Tim Burton's Dark Shadows

[phantomstranger]

Pfeiffer and Bonham Carter Joining Dark Shadows
Source: Deadline
February 15, 2011


Michelle Pfeiffer is in talks to re-team with her Batman Returns director Tim Burton for Dark Shadows, while frequent Burton collaborator and partner Helena Bonham Carter is in line to join as well.

Pfeiffer would play matriarch of the Collins clan at Collinwood, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, and Bonham Carter is eyeing the role of Dr. Julia Hoffman, a specialist in psychology and rare blood disorders who moves into Collinwood.

Johnny Depp plays the lead role of vampire Barnabas Collins. Previously-announced cast members include Eva Green as the witch Angelique, Jackie Earle Haley as conman Willie Loomis, and Bella Heathcoate as Victoria Winters, the young governess of the Collins estate.

The film is based on Dan Curtis' cult '60s supernatural TV show that ran from 1966 - 1971. "Dark Shadows" was a highly atmospheric, spooky soap-opera that featured gothic horror staples like vampires, monsters, witches, werewolves, ghosts and zombies.

[BookZombie]

I did not know about this, I loved the Dark Shadows the remake series which came out in the early 90's and I have now begun to collect both it, and then the original series on DVD, it would be nice to see a new Dark Shadows film.

[phantomstranger]

Christopher Lee For Dark Shadows Movie?
Another frequent Tim Burton collaborator looks set to appear in the forthcoming Dark Shadows feature film, with news that veteran British actor Christopher Lee has joined the cast. According to a recent posting by the administrator of Lee's official website: "He is working on the movie for sure. As for his role, I do not know."

Christopher Lee's long career includes numerous iconic roles, including Frankenstein and Dracula for the Hammer horror movies, plus appearances in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and George Lucas' Star Wars prequels. In recent years, he has worked on several projects for Tim Burton, including Sleepy Hollow and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Back in February, Burton presented him with British Academy of Film and Television Arts fellowship.

[hammerfan]

Oh. My. God!!!!!! Now I'm REALLY excited for this movie!!!!

[ziesha07]

well that's a favorable news !

[_____V_____]

Bloody Disgusting has reported that at a “Dark Shadows” panel at Comic-Con 2011, it was announced that four original cast members of cult ‘60s show will be making cameos in Tim Burton‘s long-gestating adaptation starring Johnny Depp.

Stars Lara Parker (Angelique), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans and Josette du Pres), David Selby (Quentin Collins) and the one and only Jonathan Frid (who played Barnabas Collins in the TV show, the role Depp has taken over) spent three days filming at Pinewood Studios.

No word on what their roles will be or how they will fit into the movie.

Starring Depp, Jackie Earle Haley, Eva Green, Bella Heathcote, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Chloe Moretz and Jonny Lee Miller the film is a big screen adaptation of vampire soap that centers on the playboy Barnabas (Depp) who breaks the heart of the witch Angelique Brouchard (Green) in 1752, and in her fury, she turns him into a vampire and buries him alive. When he reawakens in 1972, he returns to Collinwood Manor to find his estate and family in ruins.

The script was written by Seth Graeme-Smith (”Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”) and sounds like perfect material for another Burton/Depp collaboration.

We’re still waiting final confirmation regarding a rumored Alice Cooper cameo in the film as well.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and an inveterate playboy…until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Brouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles.

Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth’s ne’er-do-well brother, Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger’s precocious 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David’s new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

Warner Bros. plans to release “Dark Shadows” on May 11, 2012.

[hammerfan]

I am seriously excited about this movie.

[Nini_luv5]

Johnny Depp as a vampire.... juicy ;)

[_____V_____]

Dark Shadows has been in the works for nearly four years, getting the initial push towards the big screen by long-time fan of the series Johnny Depp. Since then, it’s been a slow but steady crawl towards production and now the film has finally started shooting in the U.K. with director Tim Burton, who has been attached to the vampire soap opera adaptation since late 2008.

The cast is already packed with talent, but according to THR, three more big names have been added to round out the team.

Johnny Lee Miller, who recently starred as a big bad serial killer in Dexter, or as I like to call him “Crash Override”, has joined up as Roger Collins, who is turned into a vampire by Depp’s Barnabas Collins, his own cousin.

Also signed on is the much older than her years Chloe Grace Moretz (Let Me In, Kick-Ass) who will play Carolyn Stoddard, Roger’s neice.

The final no-duh-addition is Helena Bonham Carter, Burton’s long time collaborator, girlfriend, and mother of his children. Their last outing together was last year’s mildly atrocious Alice in Wonderland that couldn’t even be saved by Burton’s stunning visuals. The pair have been working together for a long time, but Carter has admitted that Burton always makes her audition for her roles.

Dark Shadows’ cast list is star studded to say the least. These three stars join Depp, Jackie Earle Haley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Eva Green, Christopher Lee and many more for this adaptation of the 60s cult classic TV soap opera.

If all goes well, this could easily be the start of a lucrative franchise for everyone involved since the show has, not exaggerating, over 1200 episodes to draw from.

[hammerfan]

They also made two movies: House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows. House of Dark Shadows was about Julia trying to make Barnabas human, and Night of Dark Shadows was about Angelique, starring David Selby and Kate Jackson. I've been trying to find both of them on DVD with no luck.