Like you, I would take a lot of this stuff with a huge grain of salt (unless there are photos
). This Zone poster is brand new; I know some of the gals over there and if it had been someone I was familiar with, I'd put a lot more weight behind it than I do. But also remember that if it *were* legit, they would probably have had to sign confidentiality agreements and would not be able to provide specifics, anyway. So, just keep these tidbits and descriptions tucked away in the back of your mind, in case, but don't bank too much on 'em.
As for what the runner said, could it be that Johnny/Barnabas is not recognizable while in some kind of transformed vampiric state? The show didn't really have the resources to change Frid's appearance very much (with the exception of when he aged rapidly) but so much more is possible for a motion picture.
Anyway, going by the past few Burton films when we've sometimes been lucky enough to get thrown a bone of a brief look at character(s) before the filming is complete (which may be in a month or so, if they're on schedule), I'm still hoping we may get to see an actual image of someone from the cast (hopefully Johnny) soon! Drumming my fingers...
Cathy