Murphy, 32, was pronounced dead on December 20, 2009 after her mother found her unresponsive in the bathroom of the home Murphy shared with husband Simon Monjack. On February 4th the LA County Coroner released the results of her autopsy, listing the official cause of death as community acquired pneumonia, iron deficiency anemia and multiple drug intoxication.
In a press release announcing the acquistion, Abandoned producers Jeffrey Schenck and Barry Barnholtz acknowledged her passing and her contribution to the film: "Brittany will be deeply missed by everyone who worked on Abandoned. The film is a taut thriller which portrays Brittany's character as smart and tough - and that's how we all want to remember her."
"Releasing this young actress's last film is both an honor and bittersweet," stated Anchor Bay Entertainment President Bill Clark. "It was important to Anchor Bay that the timing of this release be right, because we're sensitive to such a tragic loss. However, we also recognize that Brittany's fans will want to see her amazing work."
Abandoned, directed by Michael Feifer, follows Murphy as the increasingly upset girlfriend of a guy who disappears after she drops him off at a hospital for a simple surgery. As she frantically searches for him, no one believes her story - and no one can find any record of the mysterious missing boyfriend.
