Query: Heath Ledger was in a film.

Relevant passages:
The Dark Knight (film) <=SEP=> The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed , co-produced , and co-written by Christopher Nolan . Featuring the DC Comics character Batman , the film is the second part of Nolan 's The Dark Knight Trilogy and a sequel to 2005 's Batman Begins , starring an ensemble cast including Christian Bale , Michael Caine , Heath Ledger , Gary Oldman , Aaron Eckhart , Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman . In the film , Bruce Wayne/Batman ( Bale ) , James Gordon ( Oldman ) and Harvey Dent ( Eckhart ) form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City , but are menaced by a criminal mastermind known as the Joker ( Ledger ) who seeks to undermine Batman 's influence and create chaos .   Nolan 's inspiration for the film was the Joker 's comic book debut in 1940 , the 1988 graphic novel The Killing Joke , and the 1996 series The Long Halloween , which retold Two-Face 's origin . The nickname `` the Dark Knight '' was first applied to Batman in Batman # 1 ( 1940 ) , in a story written by Bill Finger . The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago , as well as in several other locations in the United States , the United Kingdom , and Hong Kong . Nolan used IMAX 70 mm film cameras to film some sequences , including the Joker 's first appearance in the film . The film is dedicated to the memory of Ledger , who died on January 22 , 2008 , some months after the completed filming and six months before the film 's release , from a toxic combination of prescription drugs , leading to intense attention from the press and movie-going public . Warner Bros. initially created a viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight , developing promotional websites and trailers highlighting screenshots of Ledger as the Joker .   A co-production of the United States and the United Kingdom , The Dark Knight was released on July 16 , 2008 in Australia , on July 18 , 2008 , in North America , and on July 25 , 2008 , in the United Kingdom . Considered by film critics to be one of the best films of the 2000s and one of the best superhero films ever , the film received highly positive reviews and set numerous records during its theatrical run . The Dark Knight appeared on more critics ' top ten lists ( 287 ) than any other film of 2008 with the exception of WALL-E , and more critics ( 77 ) named The Dark Knight the best film of 2008 than any other film released that year . With over $ 1 billion in revenue worldwide , it is the 29th-highest-grossing film of all time , unadjusted for inflation . The film received eight Academy Award nominations ; it won the award for Best Sound Editing and Ledger was posthumously awarded Best Supporting Actor . The Dark Knight Rises , the final film in the trilogy , was released on July 20 , 2012 .

Heath Ledger <=SEP=> Heathcliff Andrew Ledger ( 4 April 197922 January 2008 ) was an Australian actor and director . After performing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s , Ledger left for the United States in 1998 to develop his film career . His work comprised nineteen films , including 10 Things I Hate About You ( 1999 ) , The Patriot ( 2000 ) , A Knight 's Tale ( 2001 ) , Monster 's Ball ( 2001 ) , Lords of Dogtown ( 2005 ) , Brokeback Mountain ( 2005 ) , The Dark Knight ( 2008 ) , and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ( 2009 ) , the latter two being posthumous releases . He also produced and directed music videos and aspired to be a film director .   For his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain , Ledger won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and Best International Actor from the Australian Film Institute , and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and for the Academy Award for Best Actor . Posthumously he shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with the rest of the ensemble cast , the director , and the casting director for the film I 'm Not There , which was inspired by the life and songs of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan . In the film , Ledger portrayed a fictional actor named Robbie Clark , one of six characters embodying aspects of Dylan 's life and persona .   Ledger died on 22 January 2008 from an accidental intoxication from prescription drugs . A few months before his death , Ledger had finished filming his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight . His death occurred during editing of The Dark Knight and in the midst of filming his last role as Tony in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus . His untimely death cast a shadow over the subsequent promotion of the $ 185 million Batman production . Ledger received numerous posthumous accolades for his critically acclaimed performance in the film , including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor , a Best Actor International Award at the 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards ( for which he became the first actor to win an award posthumously ) , the 2008 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor , the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor -- Motion Picture , and the 2009 BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor .