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The late Heath Ledger is installed as the unlikely frontrunner for the best supporting actor award for his scary, slippery performance as the Joker in the next Batman blockbuster.
Let us spare a thought for the posthumous Oscar winners, the ones who are unable to accept their award in person. This sparsely populated guest-list extends right back to Gone With the Wind writer Sidney Howard, who was all set to attend the ceremony right up until the moment his tractor rolled on top of him.
Next February could see the arrival of a fresh ghost at the party, with the late Heath Ledger installed as the unlikely frontrunner for the best supporting actor award.
The Australian actor died earlier this year, shortly after completing his scary, slippery performance as the Joker in the next Batman blockbuster. "The Academy tend to overlook movies like this," admitted his Dark Knight co-star Gary Oldman. "But his acting is so good it's going to be hard for them to avoid it." Elsewhere, the Oscar campaign is already underway. According to US entertainment writer Sam Rubin, Ledger is now the "hands-down favourite" to take the prize.
History, however, is not on his side. James Dean was twice nominated in the wake of his death and yet still finished up as a posthumous loser on the night. More recently, Oliver Reed (for Gladiator) and Ulrich Muhe (The Lives of Others) were both tipped in vain for at least a nomination.
In fact, the only actor ever to be awarded a posthumous Oscar was Network's Peter Finch. Felled by a heart attack during the voting period, he swept to glory on a tidal wave of grief.
So what are Ledger's chances? Here is the Academy's opportunity to honour a fallen hero - and perhaps make belated amends for neglecting his devastating performance in Brokeback Mountain in 2006.
For all that, the odds remain stacked against him. Memories fade and voters are fickle. To make matters worse, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tends to keep blockbusters safely shut out of the acting categories.
A dead acting hopeful in a big-budget Batman movie? That could well prove to be the toughest sell in Hollywood.
