The long-awaited sneak peek into Heath Ledger’s final work is finally here

Heath Ledger’s performance in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus was debuted during the opening ceremony of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival over the weekend. In the 15-second clip, the late actor was seen portraying the lead character in a white suit and wearing a white mask. The preview of the upcoming Terry Gilliam-directed fantasy-drama, showing a vibrant Ledger a short time before his death due to an accidental overdose of prescription medicines, was part of a montage showcasing different films that are due to screen at the festival, including Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus tells the story of the eponymous Parnassus and his regretful pact with the devil for immortality and then youth. Ledger’s premature death in January 2008 occurred while still filming Doctor Parnassus, throwing production into chaos and urging Gilliam to make quick casting decisions. Ledger’s role was recast with Jude Law, Colin Farrell, and Johnny Depp, to play his character Tony as he travels through a dream world with an altered storyline to make Ledger’s character morph into various incarnations. All three actors are donating their salaries from the movie to Ledgers’s daughter, Matilda.

Terry Gilliam thinks Heath Ledger’s performance is Oscar worthy and said he plans a fall release so the movie will coincide with Academy Awards selection: “We want to be in that last third for the Academy Awards! Maybe we’ll get another award for Heath. We’re going to get as many awards as possible for him, long after he’s gone.” Gilliam first worked with Ledger on fantasy epic The Brothers Grimm, and while that film was neither a commercial or critical success, industry insiders attending a screening of the film last week say Doctor Parnassus is better than expected.

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus premieres at the Cannes Film Festival May 22