The Fate of Ledger's Final Film

You'd think studios would be fighting over each other to get a shot at distributing the late Heath Ledger's final film, but that's not the case. 

Ledger's film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is facing a limited U.S. release as bosses struggle to land a deal with a major distributor, reports Reuters. 

Parnassus, the story of a traveling magician, who gives customers more than they bargained for, is a joint production of Grosvenor Park and Davis Films.

The project's fate was thrown into question when Ledger, who was just recently handed the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight, unexpectedly died -- that is, until Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp stepped in. All three are part of an elaborate work-around that has the actors playing different aspects of Ledger's role. 

Executives have been searching for six months for backers but are having difficulty finding a company to release the experimental movie. 

An industry source tells Reuters, "This movie stars Heath Ledger in his final performance -- it will get a deal and come out in the U.S. But it's no accident that it's taking this long."