Future of Ledger's 'Parnassus' unclear

LONDON, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- The fate of Terry Gilliam's latest film "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is reportedly unclear now that its star, Australian actor Heath Ledger, has died.

Ledger, who passed away unexpectedly in New York Tuesday at the age of 28, was important to the $30 million independent movie's financing, Variety.com reported.

The London portion of the film shoot was finished during the weekend and the production team has since moved on to Vancouver where blue-screen and special-effects work were expected to begin next week and continue through early March, the entertainment industry trade paper said.

The producers have not yet announced how or whether they plan to continue making the film without their leading man.

Ledger previously worked with Gilliam on the 2005 fantasy flick "The Brothers Grimm."

Gilliam's $32 million movie, "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," was famously shut down in 2000 after a week of shooting because its star Jean Rochefort fell ill and a flash flood destroyed much of the crew's equipment.

The experience was documented in the film "Lost in La Mancha."