost your draw? Nolan's too good a director to go that route, imo. i don't recall seeing Ra's al'Ghul in Dark Knight Returns.
 

Buizel91

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mjc0961 said:
True, tech is probably pretty good to the point where you could do something like that and not have it be obviously fake.

However, if the part is so small, it seems like it would be a whole lot simpler to just get somebody close to Ledger's body and face type to put on the Joker makeup and costume, and then you wouldn't have to worry about the scene looking fake. Of course, I guess that ruins the whole tribute aspect of it.
It will probably be a brief seen of Batman passing by some cells, one having the Joker in it

And it would not be a good idea to get any other actor to do it, unless you want at least 70% of the people who loved Dark Night to blow down Nolans front door.
 

Flare Phoenix

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Dec 18, 2009
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No, just leave the Joker out of it. Leave it so people remember Heath Ledger for his brilliant performance in the Dark Knight; not for a crappy edit in the next movie.
 

BlumiereBleck

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Daystar Clarion said:
It would definately work for continuity purposes. Wouldn't want to get a new actor because that'd piss off all the 'OMG Heath waz tee bestes joker, nobodie should play the joker every again!!11" kids.
Thats what people said about Jack!
 

Buizel91

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Jamboxdotcom said:
i don't see the point of having Joker in the next movie at all. i loved Ledger as Joker, and don't think anyone could top his role, but why have him in the next movie? to cheesily boost your draw? Nolan's too good a director to go that route, imo. i don't recall seeing Ra's al'Ghul in Dark Knight Returns.
Because Ra's Al'Ghul died... Joker did not.

And clearly says he is being added for continuity purposes only.
 

TaboriHK

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Sep 15, 2008
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Everyone loved Ledger in that role. I don't think it'd be tasteless at all to have one final throwback to the character that more or less changed my opinion of Ledger as a serious actor.
 

duchaked

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Dec 25, 2008
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sure it would be incorporated well...

I mean if it's a brief glimpse through narrow cell windows at Arkham Asylum why not
 

Jamboxdotcom

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arc1991 said:
Jamboxdotcom said:
i don't see the point of having Joker in the next movie at all. i loved Ledger as Joker, and don't think anyone could top his role, but why have him in the next movie? to cheesily boost your draw? Nolan's too good a director to go that route, imo. i don't recall seeing Ra's al'Ghul in Dark Knight Returns.
Because Ra's Al'Ghul died... Joker did not.

And clearly says he is being added for continuity purposes only.
yeah, but (granted, it's been a while since i saw Batman Begins...) did they have Lazarus Pits in Begins? 'cause if so, Ra's being "dead" isn't really an issue. (explanation, in case they didn't use Lazarus Pits in the movie, and for those who aren't comic book geeks: in the comics, Ra's is effectively immortal, since he has resurrection chambers called Lazarus Pits.)
 

RobCoxxy

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Greg Tito said:
As little as ten years ago, I could totally tell that Oliver Reed's character in Gladiator was faked in the one scene that needed to be filmed after the actor had passed away.
We mortals are but Shadows and Dust, Titomus. Shadows and Dust.
 

XT inc

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Jul 29, 2009
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The Joker is a far to integral part of the series. It's like it is Batman vs the joker and everyone else is an add on. If they want to continue having him in the series they will just have to find a new actor who can capture the dark joker.

You can't just glimpse cgi him in if you want him in there. It would be like if alfred died you can't just cgi a major component of the story. Get a new actor and move on.
 

ANImaniac89

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Apr 21, 2009
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I truly think Heath Ledger is the most overrated Joker ever. Don't get me wrong Ledger's Joker was great but it felt like it was lacking something. for my money Mark Hamill is the best Joker (and yes he counts). He was/is such a great Joker that whenever I read a Batman Comic the voice that the Joker has in my mind will aways be Hamill's version.

I think this is an OK idea in theory, If done respectfully. But the sad truth is that every time I find out more info on Dark Knight Rises I lose a little more hope of it being a good film.
for me the perfect follow up to Dark Knight would be if they took the main storyline from the graphic novel Dark Victory which puts a new spin on how Dick Grayson becomes Robin and helped Batman recover from the guilt he feels from Harvey Dent becoming Two-Face. Dark Victory was the sequel to The Long Halloween which was clearly used for The Dark Knight.

But No there will be no Robin, none of the unrealistic villeins and now a cut and paste Joker made of stock footage, Right now I'm just hoping this series ends and a new more fantastical reboot comes along.