How the wagon reached the screen
The making of the film ran alongside a loss that reshaped it. This is the production in outline.
Principal photography begins
Filming starts in London and Vancouver under director Terry Gilliam, working from a script he co-wrote with longtime collaborator Charles McKeown. Heath Ledger is cast as Tony, the stranger pulled from beneath a bridge.
Production halts
Heath Ledger dies in New York during a break in filming, with a significant portion of his mirror-world scenes still unshot. Production pauses while the filmmakers and cast decide whether — and how — to continue.
Three actors step in
Gilliam reworks the unfinished scenes using the film’s own logic: because the Imaginarium changes whoever passes through it, Tony can plausibly appear differently inside the mirror. Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell each film a portion of the remaining mirror-world material, completing the character between them. All three donate their fees to Ledger’s daughter, Matilda.
Cannes premiere
The finished film premieres out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it receives a lengthy standing ovation and is dedicated, in its closing credits, to Heath Ledger “and friends.”
Theatrical release
The film opens in the United Kingdom in October, followed by a limited release in the United States in December, positioning it for year-end awards consideration.
A note on this archive
This site is maintained as an informational tribute to the film and its production, drawing on widely reported facts about its cast, story, and making. It is not affiliated with the film’s studios, distributors, or rights holders, and reproduces no footage, stills, or promotional artwork from the original release — every illustration here is original to this project.