_____V_____
04-01-2010, 05:22 AM
It's a dream come true for diehard fans of The Sandman, and potentially a match made in moviemaking heaven.
Fresh off the box-office success of Alice In Wonderland, acclaimed director Tim Burton has announced plans to direct a big-budget film adaptation of the legendary Sandman graphic novels for an early 2012 release.
Principal filming will start later this year in England.
Joining Burton is longtime collaborator Johnny Depp, who will be playing the title character. Other casting announcements include Helena Bonham Carter as "Death," Christopher Lee as "Destiny," and Tim Roth as "Mervyn Pumpkinhead."
The project will have to jostle for room on Burton's already busy dance card alongside a feature-length update of his Frankenweenie short, an adaptation of the bestselling novel Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, the sci-fi sequel Planet of the Apes 3-D, a stop-motion version of The Addams Family, Maleficent, a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale from the wicked fairy godmother's point of view, and a big screen version of the cult TV series Dark Shadows (also starring Depp).
Published by DC imprint Vertigo Comics, created by popular celebrated venerated writer Neil Gaiman and worshiped by comic fans, Goth kids and hip English professors, The Sandman series ran from 1989 until 1996. Renown for its moody mythology, the groundbreaking comic tells the story of a mystical, immortal being - the "Sandman" or "Morpheus" - who rules over the dreams of humans.
"I am excited to bring this character to the big screen," says Burton. "I love comic books. Ever since Batman Returns, I've been looking for an opportunity to take on another."
Fans should expect Burton's Sandman to be more of a reimagining than an adaptation, as insiders hint that the director wants to put his unique stamp on this series. Early screenplay drafts and preliminary design sketches seen by sources close to the project suggest that the movie will center on Morpheus' inability to communicate his love for a father figure - a new character that is still being fleshed out. Sketches are, purportedly, "vintage Burton," complete with spider web capes, top hats, and a shiny, full-body, leather "dream suit."
Fresh off the box-office success of Alice In Wonderland, acclaimed director Tim Burton has announced plans to direct a big-budget film adaptation of the legendary Sandman graphic novels for an early 2012 release.
Principal filming will start later this year in England.
Joining Burton is longtime collaborator Johnny Depp, who will be playing the title character. Other casting announcements include Helena Bonham Carter as "Death," Christopher Lee as "Destiny," and Tim Roth as "Mervyn Pumpkinhead."
The project will have to jostle for room on Burton's already busy dance card alongside a feature-length update of his Frankenweenie short, an adaptation of the bestselling novel Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, the sci-fi sequel Planet of the Apes 3-D, a stop-motion version of The Addams Family, Maleficent, a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale from the wicked fairy godmother's point of view, and a big screen version of the cult TV series Dark Shadows (also starring Depp).
Published by DC imprint Vertigo Comics, created by popular celebrated venerated writer Neil Gaiman and worshiped by comic fans, Goth kids and hip English professors, The Sandman series ran from 1989 until 1996. Renown for its moody mythology, the groundbreaking comic tells the story of a mystical, immortal being - the "Sandman" or "Morpheus" - who rules over the dreams of humans.
"I am excited to bring this character to the big screen," says Burton. "I love comic books. Ever since Batman Returns, I've been looking for an opportunity to take on another."
Fans should expect Burton's Sandman to be more of a reimagining than an adaptation, as insiders hint that the director wants to put his unique stamp on this series. Early screenplay drafts and preliminary design sketches seen by sources close to the project suggest that the movie will center on Morpheus' inability to communicate his love for a father figure - a new character that is still being fleshed out. Sketches are, purportedly, "vintage Burton," complete with spider web capes, top hats, and a shiny, full-body, leather "dream suit."