I was surprised to notice today that, despite the several dozen articles posted about the Depp/DS film last week, it actually fell down to #522 (from #397) on IMDb's MOVIEmeter.
But I guess the fact that the film won't be shot in 3D wasn't a subject to get people to look up the film on IMDb.
Changing reels, I've noticed that there's been a lot of speculation in other DS venues about how much time the Depp/DS film will/should spend in the past. Some are even saying that they think at least half of the film should be spent in the past fleshing out Barnabas, Angelique and Josette's (presuming Josette or a Josette-type character will indeed be seen in the flesh) relationship before the action even shifts to the present.
Going by WB's press release, it would appear that the plot will unfold in a linear fashion, meaning starting with 1752, jumping directly to 1772, and then jumping directly to 1972. Though that doesn't necessarily have to be the case. Events in the past could easily be told as flashbacks as needed within the present day plot - and that's actually a device that Burton has used in his past films, including
Sleepy Hollow and
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But even if the plot is told in a completely linear fashion, I'm not so sure that a full half of the film should be devoted to the past or if that would be something Burton & Co. are even seriously considering. To me it seems more likely that the past events will be dealt with quickly but adequately enough to establish the backstory before the film's main story unfolds in the present of 1972. The vast majority of the known characters live in 1972, so I can't see them not being the main focus of the film.
What do others think? Would you like to see the story told in a completely linear fashion? Starting in the present but then featuring flashbacks to the past as needed? Or perhaps even through some combination of both where the barebones of the past are dealt with first and then fleshed out as needed through flashbacks once the plot shifts to the present? And how much of the film's time should be devoted to dealing with the past?
339 days 7 hours 23 minutes 53 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS is released(ET)!!