HEATH LEDGER - HEATH LEDGER WAS 'BIGGEST FILM STORY OF 2008'

HEATH LEDGER WAS 'BIGGEST FILM STORY OF 2008'

The late Heath Ledger has been named the biggest movie news story, best villain and most missed star of 2008 in a new poll.

The Australian actor, who was found dead in his New York City apartment on January 22nd, following an accidental overdose of prescription medication, was placed first in three categories in an end-of-year poll from Moviefone.com.

The Oscar-nominated actor took 83 per cent of the vote in the biggest news category while respondents to the online poll named The Dark Knight star as the actor they would miss most after his death, with the late Paul Newman named in second.

Ledger's iconic performance as The Joker has won him Golden Globe and Screen Actors' Guild award nominations, and it helped The Dark Knight to top the best action movie category in Moviefone's survey.

The Batman Begins sequel was also voted the "movie most worth your cash" though it faced a tough challenge from vampire romance Twilight.

The Stephenie Meyer adaptation beat Sex and the City to the best chick flick crown, with young actor Robert Pattinson named breakout star and he and onscreen love Kristen Stewart voted best film couple.

Angelina Jolie was the other big winner, claiming the best multiple performances prize for her roles in Wanted, Kung Fu Panda and Changeling as well as the best nude scene award.

Mike Myers' comedy The Love Guru was voted the worst film of the year while voters said Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was their most anticipated movie of the next year.

Some 3.5 million people voted in the fortnight-long poll.

Winners of the Moviefone poll included:Movie most worth your cash

The Dark Knight - 49 per cent
Twilight - 18 per cent
Iron Man - 17 per cent
Sex and the City - 8 per cent
WALL-E - 8 per cent

Movie least worth your cash

The Love Guru - 40 per cent
Speed Racer - 26 per cent
The Happening - 13 per cent
10,000 BC - 11 per cent
Fool's Gold - 10 per cent

Funniest comedy

Tropic Thunder - 36 per cent
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 24 per cent
Pineapple Express - 19 per cent
Role Models - 13 per cent
Zack and Miri Make a Porno - 7 per cent

Best animated movie

WALL-E - 41 per cent
Kung Fu Panda - 25 per cent
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa - 16 per cent
Horton Hears a Who - 10 per cent
Bolt - 9 per cent

Most exciting 2009 movie

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 43 per cent
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - 24 per cent
Terminator Salvation - 13 per cent
Watchmen - 12 per cent
Star Trek - 8 per cent