Something I was thinking about--we the audience/fans know
some things about the forthcoming movie. We know who is writing the screenplay (the first draft, anyway). We know Johnny Depp and Tim Burton are attached (for now--and odds seem pretty good that'll remain the state of affairs).
Based on that, methinks some predictions are in order. Seeing which in any are right--or wrong--will be kinda fun!
1a. Barnabas' story with Josette and his becoming a vampire will be told/hinted at in flashbacks.
OR
1b. Victoria Winters virtually begins the story in the past, with her flashbacks telling the story of the future.Recall this is the same writer--John August--who adapted "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", which included a brand new back story for Willy Wonka. This used flashbacks, and since DS deals with two time periods, this seems like a pretty safe bet. More, he explored unanswered (and to some extent unasked) questions which might lend itself to turning Victoria's time travel on its head.
2. Helena Bonham Carter will have a role--probably Liz, Julia and/or Naomi, although Angelique is not out of the question.This one seems pretty obvious. Ever since "Planet of the Apes" Tim Burton has used Bonham Carter in each of his films. Nor am I objecting! She is an excellent actor! I suspect for variety's sake she might prefer to play Liz--since she's recently done the pining-in-love fellow conspirator in "Sweeney Todd" and the evil sexy witch in "Harry Potter" recently (plus she'll play Bellatrix at least two or three times more).
3. Whoever plays Josette/Maggie/Victoria, it will be an actress with whom Burton has not worked prior to now.This is just based on past history. Burton doesn't seem to re-use ingenues much. To me, it also seems he tends to cast young women with a kind of feline waifish quality--including Winona Ryder (unusually, twice), Natalie Portman, Christina Ricci, etc. But that is difficult to pin down. Frankly I'm not even sure "feline waifish" is the right term to use.
4. Some very good character actors will litter the ensemble.Pretty much SOP for Burton films, especially with anything even remotely gothic like "Edward Scissorhands" and "Sleepy Hollow". If Martin Landau and/or Christopher Lee are still around and active, I suspect Burton will use one or both.
5. More actors from the "Harry Potter" film series will be used.I cannot be the first one to have thought this, can I? We already've seen Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Michael Gambon. This actually brings up some startling possibilities if you think about it--Emma Watson as Carolyn or Josette, Jason Isaacs as Roger, Rupert Grint as Willie, etc. We'll see. But this does not apply to either Kenneth Branaugh or Emma Thompson, for obvious reasons involving Burton's fiancee.
6. Danny Elfman will write the music.Well, yeah. Almost certainly.
7. David Collins is gonna be one very creepy little kid. Oh yeah. I think he'll creep Barnabas out some.Just a hunch, based on the way Burton approaches children and the dynamics of the story.
8. Collinwood will look like no other estate in this or any other world.Honestly, this is just a guess based on just how stylistic Burton might decide to go. I'm personally imagining something like a cross between the Addams Family mansion and Castle Dracula, but redecorated by Martha Stewart. That is Collinwood, natch. The Old House might easily resemble something out of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari."
9. At some point Barnabas will rise out of his coffin in one move, a la "Nosferatu."Wishful thinking on my part, really, but perfectly possible.