03.18.08: Director Minghella Dies, 'Dark Knight' Stars Celebrate Ledger

Director Anthony Minghella, Dead at 54
Oscar-winning filmmaker Anthony Minghella, renowned for his lavish literary adaptations including the The English Patient, Cold Mountain and The Talented Mr. Ripley is dead, his agent has confirmed.  According to a spokesman, he was undergoing surgery for a routine neck operation when he suffered a brain hemorrhage.  His most recent project, telepic No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, will air on BBC One this Sunday. More at BBC News.

Another Dune Adaptation
Paramount Pictures has announced another big screen adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune, with Peter Berg signed on to direct.  Set in the far-distant future, Dune is a sweeping epic that chronicles the rise of Paul Atreides, a royal heir caught up in an interstellar war over control of the desert planet Arrakis and its precious reserve of the space travel-enabling spice Melange.  The third time's a charm for this sci-fi classic, which was adapted by David Lynch in 1984 and was also a miniseries on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2000.  No word on who will be donning Sting's intergalactic space diaper this time around. More at Variety.

Heath Ledger's Dark Knight Costars Want to "Celebrate His Work"
The Dark Knight stars Christian Bale, Maggie Gyllenhaal and director Christopher Nolan gathered recently to discuss the film and its late scene-stealer, Heath Ledger.  The emotional group touted Heath's talent and performance as the Joker, with Nolan revealing, "Gotham is the Joker's town — and everybody else is just living in it. The truth is, the performance is so iconic. It's so not Heath Ledger; it is the Joker. He just inhabits it. It's riveting to watch this incredible performance. I am very proud to work with him on this. I know he was very proud of the role, and I am very excited to show it to people. I think they are going to be blown away." More at MTV.