In 1993 the film industry lost one of its most promising young actors. Nearly eighteen years after River Phoenix died of an apparent drug overdose, news surfaces that his final film may actually see the light of day.
I was just a kid when Phoenix died, but not too young to have developed a fairly significant movie-crush on him at some point between the release of Stand By Me and the Halloween night when Pheonix’s life came to an abrupt end. Being a teenage girl at the time, his death was devastating to me, but even now, it’s impossible not to watch some of his films and feel the loss, and wonder what might have become of his career were he still alive today. There’s no way to know for sure, however, we may have the opportunity to see his last film.
According to the Hollywood Reporter (via Digital Spy), Dutch director George Sluizer is planning to finish Dark Blood, the film Phoenix was working on before he died. The director apparently hid the footage from the movie after Phoenix's death, fearing it might be destroyed, and has re-edited it in the hopes of putting the film together at long last. Sluizer plans to ask Joaquin Phoenix to lend his voice to the film to voice-over his brother’s character “Boy.” In Dark Blood, Boy (Phoenix) is a man living on his own in the desert on a nuclear testing site as he awaits the end of the world. Judy Davis and Jonathan Pryce play a couple who come upon him and Boy provides them shelter. There may also be possibly-magic dolls involved.
Legal issues may result in the movie’s title changing, however there’s a chance this film could be released as early as next year. The movie sounds strange, but I’m sure I’m not alone in being interested to see Pheonix’s last film. It’ll be interesting to hear if Joaquin gets involved in this to do the voice-over work or if they have to go with someone else.
