Not long after the Los Angeles police announced the preliminary results of their investigation, Warner Bros. posted a tribute to Heath Ledger on both their official website and Instant Share.
"We are deeply saddened and shocked by this accident. This is an extremely difficult time for everyone who loved him. I ask the media to please respect the privacy of his family. We deeply mourn Heath Ledger, who brought The Dark Knight and the role of the Joker to life with his very soul, and gave a perfect curtain call to his acting career."
"We also considered whether to remove the street posters and trailers featuring Heath as the Joker, but ultimately decided to keep them, as a sort of will left by a great actor. When the lights go out in theaters this May, please don't forget—the Joker on the screen is already gone…"
This eulogy was later reposted by numerous websites and media outlets, appearing in prominent positions across many platforms.
Under Warner Bros.' direction and the guidance of related media, more and more people began to speculate whether playing the dark and terrifying Joker had placed unbearable pressure on Heath Ledger.
Once a suitable angle for hype is found, Hollywood's enormous publicity machine can often unleash unimaginable energy.
It wasn't just Warner Bros. putting in effort; the film crew also cooperated with Warner's promotion.
"Heath enjoyed immersing himself in madness during performances, while also understanding the absurdity of the Joker," Christian Bale recalled in front of reporters' microphones. "He gave an intense, brilliant performance."
"He was always punctual, thoroughly understood the character's background, and he was a lovely guy."
Although he had little interaction with Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman also faced the media. "His portrayal of the Joker can't be described as anything less than 'extraordinary.'"
As the director and producer of The Dark Knight, Duke naturally couldn't escape the media's questions, and he accepted an exclusive interview.
After the 2007 Academy Awards ceremony ended, Duke appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show The Ellen Show.
This was originally part of the film's massive publicity plan, but Heath Ledger's accident completely shifted the focus of the program.
"Heath Ledger's sudden passing is undeniably a tragedy. It's a blow to the film industry and an even more painful one to the filmmakers who worked with him... Perhaps you'll never truly understand why a vibrant life can suddenly vanish right before your eyes."
In front of the stage cameras, Ellen DeGeneres pointed to a Joker poster on the big screen and said, "And for Duke Rosenberg, the director of The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger's final completed work watching the image of someone who's already passed away on the editing screen must bring a kind of sorrow that's hard to swallow."
Her pace wasn't too fast, maintaining the show's rhythm with ease.
"For the past two months, Duke Rosenberg has been busy working on the latest Batman film. He's been staying in the editing room, barely stepping outside, which also gave him a relatively quiet space to process the blow of his colleague and friend's sudden death."
On the screen behind Ellen DeGeneres, a short film teaser began to play. "At the 'ShoWest' held in Las Vegas from March 10 to 13, Duke brought a short segment from the beginning of the movie. The content involves a group of robbers wearing Joker masks breaking into a bank, triggering a massive massacre…"
After the clip finished playing, there was no frontal shot of the Joker.
"However, the eagerly awaiting Batman fans might be disappointed because this clip neither reveals any major plot points nor shows any footage of Heath Ledger," Ellen DeGeneres turned to the backstage exit. "A mystery is a mystery. It won't be revealed until the end. For now, let's go through layers of questions and answers to see what Duke has to tell us."
"Please welcome Duke Rosenberg."
With steady steps, Duke walked onto the stage, lightly hugged Ellen DeGeneres who had opened her arms, and then sat across from her.
After a bit of small talk, Ellen DeGeneres shifted the topic to what the audience cared about most.
She asked, "At what stage is the post-production of The Dark Knight now?"
"I just completed the first final cut of the film and showed it to Warner Bros. last Friday," Duke's face seemed a bit tired, with a somewhat serious expression. "In fact, the results were good. After watching it, the people at Warner were excited and glowing. For me, that's not only a moment to show courage but also brings a certain kind of real joy."
"Everyone in your crew says Heath Ledger gave a phenomenal performance."
At this question, Duke gently nodded. "Yes, it was very impressive. Heath was one of the best actors I've ever worked with."
Ellen DeGeneres followed up, "What does Heath's passing mean to you? I remember someone once said, sometimes you have to learn to face it in order to truly overcome the crushing grief."
"Avoidance can lessen the burden, but it doesn't solve the problem. At least that's how it is for me. Although I don't want the film's entire promotional period to dwell on this issue, I know it's inevitable rather than struggling helplessly in the middle, it's better to turn around and face it head-on. That's a truth most people understand, though everyone needs a different amount of time."
Duke's tone grew more serious. "I'm fortunate. Before I could even begin to digest the terrible news, I was given an opportunity to do something about it. In truth, the thing people fear the most when grief strikes is feeling helpless, not knowing what to do. So for him Heath Ledger I felt an unprecedented sense of responsibility on my shoulders."
Unlike the rambling style of traditional male talk show hosts or the sentimental approach of Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres had her own unique way. She understood exactly who sat opposite her and simply tilted her head slightly, looking like a pure listener.
"His departure is an unbearable pain in life for everyone, especially his family and friends. When you're a director and feel responsible for an actor, there's only one reason for that it's because his excellence in front of the camera completely conquered you."
His face slowly lowered, and Duke gently rubbed his forehead, as if he still hadn't recovered from the incident. "When I saw Ledger's Joker in the editing room, I suddenly felt a jolt of electricity coursing through my body, because we had no other path to take. What he left us is all there is, so I knew I had to try to preserve the greatness he gave us in his performance."
From the audience seats below the stage came waves of applause, as if the viewers were all moved by the conversation.
"So will you change your vision of the film because of this?" Ellen DeGeneres asked in a timely manner, "Do you feel the film, after editing, is different from how you originally conceived it?"
This kind of question had an obvious answer, but Duke naturally wouldn't say it outright and instead phrased it more tactfully.
"Because I know how proud Heath Ledger was, how immensely proud he felt about what he was doing, so I didn't make any specific changes."
He turned to look at the big screen, where the iconic Joker poster had reappeared. Duke continued, "His interpretation of the Joker was very unique, going far beyond that flat, iconic character from before. And you simply can't find any trace of Heath Ledger in him—it's like watching a completely unfamiliar person."
His voice gradually turned lower. "For a movie, especially a sci-fi action movie, having such a villain absolutely plays a practical and positive role it's something rare and precious. I know how much confidence Ledger had in this role, so I wouldn't make any changes, because that would hurt his pride. All I can do is truthfully present what he truly achieved to the audience."
"Then will there be a third Batman movie?" Ellen DeGeneres's eyes flashed with a sly glint, "Otherwise, why did you leave an open ending in this one?"
"I can't give a definite answer to that, but I'll remind you of this…" Duke showed a wary look, "If you're not trying to trick me, then your inside source might be wrong."
He shrugged. "Because up to now, no one has seen the real ending of the film, not even the actors involved. My goal is simple to keep the audience's brain cells in a state of constant excitement while watching. I don't want to say some hypocritical or pretentiously grand declarations. I'm just trying to fulfill my duty for this film the reason a mystery is called a mystery is because it only gets revealed at the very last moment."
Ellen DeGeneres wasn't ready to give up, and asked again, "Now that the editing is complete, can you evaluate Heath Ledger's character?"
Since he had agreed to Warner Bros.' publicity strategy by appearing on this show, Duke knew he had to reveal something tangible.
"The Joker is absolutely a breakthrough in villain roles. He completely overturns our memory of what a bad guy is. The typical villains are all about killing, arson, theft, and robbery. In the Joker's own words, he offers a high-quality form of crime…"
Here, Duke stopped, leaving the rest for the audience to discover in the film.
This talk show appearance was just one part of a larger publicity campaign. Warner Bros. had more moves planned. They even approached Heath Ledger's parents and sister, eventually reaching many business agreements.
...
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