The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
About the Film
The immortal Doctor Parnassus leads a ramshackle travelling theatre through modern-day London, offering audiences a chance to step through a magical mirror — the Imaginarium — into a dreamscape shaped by their own imaginations. Centuries earlier, Parnassus made a wager with the Devil, Mr. Nick, and the debt has come due: on her imminent sixteenth birthday, his beloved daughter Valentina is forfeit.
Into this desperate situation stumbles Tony, a charming amnesiac the troupe rescues from beneath a bridge. As Parnassus and Mr. Nick renew their bet — a race to win five souls through the mirror — Tony’s own murky past catches up with him. Each time he passes through the Imaginarium he emerges transformed into a different face, allowing the story to conjure its strange, shifting hero from within the mirror world.
Plot synopsis by johnny-depp.org.
Johnny Depp
When Heath Ledger died partway through filming, director Terry Gilliam saved the production with an inspired device: inside the mirror world, Ledger’s character Tony changes appearance, allowing three friends of Ledger — Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell — to each play one transformation. Depp appears as the first Imaginarium version of Tony, and reportedly completed his part in about a day; all three actors donated their fees to Ledger’s young daughter.
Cast & Crew
Cast
TonyHeath Ledger
Doctor ParnassusChristopher Plummer
Tony (1st transformation)Johnny Depp
Tony (2nd transformation)Jude Law
Tony (3rd transformation)Colin Farrell
Mr. Nick (the Devil)Tom Waits
ValentinaLily Cole
AntonAndrew Garfield
PercyVerne Troyer
Crew
DirectorTerry Gilliam
ScreenplayTerry Gilliam & Charles McKeown
MusicMychael Danna & Jeff Danna
CinematographyNicola Pecorini
ProducersWilliam Vince, Amy Gilliam, Samuel Hadida, Terry Gilliam
StudioLionsgate / Sony Pictures Classics
Filming Locations
- London, England
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Pinewood and Shepperton Studios, England
More about this film
Trivia
- Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell stepped in to complete Heath Ledger’s role after his death, each playing a transformed version of Tony inside the mirror.
- All three replacement actors donated their salaries to Ledger’s daughter, Matilda.
- Gilliam said the enforced changes “improved the movie,” as if Ledger had “co-directed” it.
- The film earned Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.
Awards
- 2010 Academy Award — Best Art Direction, nominated
- 2010 Academy Award — Best Costume Design, nominated
- 2010 Costume Designers Guild Award — Excellence in Fantasy Film Won
