October 19, 2011 19:13

River Phoenix’s final film to be released 19 years after his death

The movie he was making when he died in 1993 is set to be finished and released in 2012.

Director George Sluizer has revealed that he will reedit the footage from Dark Blood and will be able to finish River Phoenix's final film and release it in 2012.

Hollywood Reporter says that he will be asking River’s brother Joaquin Phoenix to take over the role of Boy and fill in for his late sibling via voiceover. “The voices of both brothers are very much alike,” says Sluizer. River died 11 days before the film’s shoot was complete.

The film sees River playing a hermit living in a nuclear testing site waiting for the end of the world. It also stars Jonathan Pryce and Judy Davis. It is reported that the name of the film may have to be changed due to copyright issues.

River Phoenix died at the age of 23 from a drug overdose on October 31, 1993 outside the club then partially owned by Johnny Depp, the Viper Room in Los Angeles.