It has been announced (see here) that Tim Burton’s next project after Alice in Wonderland will be a movie remake of the ’70s “gothic” soap opera Dark Shadows.
Johnny Depp, who has long been on record as having been obsessed with the show, will star in the movie, which of course means yet another Tim Burton film wherein Depp manages to be creepy. I mean, seriously. Given the choice of spending the rest of my life locked in a room with Willy Wonka or Edward Scissorhands, I think I’d probably gouge my own eyes out.
For me, Burton’s films are pretty touch-and-go. I thoroughly enjoyed Sweeney Todd, and Burton’s Batman is the only pre-Nolan film I acknowledge as being part of the franchise, but I honestly wasn’t much of a fan of Big Fish or Corpse Bride. As for the aforementioned Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Edward Scissorhands, I’m ambivalent.
Of course, I’ll have to see Alice in Wonderland before I make my mind up, because it features something I’ve been waiting my whole life for: no, not a Tim Burton film starring Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter, but an adaptation of Carroll’s masterpiece that can’t possibly fail to fit the images of the story that I had as a child.
December 6th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
One thing I’ve noticed: Most guys I know LOVE Big Fish; most women are ambivalent to it. I think it’s the Fathers and Sons theme, maybe, but Big Fish is easily my favorite Burton film (and excepting only the awful, awful Planet of the Apes, I pretty much like-to-love them all) and makes me misty every time I see it.
December 6th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Um, yay? Me and my mom are big fans of Dark Shadows — I watched it when I was very young and it was on reruns, my mom before I was even born and it was new — but the idea of Depp as the pivotal character kinda gives me a bad feeling. I think the show is right up Burton’s alley, but Depp . . . I dunno, I’d have to see promo shots and see if they scare me out of watching it all together.
December 6th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
I think I’ll wait and see what kind of Barnabas Collins wig/haircut they put on Depp. Just as long as it gets that slicked-down-but-sort-of-frayed almost bowl-cut look right I’ll give it a chance.
December 6th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Huge Burton fan (despite his many duds). Huge Depp fan. Not a huge Dark Shadows fan, but it wasn’t bad.
Let’s be honest: as long as Burton and Depp work together, my wife and I will be buying tickets for their films.
December 7th, 2008 at 10:49 am
I’ve been watching Dark Shadows on DVD for about a year and a half now, and as a confirmed fan of the show I’m not keen on this news. Burton and Depp just feel like dull casting (typecasting?) Also not keen on remaking the original storylines, as has been done with previous revivals. It would be much more interesting to see a new TV series that was a continuation of the original 40 years on with new characters. I also think that would stand a much better chance commercially, done right – it worked for Doctor Who, not to mention Star Trek.