We’re coming up on the ten-year anniversary of the 2008 death of Heath Ledger, a rapidly rising actor whose sudden loss is probably always going to be regarded as one of Hollywood’s great “What might have beens.” In an effort to capitalize on the lingering Ledger mystique, Spike has announced that the actor will be the subject of its next I Am TV documentary, releasing a new trailer for I Am Heath Ledger today.
Besides interviews with family members, friends, and co-workers like Brokeback Mountain director Ang Lee, much of the footage comes from Ledger’s own semi-obsessive habit of documenting and filming his own life. The end result is any number of shots of Ledger looking directly into the viewer’s eyes, a painful but interesting reminder of the mischievous intensity he brought to so many roles.
Derik Murray—who helmed Spike’s previous I Am Chris Farley and I Am Evel Knievel—will direct. I Am Heath Ledger airs on May 17.