“The Dark Knight” Has Record Opening Weekend; “X-Files” Producer Says He’d “Be OK” if One of His Leads Accidentally Overdosed Too

HOLLYWOOD - In the wake of the record-setting opening weekend of The Dark Knight, Brent Oliverez, Executive Producer of The X-Files: I Want to Believe, which starts Friday, told a publicist that he “would be OK” if ”one of the film’s leads” accidentally overdosed on prescription drugs prior to the film’s opening, much like Heath Ledger, who played Dark Knight’s celebrated villain The Joker, did earlier this year. 

“It would be an immense tragedy, no doubt,” Oliverez said, “but it would give X-Files real cachet.” 

Chris Brickman, executive producer of the upcoming The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, agreed that the death of a star would be a box office shot-in-the-arm for his film.

“I want to make it clear,” Brickman told a reporter, “I am absolutely not singling out [Mummy star] Brendan Fraser.  It can be any of the leads.”  

Producers of other upcoming releases, including Swing Vote,  The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 and Righteous Kill agreed that the death of one or more leads would “be very helpful, very helpful indeed.”  Brickman explained:  ”Guys who go to the movies don’t give a shit, but chicks dig dead guys.”

Oliverez said that in light of the apparent box office boost Dark Knight experienced from Ledger’s death, coupled with the greed of the typical Hollywood producer, “no lead actor in this town is safe.”

Jul 22

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