Seeing Tina Fey hang up the phone, Duke didn't wait for her to walk over before asking, "What happened?"
Tina still wore that disbelieving expression, but the words she spoke were calm. "I just got word from Heath Ledger's agent he was just found dead in a suite at the Beverly Hills Hilton."
"What?" Anna Prinz and Charles Roven both let out startled cries.
Duke was also surprised, but maintained his composure. He simply looked up at the sky, as if something up there was watching him and the world.
Although he had never said anything outright due to privacy concerns and other issues, he had done quite a bit especially after filming had wrapped up. He hadn't let Heath Ledger return to his New York apartment, keeping him in Los Angeles, frequently calling him in for voice work. From every angle, Heath Ledger didn't seem like someone trapped in a role or deeply depressed.
Originally, Duke had thought the other man might be heading down a different path, even instructing people to find alternative promotional material.
Who would've thought, even with time and place changed, nothing could be altered.
Letting out a breath, Duke retracted his gaze from the ceiling. "Cause of death? Has the news spread?"
"Cause is unknown. The LAPD has taken over the scene. I've been in contact with the County Sheriff's Department. I believe we'll have some preliminary findings soon."
Tina Fey gradually returned to normal and added, "The news likely hasn't broken yet. Heath Ledger's agent only informed me and Jamie Johnson at Warner Bros."
"But," Tina Fey's tone shifted, "the paparazzi are already starting to sniff around."
"Keep an eye on developments over there."
With the situation unclear, making any moves would be unwise. Duke instructed Tina Fey, "Update me the moment anything new comes in."
The news spread quickly. In just over an hour, the entire studio knew about Heath Ledger's passing. Still, few people were truly shocked—after all, Heath Ledger's substance abuse wasn't exactly a well-kept secret in the industry.
Regardless, the news had an impact. Duke simply gave the post-production team the day off.
Afterward, he received a call from Warner Bros. and prepared to leave the studio lot for the Warner building up front. Just then, Tina Fey brought more news.
Over the years, Duke had maintained decent ties with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The word from them was that Heath Ledger definitely hadn't been murdered it was an overdose. As for which substances were involved, that would have to wait until the family consented to an autopsy.
Everything that had once happened, after being forcibly dragged back by Duke for a while, was now happening again.
"What are you looking at?"
Driving the electric cart, Tina Fey curiously glanced at Duke. She had noticed along this short ride, Duke kept looking up at the sky.
Duke shook his head. "Just feels like everyone has a fate that's uniquely theirs."
Tina Fey was even more intrigued. "Haven't you always said you don't believe in that stuff?"
"Just feeling a little reflective."
Hearing that, Tina Fey said no more. She knew her boss well. Heath Ledger's death might make him feel regret, but not grief.
Entering a conference room, several Warner Bros. executives and Charles Roven were already waiting. Jamie Johnson, in charge of The Dark Knight's publicity, greeted Duke and told him to sit wherever. Then he got straight to the point.
In truth, Duke had a good idea why Warner Bros. had summoned him.
And things unfolded just as he suspected—Jamie Johnson brought up Heath Ledger.
"I believe everyone's heard the news. Australian actor Heath Ledger, who played the Joker, sadly passed away today. It's a terrible loss."
After the obligatory words, Jamie Johnson cleared his throat and continued, "But now's not the time for mourning. We need to do everything we can to complete Heath Ledger's final film. I've already contacted Heath Ledger's parents, and this is their wish as well."
Clearly, Warner Bros. had reacted fast and already laid some groundwork.
Duke stayed silent throughout. Warner Bros. clearly intended to make a story out of Heath Ledger. Any studio would do the same and for a deceased actor, it might not even be a bad thing.
Think of River Phoenix, who quietly passed from an overdose. If death is inevitable, then leaving behind iconic work and roles might be a kind of fortune.
"We've got confirmed news from the Sheriff's Department,"
It was mostly Jamie Johnson speaking, with the others listening. "Heath Ledger wasn't murdered it was a drug overdose. We don't know the exact substances or whether illegal drugs were involved, but that doesn't really matter for publicity."
"I believe we should present Heath Ledger as someone who poured his soul into the Joker role, got too deep, and had to rely on medication..."
According to Jamie Johnson's narrative, the goal was to paint a positive image of Heath Ledger, shifting the cause of his substance abuse to the Joker role. Then, stir public sympathy and attention, launching a series of tributes and commemorative events.
Society is always forgiving to the dead.
Just think an actor so consumed by a role he couldn't escape, triggering his dependence on medication how much sympathy and attention would that draw?
Jamie Johnson finally looked at Duke and Charles Roven. "Warner's publicity will need cooperation from the production team. What are your thoughts?"
"I think it's feasible." Charles Roven answered without even thinking.
Duke had never been a moral purist, nor someone who pretended to be lofty. He had always been a realist.
So, Duke lightly nodded his head. "The crew will cooperate with Warner."
Seeing Duke nod, Jamie Johnson let out a sigh of relief. The publicity plan was finalized.
Warner Bros.' publicity and PR department drafted a related strategy almost at lightning speed and would implement it based on various conditions. Before the end of the workday, TMZ, under Time Warner, was the first to release detailed information about Heath Ledger's death.
"Heath Ledger dies in Beverly Hills—'The Dark Knight' becomes his swan song!"
"Shocking and tragic news: Just today, the talented actor Heath Ledger, who once starred in 'Brokeback Mountain,' was found dead in his suite at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills at the age of 27. He had just completed Duke Rosenberg's new film 'The Dark Knight.' Describing him as 'in his prime' wouldn't be an exaggeration. His rising life hadn't yet struck its strongest note before it came to an abrupt halt."
"Cause of death appears to be drug overdose!"
"In an interview with The New York Times last December, Heath Ledger once said he was 'a bit too tense' while playing the Joker in 'The Dark Knight.' During filming, he faced sleep issues due to portraying the 'mentally deranged, utterly merciless mass-murdering Joker.'"
"In the interview, he said, 'Last week, I could only sleep two hours a night. I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, but my brain was still going.' He said he took two Ambien sleeping pills each day, but they only worked for two hours."
"'The Dark Knight' becomes Heath Ledger's swan song!"
"Before his death, Heath Ledger had just immersed himself in the role of the Joker in 'The Dark Knight.' Previously, Jack Nicholson, who once played the Joker in the older 'Batman' films, had voiced objections to Ledger taking on the role. But from all indications, Ledger's Joker was even darker and more insane than Nicholson's."
"Perhaps it was this mad character that troubled Heath Ledger. Director of 'The Dark Knight,' Duke Rosenberg, said in an interview last year, 'This was a huge challenge for Heath Ledger. The character he played was highly original, truly terrifying, and extremely marginalized. It was a very young character, utterly lawless, injecting us with a lot of primal fear and panic and Heath Ledger did it to a degree that shocked me.'"
"To be able to shock Duke Rosenberg with his performance gives us a glimpse into how much effort and energy Heath Ledger poured into the role of the Joker."
TMZ was like a bucket of water thrown into a boiling pot the news of Heath Ledger instantly became the focus of media attention across the U.S. All kinds of stories related to him were being exposed by competing outlets.
News Corporation, which originated in Australia, even unearthed a video clip of Heath Ledger being interviewed by Australian media last year.
The most astonishing part was that in the interview, Heath Ledger happened to mention death. He said "About death, I feel okay, because I can feel that I'm alive through my daughter."
For a time, American media was abuzz. Some people mourned the loss of a young talent, but even more speculated about the cause of death.
After all, the debauched private lives of Hollywood stars are no secret to the American public.
The police also released preliminary findings. In the room where Heath Ledger's body was found, they discovered prescription drugs including sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medication, and an antihistamine. Among them, three kinds were obtained from Europe. Nearly all the bottles in the hotel suite were full and contained antidepressants.
In addition, sleeping pills commonly used by insomnia sufferers and painkillers were also found in the room. All these were prescription drugs purchased by Heath Ledger.
At the same time, police denied rumors that Heath Ledger died from drug abuse. No signs of narcotics were found in his room or in his body.
With the cause of death confirmed, Warner Bros. launched a series of targeted plans on a large scale.