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Even though comedian Bernie Mac died at the age of 50 of pneumonia this past August, he still stars in two movies opening this weekend. He not only plays opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the endearingly foul-mouthed tale of two washed-up singers in "Soul Men." But he also lends his voice to DreamWorks' animated movie "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa." Here's a look at other film stars who died before the release of their final films.

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight Though he died of an accidental drug overdose this past January, a full seven months before "The Dark Knight" opened, Heath Ledger's performance as The Joker in Christopher Nolan's grim superhero blockbuster has already garnered Oscar talk. The Australian actor died while shooting Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," but a trio of other stars -- Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell -- stepped in to film the character's remaining scenes.

James Dean - Giant

James Dean - GiantDean was a mere 24 years old when he died in a car wreck in 1955. But in that short time, he starred in three movies and garnered two posthumous Oscar nominations, one for "East of Eden" and the other for "Giant."

Oliver Reed - Gladiator

Oliver Reed - GladiatorLegendary British actor Oliver Reed died of a heart attack during production of this epic sword and sandal flick. As a result, a number of his scenes had to be re-edited using a double, digital effects, and plenty of shadows.

Bruce Lee - Enter the Dragon

Bruce Lee - Enter the DragonBruce Lee died just three weeks before his breakout movie opened, killed suddenly by a cerebral edema. "Enter the Dragon" proved to be such a hit -- one of the most profitable movies of all time -- and there was such a demand for its departed star that Hong Kong soon started cranking out films with leads named Bruce Li, Bruce Lei, Brute Lee, and Lee Bruce.