It's official: Dark Shadows returns as a film with Johnny Depp

I think he looks too old and she looks like she's 15.

Personally for me I don't care what an actor or actress looks like. If they can pull of the role and deliver that is all I care about. Some of the original cast wasn't let's say HUNK or BOMBSHELL material but they did a fine job playing there roles.

That nightmare about the DS movie was absolutely hilarious...  

The actor chosen is definitely is a far departure, especailly from the sort of Willie we had in the 04 pilot (which is what I prefer.)  But I guess they are changing the character; the picture I've seen of him made me think more of Count Petofi.    Personally, I think a modernization of governess would be closer to a tutor or nanny, not waitress.  But hopefully that was an error.

I personally think it's an error...time will tell.

since kathryn leigh scott played maggie evans as a waitress forty five years ago i don't really see that as a "modernization".

and part of the charm of DS is that it exists somewhat out of time. i'm sure by the mid 1960's the concept of a governess was already somewhat antiquated.

I'll try posting this again. A new article from Variety still points to Bella playing a waitress.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118031509

Extremely interesting for a variety (no pun intended) of reasons.

Before you posted that I was going to make a post to say that while it could very well be that yesterday's report in Variety was in error, I wasn't willing to completely discount its accuracy just yet for two reasons. The first being that, unlike the other Web sites that are reporting on Bella Heathcote's potential casting, Variety is a respected entertainment industry publication that has enjoyed an over 100 year reputation for accurate industry reporting. Of course that doesn't preclude them from making mistakes on occasion - but the thing about Variety's standing in the industry and what helps it to maintain its accurate reporting reputation is that much of its info is supplied directly from the press departments of the studios, producers, directors, actors, films, TV shows, plays, etc. being reported on. If the info about Bella Heathcote's character being a waitress was in error, one would think that after reading the article the Depp/DS film's press rep would have contacted Variety's writer so that the article would have been corrected. I've already mentioned that the article had had some changes made to it between the time I first read it and I went back to get a copy of it to post here - yet the waitress reference was not one of the things that was changed. And I was going to add that the waitress reference is still in the article today. If the reference is in error, then whoever the press rep for the Depp/DS film is is quite obviously not doing their job because their job isn't simply to supply info, but also to make sure what gets printed - especially on places like Variety's Web site - is accurate. So, the second reason that I wasn't quite willing to believe Variety had made a mistake was that the waitress reference is still there today.

However, today's development takes the situation to a whole different level because of the fact that Variety has not only published a second report that references Bella Heathcote's character as a waitress, but the report is written by a totally different writer than handled yesterday's article. So, in all probability, it's not simply a case that the same writer is repeating an assumption that he'd made on his own. It would seem to appear to be a case that someone is handing them the waitress reference - and that's why they're reporting it.

One thing, though, that I'm not quite sure what to make of with regard to both yesterday's and today's articles is that nowhere in either is the character name of Victoria Winters mentioned. And what makes that even more interesting is 1) Depp has always been identified as playing Barnabas, and 2) today's report does actually say that Eva Green "would portray the temptress Angelique, a role played by Lara Parker in the supernatural TV soap opera during its run from 1966 to 1971." Yet when it comes to Bella Heathcote, it's simply that she "would play a waitress." 

Eva Green was great in Casino Royale and I think she'll make a great Angelique!

Eva Green was great in Casino Royale and I think she'll make a great Angelique!

Fun fact: Casino Royale now has TWO Angeliques in its cast! Who'd a thunk it!

Are they now saying Eva Green will portray Angelique in the new film?  Interesting.  She's playing another great Witch of legendry and lore, Morgana/Morgan le Fay, in the new Camelot series that's previewing on Starz at the end of this month.

There are trailers on Youtube--Green looks as if she really knows her craft and really knows how to bite into a role...

G.

I didn't realize she's a part of the new Camelot. I've been interested in seeing it ever since I read that it's an adult take on the legend and supposedly unlike any other version we've seen before. And it also helps that I like Joseph Fiennes as an actor. But now that I know Eva Green is also in it, I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for the heads up.

Camelot - Trailer

Camelot First Look, behind scenes

I don't see any particular reason Willie has to be a young man.  And JEH is a fine actor.

Eve Green is likewise beautiful as well as very talented.  Bit of trivia--she'll be the second Angelique who appeared fully nude in another film.  Yeah, I'm a guy.

I'm unfamiliar with Ms. Harcourte, but she certainly looks pretty.  Youth is hardly a disqualifier.  If she were of marriageable age in 1795 how old could she have been?  Anyone ever read Jane Austen's Persuasion?  The central character is considered a spinster at 26.

As for the description of her character as a "waitress" rather than "Victoria Winters," to me this is fine news.  I've always disapproved of making Victoria Winters the reincarnated Josette, or in fact of having Josette be reincarnated at all.  Makes for a much stronger story if Barnabas is a bit insane, as he was in the original series, and trying to turn this innocent girl into a copy of his beloved.  The tension I always loved was that Barnabas was trapped between a longing for the past and hope for the future, embodied in his relationships with Maggie and Victoria respectively.  Watching Barnabas slowly go sane, leaving his madness behind him, made for extremely compelling drama.  When Curtis turned the Governess into Josette reborn, he made a terrible mistake.

another article (mostly same old info), but this one references a 'young governess' role:
http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/eva-green-talks-join-johnny-depp-dark-shadows-24460

Personally, I'm not too thrilled about the older casting choice for Willie, but I shall hold my tongue til I see anything.

When I relayed the info to a friend of mine, she noted that the description given in: http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/jackie-earle-haley-and-bella-heathcoate-in-dark-shadows-talks/

Loomis is a notorious con artist who comes to Collinwood bent on swindling the reclusive matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard.

Sounds like they're combinating the Jason & Willie character together.  Or it could just be a case of wrong information.  Shall have to wait & see, I suppose.

I think a lot of plot specifics you're hearing is just conjecture from journalists who are going off existing info on the original series, skimming wikis and assuming who's being portrayed as what.

given that this is not a series but a two hour movie that will of course focus largely on barnabas i'm surprised to hear that the blackmailing-of-elizabeth storyline will even be TOUCHED on.

my instinct about the roles of elizabeth and roger and david is that they will be something of extended cameos. an important establishing "presence" at collinwood but not heavily involved in the plot.

and i wish they would just NAME the darn heathcote character as either vicki or maggie and stop with the governess/waitress conjecture.

The New York Times has Bella playing Victoria Winters but the paper also misspelled Julia Hoffman.

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/451864/Dark-Shadows/cast