U.S. film watchers are one step closer to catching Heath Ledger's final film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus on the big screen - Hollywood bosses are in advanced talks with a distributor to reel out the movie across America.

Executives in charge of the picture have spent nearly a year searching for backers in the U.S. but were finding it difficult to convince a company to release the experimental movie, which features late actor Ledger as a travelling magician.

The film was expected to be taken on by a distributor immediately as it boasts the star power of not only Ledger, who died of an accidental drug overdose last year, but also that of Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law, who all stood in for the Aussie actor after he died mid-way through filming.

However, bosses have been in talks with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group, who are expected to sign a deal to distribute the film in the U.S. later this year, according to Variety.

The film already has finalized deals with distributors in the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Australia for later in 2009.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)