Michelle Williams

Slideshow: Formerly of Destiny’s Child, Michelle Williams in Chicago For Macy’s Tree Lighting

HollywoodChicago.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:45:13 -0700

CHICAGO – This three-image slideshow contains our exclusive photography of Michelle Williams (formerly of the band Destiny’s Child) in Chicago for a Macy’s tree lighting on Nov. 7, 2009. Born in Rockford, Ill., Michelle Williams has also been seen on TV’s “Half & Half”.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto and HollywoodChicago.com. All rights reserved.

michellewilliams1: Michelle Williams (formerly of Destiny’s Child) serenades the crowd with a carol at the annual Macy’s State Street Christmas tree-lighting ceremony on Nov. 7, 2009 in Chicago.
michellewilliams2: Michelle Williams welcomes the HollywoodChicago.com lens at the annual lighting of the Macy’s State Street Christmas tree on Nov. 7, 2009 in Chicago.
michellewilliams3: Michelle Williams, Terry J. Lundgren (chairman, president and CEO of Macy’s) and four lucky little helpers push the button to light up the Macy’s State Street Christmas tree to launch the 2009 holiday season on Nov. 7, 2009 in Chicago.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ensemble Make Trip to ‘Synecdoche, New York’ Worthwhile

BrianTT — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:41:13 -0600

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – With one of the most ambitious screenplays of 2008 and one of the most talented ensembles in years, “Synecdoche, New York,” now on Blu-Ray, is a must-see for fans of Charlie Kaufman’s earlier screenwriting work (“Adaptation,” “Being John Malkovich,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) and the incredible ensemble, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, and Michelle Williams.

The brilliant Kaufman’s directorial debut produces, believe it or not, his least easy-to-define film, a movie that turns in on itself repeatedly until it somewhat loses its way. I was told that I needed to see it twice to really “get it,” but a Blu-Ray viewing after seeing it in theaters didn’t really change my opinion of this ambitious, well-performed, but deeply flawed motion picture.

Synecdoche, New York was released on Blu-Ray on March 10th, 2009.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Home Video

The concept of “Synecdoche, New York” is so original and the cast is pitch-perfect (they won an ensemble award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards last month), but I think Kaufman’s writing requires truly masterful direction to truly come to life. “Synecdoche” is a film so overflowing with ideas about age, art, and identity that the weight of its concepts cause it to sink more than it would under someone else’s direction.

Synecdoche, New York was released on Blu-Ray on March 10th, 2009.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Home Video

It’s clever, but not nearly as much fun as it should be. Kaufman and his talented team have crafted a great mental workout, but don’t be surprised if it gives you a headache.

Philip Seymour Hoffman shines as Caden Cotard, a theatre director with increasingly troubling health problems and a distant marriage to wife Adele (Catherine Keener). Caden feels uninspired in every way, both professionally and personally. After Adele takes his daughter and moves to Berlin to become a celebrated painter, Caden gets the MacArthur grant and stages a play about (and this is my interpretation, you could have a different one) the futility of trying to recreate reality through theater.

Caden rents a warehouse, builds what becomes a city, and casts people to go about their lives, with director’s notes, of course. The director tries to find love again with Hazel (Samantha Morton) and then Claire (Michelle Williams). He tries therapy but the shrink (Hope Davis) is more obsessed with her own writing than Caden’s work and he hates the influence that Adele’s friend Maria (Jennifer Jason Leigh) has on his growing daughter.

Of course, all of this makes it into the “play,” with Caden eventually having to cast someone to play himself (Tom Noonan) and even Hazel (Emily Watson). The line between theater and reality dissolves and you start to wonder if Caden isn’t experiencing a dream sequence or perhaps you are.

Synecdoche, New York was released on Blu-Ray on March 10th, 2009.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Home Video

The only way to enjoy “Synecdoche, New York” is to give in to the fact that it’s not meant to be traditionally understood. I think if you try to figure out how it all fits together or if it does at all, then you’ll merely be frustrated. “Synecdoche” is poetry, not prose. Take in the ideas and the themes and make of them what you will.

The Blu-Ray release of “Synecdoche, New York” is presented in 1080p High Definition with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and an English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. Sony rarely fails to deliver with Blu-Ray and “Synecdoche” is no exception. It’s crystal clear, a great transfer.

“Synecdoche, New York” is one of those rare films where I think special features almost hurt more than help. No one can explain this piece in simple terms like you would find on a commentary track, so why bother? The conversation with Philip Seymour Hoffman in “The Story of Caden Cotard” certainly doesn’t illuminate anything. Other special features include “In and Around Synecdoche, New York,” “Infectious Diseases in Cattle: Bloggers’ Roundtable,” Screen Animations and “NFTS/Script Factory Masterclass with Charlie Kaufman”.

‘Synecdoche, New York’ is released by Sony Pictures Home Video and stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hope Davis, and Tom Noonan. It was written and directed by Charlie Kaufman. It was released on March 10th, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

DVD, Blu-Ray Round Up, Mar. 10, 2009: ‘Scarlett Johansson Collection,’ ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ ‘Witch Mountain’

BrianTT — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:02:32 -0600

CHICAGO – The Round-Up, HollywoodChicago.com’s famous recurring column about lesser Blu-Ray and DVD titles that may have slipped through your fingers at the store recently, is in clean-up mode this week. With a DVD collection for a famous young actress, an old cartoon, a straight-to-video horror movie, and three movies with the word “Mountain” in the title, the only word that comes to mind to tie these titles together is “random”.

You know those bins of “impulse buy” items you’ll see in stores near the cash register? Stuff that you may not have put on your shopping list and that you may not even know you want until you see them? That’s what this week’s Round-Up column is like. Peek in the bin and take a look at “Jonny Quest,” “The Scarlett Johansson Collection,” “Dead in 3 Days,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Escape to Witch Mountain,” and “Return to Witch Mountain”.

“Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures: Season One, Volume One” was released on February 17th, 2009.

“The Scarlett Johansson Collection” was released on February 24th, 2009.

“Dead in 3 Days” was released on March 3rd, 2009.

“Brokeback Mountain,” “Escape to Witch Mountain,” and “Race to Witch Mountain” were released on March 10th, 2009.

“Brokeback Mountain” (Blu-Ray)

Photo credit: Universal

The film that should have beaten “Crash” for Best Picture, “Brokeback Mountain,” is finally out on Blu-Ray, probably timed to coincide with the release of Focus Features’ “Milk” this week, another film that arguably should have won Best Picture from the same DVD company. It’s also possibly a tie-in with “Race to Witch Mountain,” opening in theaters this Friday, but really the Ang Lee film shares nothing but a word in the title with the Rock movie. Whatever the reason, “Brokeback Mountain” is an amazing film, a movie that should have won Heath Ledger his first Oscar and will truly stand the test of time.

“Brokeback Mountain” stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, and Kate Mara. It is written by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana and directed by Ang Lee and is rated R.

“Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain is a sweeping epic that explores the lives of two young men, a ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection. The complications, joys and heartbreak they experience provide a testament to the endurance and power of love. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver emotionally charged, remarkably moving performances in “a movie that is destined to become one of the great classics of our time” (Clay Smith, The Insider).”

“Brokeback Mountain” is presented in 1080P High-Definition Widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and Spanish and French DTS 5.1 tracks. Special features include “A Groundbreaking Success,” “Music From the Mountain,” “Impressions From the Film,” “On Being a Cowboy,” “Directing from the Heart: Ang Lee,” “From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana,” and “Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain”.

“Dead in 3 Days”

Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

Another week, another straight-to-video horror movie. This week’s entry comes from “Dimension Extreme,” the studio that has produced “Feast III: The Happy Finish,” “Eden Lake,” and “Zombie Diaries” in the last few months. If you have seen any of those movies, this title may be of interest to you. If not, there’s probably something else out there for ya.

“Dead in 3 Days” stars Sabrina Reiter, Julia Rosa Stockl, Laurence Rupp, Nadja Vogel, and Michael Steinocher. It is written by Thomas Baum & Andreas Prochaska and directed by Prochaska and is rated R.

“A peaceful mountain lake community is terrorized when a close-knit group of friends becomes the target of a mysterious deranged killer. Triggers by an ominous test message sent to each of their cell phones, one-by-one the friends are killed by their stalker. As the clueless police scramble to find a suspect, the vicious murders continue — until the last survivors come fact-to-face with their relentless stalker. Tense, suspenseful and frightening, Dead in 3 Days is a “slick, well-shot and engaging slasher” (bloody-disgusting.com).”

“Dead in 3 Days” is presented in a matted widescreen format and with an English and German Dolby 5.1 track. Special features include, well, nothing. Maybe the movie is special enough.

“Escape to Witch Mountain”

Photo credit: Walt Disney Home Video

With the Dwayne Johnson remake hitting theaters this weekend, Walt Disney Studios have reached into the vault and pulled out the two films that inspired “Race to Witch Mountain” - 1975’s “Escape to Witch Mountain” and 1978’s “Return From Witch Mountain”. Each film has been given the “Walt Disney Family Classics” label and accompanied by a new trivia track. Before you see the new version of “Witch Mountain,” catch up with where it all began.

“A vehicle floats in midair…a coat rack comes to life and attacks a sheriff…and wild animals are putty in the hands of Tony and Tia Malone in Disney’s thrilling fantasy adventure about the psychic powers of two young orphans. Their clairvoyance prompts evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt (Ray Milland) to lure them to his mansion to exploit their powers. While escaping, they meet a friendly camper (Eddie Albert) and begin to unravel the mystery of their origin. Soon, all three are fleeing townspeople who have branded the children witches. But then IT happens! Someone with even greater powers takes over and leads the children - and the audience - into a dazzling and unexpected experience…one that is truly out of this world!”

“Escape to Witch Mountain” stars Eddie Albert, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence, Kim Richards, and Ike Eisenmann. It was written by Robert Malcolm Young and directed by John Hough. It is rated G.

“Escape to Witch Mountain” is presented in 1.75:1 widescreen enhanced for 16x9 televisions and accompanied by a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track. Special features include a new pop-up fun facts track, “Making the Escape,” “Conversation with John Hough,” “Disney Sci-Fi,” “Pluto’s Dream House,” “Disney Effects - Something Special,” “1975 Disney Studio Album,” and an audio commentary.

“Return From Witch Mountain”

Photo credit: Walt Disney Home Video

“In this thrilling sequel to Disney’s Escape to Witch Mountain, automobiles mysteriously fly and humans float in thin air as sinister masterminds Christopher Lee and Bette Davis unleash a diabolical plan. The entire city of Los Angeles teeters on the brink of nuclear disaster when the greedy criminals manipulate a young boy’s supernatural powers for their own devious gain. But the youth’s sister and a streetwise band of truants join forces in a desperate attempt to save the city from destruction.”

“Return From Witch Mountain” stars Bette Davis, Christopher Lee, Kim Richards, and Ike Eisenmann. It is written by Malcolm Marmorstein and directed by John Hough. It is rated G.

“Return From Witch Mountain” is presented in 1.75:1 widescreen enhanced for 16x9 televisions and accompanied by a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track. Special features include a new pop-up fun facts track, “Making the Return Trip,” “The Gang’s Back in Town,” “Disney Kids with Powers,” “The Eyes Have It,” “Lost Treasure: Christopher Lee, The Lost Interview,” “1978 Disney Studio Album,” and an audio commentary.

“Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures: Season One, Volume One”

Photo credit: Warner Bros.

I’m a huge fan of old cartoons, but I can’t look at “Jonny Quest” the same way since becoming a “Venture Bros.” nut. “Venture” so perfectly satirizes old-fashioned action cartoons like “Quest” that it’s hard to look at them the same way. Still, it’s cool for animation collectors to be able to include thirteen episodes of “The Real Adventures” in their collection. This version of “Quest” aired from 1996 to 1997. Consider it a cult item.

“In this thrilling reinvention of the classic animated series, adventurous teen Jonny teams with his scientist father Benton Quest, bodyguard Race Bannon, Dr. quest’s paranormally powered assistant Hadji - and a new character, Race’s smart and intrepid daughter Jessie. Circling the globe in a cool armada of air, land and sea vehicles to unravel mysteries, uncover strange phenomena and face danger head-on, the Quest crew always goes where the action is. That can be our real world - or the dazzling virtual reality domain called Questworld, rendered via groundbreaking-in-its-time computer animation. The fantastic 2-disc collection of the series’ first 13 episodes places you right beside them. Buckle up for real excitement!”

“Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures: Season One, Volume One” is presented in standard, full-frame format with an English language 2.0 track. The only special feature is a featurette called “Jonny Quest Returns: Modernizing a Classic for a New Generation of Fans”.

“The Scarlett Johansson Collection”

Photo credit: Lionsgate

A collection for Scarlett Johansson? Is she really old enough for a collection? Don’t ask Lionsgate. If they get the rights to three movies they can link together with a director or actor, they will. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. These low-priced collections are great “sampler packs” for fans of a certain director or star. But Scarlett Johansson? And these three films? One is certainly among her most highly acclaimed roles. Consider the other two just long special features.

“Girl With a Pearl Earring”: “Seventeen-year-old Griet becomes a maid in the house of Johannes Vermeer, where she gradually attracts the master painter’s attention. The result will be one of the greatest paintings ever created.” The film co-stars Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, and Cillian Murphy. It was written by Olivia Hetreed and directed by Peter Webber. It is rated PG-13.

“A Good Woman”: “Newlywed Meg Windermere enjoys the season in Italy until notorious seductress Mrs. Erlynne descends - and sets her sights on Mr. Windermere! The gossips eat it up, but Meg is determined to serve a steamy dish of revenge. Based on a play by Oscar Wilde.” The film co-stars Helen Hunt and Tom Wilkinson. It was written by Howard Himelstein and directed by Mike Barker. It is rated PG.

“An American Rhapsody”: “Persecuted by an oppressive Communist government, a Hungarian couple makes a daring flight for freedom. Their escape comes at an unthinkable price - their daughter Suzanne is left behind. An American Rhapsody is based on the true story of a young girl’s unforgettable journey of self-discovery.” The film co-stars Nastassja Kinski, Tony Goldwyn, Mae Whitman, and Emmy Rossum. It was written and directed by Eva Gardos.

All three films are presented in widescreen with an English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Audio track. All of them come with trailers. “Girl With a Pearl Earring” includes “Anatomy of a Scene”. “A Good Woman” includes director and producer commentary. “An American Rhapsody” includes a commentary by writer/director Ava Gardos and producer Colleen Camp.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Tepid Con Job Spoils Sexual Intrigue in ‘Deception’ With Ewan McGregor

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:01:00 -0600

CHICAGO – Despite its timid title, “Deception” has all the right ingredients for a decent tale of mystery: a strong premise, sound acting and the famous femme fatale. It even starts with a promising conviction: How does a background player in life deal with initiation into a secret society?

The real mystery is why this strong beginning led to a such weak and conventional conclusion. Ewan McGregor portrays Jonathan McQuarry: a mousy accountant who specializes in corporate audit assignments. His life is long hours, ever-changing clients and little social reward.

Read Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Deception” in our reviews section.

View our full “Deception” image gallery.

The List is a sex club that allows anonymous coupling with no strings attached. It’s used by power brokers who presumably have no time for relationship entanglements.

McQuarry is let in on The List when he accidentally switches phones with Bose and the encounters start ringing him up. One such encounter – the enigmatic “S” (Michelle Williams) – gets coerced into further meetings by McQuarry despite the rules against fraternization between members on The List.

Their bonding leads to a closer relationship that triggers several strange occurrences involving kidnapping, blackmail and McQuarry’s knowledge of corporate accounts.

Michelle Williams (left) and Ewan McGregor in “Deception”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Ewan McGregor (left) and Maggie Q in “Deception”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Read Patrick McDonald’s full “Deception” review.

Actor Heath Ledger Found Dead in Manhattan Apartment at 28

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:06:23 -0700

CHICAGO – Heath Ledger has been found dead in his Manhattan apartment, according to CNN. He was 28. Police sources have called the death an “accidental overdose,” according to MSNBC, and Ledger was “found naked and unconscious with pills strewn all around him”.

CNN has published the following details about his death in his Broome Street apartment:

Heath Ledger in “Casanova” in 2005.
Photo credit: IMDb

Actor Heath Ledger was found dead [on] Tuesday of a possible drug overdose in a lower Manhattan apartment, the New York Police Department said. The Academy Award-nominated actor was 28.

“Pills were found in the vicinity of the bed,” police spokesman Paul Browne told CNN. “This is being looked at as a possible overdose.”

The pills appeared to be over-the-counter sleeping medication, said police spokeswoman Barbara Chen. Ledger was unresponsive when he was found by a housekeeper who had gone to wake him for an appointment with a masseuse in the Soho apartment, Browne said.

Ledger was declared dead at about 3:30 p.m., Browne said. In 2005, the actor played Ennis Del Mar in “Brokeback Mountain” about two cowboys who had a secret relationship. The role earned him [an] Oscar nomination.

Ledger was born in Perth, Australia. He has a young daughter with [“Brokeback Mountain” co-star] Michelle Williams. The couple separated in 2007.

Ledger’s first American film was the teen comedy “10 Things I Hate About You” in 1999 and he immediately attracted attention from Hollywood. He passed up several scripts before taking a role in the revolutionary war drama “The Patriot” in 2000 and “A Knight’s Tale” in 2001.

He also played a role in “Monster’s Ball,” “Ned Kelly,” “The Brothers Grimm,” “Lords of Dogtown,” “The Four Feathers,” “The Order,” “Candy and “Casanova”.

“In a way, I was spoon fed a career,” he told the Glasgow Herald in 2005. “It was fully manufactured by a studio that believed it could put me on their posters and turn me into a product. … I hadn’t figured out properly how to act, and all of a sudden, I was being thrown into these lead roles.”

“I felt that choices were being made for me. I feel this has been my time now to find the good stories and test myself,” Ledger told the Glasgow Herald in the 2005 interview. “It has been an interesting year where I finally have a sense of accomplishment.”

“He was just so respected in the industry,” said In Touch Weekly senior editor Kim Serafin [on Tuesday]. “It’s just horribly tragic. He was just a fine actor and a good person, so this is horribly sad and very unexpected.”

Though the New York Times initially reported on Tuesday that Ledger was found in an apartment owned by actress Mary-Kate Olsen, a spokesperson for the actress at the Sundance Film Festival later on Tuesday told the New York Times the apartment was not Olsen’s.

CNN says hordes of people, photographers and reporters congregated outside Ledger’s police-guarded apartment building after news of his death surfaced. Ledger was named Heathcliff Andrew after the main characters of Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation said in a written statement on Tuesday that it mourns Ledger’s death and says his “Brokeback Mountain” portrayal of Del Mar “changed hearts and minds in immeasurable ways”. He began acting at a local theater as a child.

A source told MSNBC.com’s Courtney Hazlett that Ledger had been turning down roles lately.

His People biography can be found here. His IMDb filmography can be found here. Ledger is survived by daughter Matilda Rose. His death throws into disarray the upcoming films “The Dark Knight” and Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” which we covered on Dec. 18, 2007.

In Nov. 2007, the New York Times published some alarming quotes from Ledger revealing behavioral tics that could be interpreted as warning signs for severe distress and anxiety:

…as often happens when he throws himself into a part, he is not sleeping much.

“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” [Ledger] said. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted and my mind was still going.”

One night he took an Ambien, which failed to work. He took a second one and fell into a stupor only to wake up an hour later [with] his mind still racing.

Even as he spoke, Ledger was hard-pressed to keep still. He got up and poured more coffee. He stepped outside into the courtyard and smoked a cigarette.

He shook his hair out from under its hood, put a rubber band around it, took out the rubber band, put on a hat, took off the hat [and] put the hood back up. He went outside and had another cigarette.

Polite and charming, he nonetheless gave off the sense that the last thing he wanted to do was delve deep into himself for public consumption. “It can be a little distressing to have to overintellectualize yourself” is how he put it a little apologetically.

Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere said on Tuesday on his impression of Ledger from previous meetings:

He never gave me a guarded response to questions [and] was always cool about encounters. He liked to scrunch his face up instead of smile when I took his picture. He was shy, private and “moody”.

Maybe he should have allowed less of those feelings in because this is totally friggin’ ridiculous. Heath Ledger dead?

A long lifetime of great performances lay ahead for Ledger. He could have easily kept working into old age as he never gave a damn about playing hunks.

Now his life is over, his daughter is fatherless and Warner Bros. is looking at some kind of uncertain future for “The Dark Knight” [in] which Ledger plays the Joker alongside co-stars Christian Bale and Michael Caine.

We all know what Warner Bros. (the distributor of Chris Nolan’s second Batman film) is going to say about this this tragic news. They’ll say the same thing that Warner Bros. said about James Dean’s death when he was killed in a car crash in Sept. 1955 with two movies yet to open (“Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant”).

They’ll say: “This is a very sad time for all of us and not a time for [discussing] grosses.”

But you know and I know that the [Warner Bros.] hard ballers are asking themselves right now: “Will this adversely impact ‘The Dark Knight’ box office, will it enhance it or will it have no impact?” The latter, I would think.

Despite early speculation to the contrary, a spokesman for the New York Police Department reports that there was no “obvious indication of suicide”. The pills found at the scene were reportedly sleeping pills: one a prescription medication and the other over-the-counter medication.

/Film added on the topic in its Tuesday report: “In a video interview in correlation with his press days for ‘I’m Not There,’ he seems disoriented and possibly under the influence.” An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

The Hollywood Reporter added on Tuesday:

Ledger was in the middle of a break from shooting Terry Gilliam’s fantasy adventure “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” and was due back on set in Vancouver later in the week. The film’s producers were in meetings Tuesday afternoon in an effort to work around the tragedy.

“The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news,” Warner Bros. President Alan Horn and Warner Bros. Pictures President Jeff Robinov said in a statement. “The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.”

Ledger was set to appear in Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia” before dropping out to star as the Joker in “The Dark Knight”. Over at Variety on Tuesday, we hear from Focus Features (the specialty label for “Brokeback Mountain”):

A Focus representative was in shock over the news and CEO James Schamus, who co-wrote [“Brokeback Mountain”] with Ang Lee, issued a statement lamenting the loss.

“Heath Ledger was a courageous actor and a great soul,” Schamus said. “He gave us the gift of sharing his fearless and beautiful love – of his craft and of all who worked with him – for which all of us will be eternally grateful.”

As for “The Dark Knight,” Variety says Ledger’s sudden death will present difficult challenges for how to market the high-profile film going forward.

“The Joker character is dealing with chaos and life and death and a lot of dark themes,” one insider with knowledge of the [the Joker’s viral marketing] campaign said. “Everyone is going to interpret every line out of his mouth in a different way now.”

9:02 p.m. update on Jan. 22, 2008: TMZ has just reported how Ledger’s body was discovered:

Here’s the way it went down. A cleaning lady for Heath arrived at the apartment first followed soon thereafter by a masseuse. They both entered the room at around the same time and discovered Heath’s lifeless body.

The cleaning lady called police. The masseuse, we’re told, called the bodyguard for the Olsens. She called him because they’re friends and he’s an EMT. The bodyguard was around the block at Ashley’s and he immediately went over. By the time he arrived, the cops were already there.

We’re also told it appeared Heath “had been dead for a while” and there were no visible signs of trauma. There was a pill bottle on the nightstand.

Also, TMZ reported on Tuesday that Ledger recently gave an “eerily prophetic” interview to FOX in Cleveland where he said: “I feel good about dying because I feel alive through her.” He was talking about his young daughter, Matilda.

11:36 a.m. update on Jan. 23, 2008: An autopsy for Heath Ledger conducted on Wednesday morning was “inconclusive” and his cause of death will take 10 to 14 additional days, a medical examiner’s spokeswoman told CNN on Wednesday. CNN added:

Flowers, notes and a candle left by mourning fans remained on the sidewalk outside the Soho apartment building, but only journalists and the occasional tourist were gathered there Wednesday morning.

Ledger’s former girlfriend – actress Michelle Williams, who was shooting a movie in Sweden – was informed of his death late Tuesday night, a movie production company spokesman said.

Williams left early Wednesday morning with 2-year-old daughter Matilda Rose, the spokesman said.

3:31 p.m. update on Jan. 23, 2008: The production for “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” has been shut down, according to Us:

“I just got the call [on Tuesday] saying everyone was being let go,” [an] on-set source tells UsMagazine.com. “We were supposed to start this weekend, but obviously they fired everyone today. They don’t know yet what they are doing with the footage that was already shot.”

Discuss this on our discussion boards here.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com