Heath Ledger's maniacal turn as the Joker has won high praise from critics, but at the New York premiere of The Dark Knight it was his family's turn to give the late actor the thumbs up.
Ledger's father, Kim Ledger, slipped into the theatre with his wife, Ines, Ledger's stepmother, bypassing the black carpet rolled out for the Manhattan screening. Asked after the 2½ hour movie what it felt like to attend, he responded with a thumbs up and told reporters it was "very good".
People reported that Ledger's mother, Sally Bell, her husband and Ledger's older sister, Kate, also attended the event, which shut down a block of Broadway.
Naomi Watts, who once dated Ledger, arrived with her husband, Liev Schreiber.
Hundreds of fans jostled for vantage points to see Ledger's co-stars arrive: Christian Bale, who plays Batman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart and Morgan Freeman.
The co-stars paid tribute to the Australian actor, who died in his New York apartment on January 22, aged 28. An autopsy report found that his death was due to an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.
For Bale, making the movie was a "fantastic" experience.
"He [Ledger] steals the movie, and I'm quite happy to say that," Bale said. "He's a hell of a talent and created a Joker that's very iconic and one that will become a classic portrayal of the ages."
Inside, the buzz surrounding the movie - and Ledger's performance, which has been mooted as Oscar-worthy - appeared to be well founded, with several small mid-screening ovations for the arch-villain.
Words from Sydney Morning Herald.
Images from WENN.