Depp to Replace Ledger in Imaginarium?

SciFi Wire is reporting that The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus director Terry Gilliam could be looking to actor Johnny Depp as a potential replacement for deceased actor Heath Ledger, who died during the filming of Imaginarium.

Quoting the British tabloid The Sun, SciFi Wire reported:

"There is a point in the film when Heath falls through a magic mirror," a studio source told the paper. "He could change into another character after that, and that is where Johnny would come in. It’s a weird, fantasy, time-travel movie, so Heath’s character could easily change appearance. It would be a poignant moment. Johnny’s not working at the moment, so everyone is praying he will do it."

As one astute ComicMix reader pointed out, this is only the latest in filmmaking troubles for Terry Gilliam. Depp was also involved in one of the director’s most notable film fallouts, a project initially titled The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Gilliam’s tumultuous experience with Quixote was later documented in the film Lost in La Mancha – a great film for anyone who wants a behind-the-scenes peek at how a series of unfortunate events can completely derail a big-budget film.