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

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The young Barnabas speaks

Very interesting article - learned a lot about McDonell. Thanks for posting the link, jimbo.  

[Cousin_Barnabas]

This is just weird. I wonder if he's referring to the story or just  the shoot.  Either way, it's an interesting predicament.  We could begin in the past and move forward or we could begin in the present and move to the past at the end (a la Charlie and the Choc.)...  Hmmm...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It seemed to me as if he was speaking about the shoot. They're going to shoot everything else before they shoot any of his part.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Seemed that way to me too, but he still said "the beginning," which makes me wonder about it.  Probably over-speculation and analysis.  It would be interesting if it were actually the beginning to something and not just a flashback.  But, I'm sure he probably meant flashback.  Like I said, over-speculation.  But, it's fun, right?   

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The young Barnabas sequence doesn't have to be a flashback - it could be the actual beginning of the movie. That's probably not the way many of us have been thinking it - but it's certainly possible. The script could depict whatever it is that they want the audience to know happened in Barnabas' young life, and then from there the story jumps forward 200 years or whatever to the events that lead to Barnabas' release from his coffin as a vampire, and from there the audience is taken on the journey of learning how Barnabas' life went from whatever it was when he was young to him becoming cursed as a vampire. Could be intriguing if that's how it will be...

[Josette]

Depp has confirmed that he will do a cameo in the movie version of 21 Jump Street.  No idea when that is, but if it's just a cameo, presumably it won't interfere with other obligations.

[jimbo]

The young Barnabas actor says filming has started already which contradicts a Variety article that just came out indicating filming won't begin until after JD does his promotion touring for Pirates 4 as previously reported here.

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/04/27/mcdonell-plays-prom-bad-boy

The young actor also describes an event that happens to him in the film.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118036029

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Variety doesn't really contradict McDonell because all they say is that Depp won't begin shooting until after promoting Pirates. And as I said the other day, just because Depp wouldn't start shooting until after May 20th, that didn't mean the film couldn't begin production before then without him.    In fact, if it really has begun production (and it isn't that McDonell is simply mistaken) that could explain why IMDb still says production begins in April and not May. But who knows? So much of what's happening has such a tight lid on it.

And as for McDonell, I don't think he's necessarily describing something that happens to him while he's playing Barnabas. It seems like he's saying he plays Barn prebatbite but afterward Barn (presumably then played by Depp) gets bitten, becomes a vampire, and gets locked away. Considering that vamps don't age, I can't imagine how McDonell could go into the coffin as a vampire and then have a 20-something years older Depp come out. But we shall see...

One thing I do think comes across is that McDonell, like a lot of people his age, plays fast and loose with time. In a previous interview he said he's going to shoot for a week or so - in this one it's a couple of days. And in that same previous interview he says it'll be a little while before he's going to shoot (though it will be at the end of the shoot) - yet in this one he's not shooting until the end of summer. And actually that makes much more sense because the casting call that I linked to a while back said shooting would last through August.

But anyway, as always, thanks for posting the links, jimbo. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I'm late in catching up on my e-mail (so what else is new) so I just came across a Google alert about an article about the Depp/DS film on bx.businessweek.com. However, when I try to access the article via the alert all I get is a page telling me that "something went wrong. And when I tried to search their site for the article, I was told no such article exists. But it did exist at some point as the Google alert reads:

"Dark Shadows Movie (2012), Movie Poster, Trailer - Business Exchange
Dark Shadows movie will be a fascinating cinematic experience for audience to look forward with wide eyed awe as this will be packed with horror thriller.
bx.businessweek.com/.../17518561147843506648-6090b9ba..."

Did anyone happen to catch this article before it mysteriously disappeared?


Also, I'm not sure exactly why (but any discussion that keeps the film in the public eye is good) but there's an entire topic devoted to the Depp/DS film on the message board for ABC's talk show The View: The View | Dark Shadows movie starts production May 2011


And finally, some articles that are actually where they're supposed to be:

Another article about Eva Green:

Actress Eva Green is no longer falling through the 'Cracks'
(Nothing new about DS. Angelique's is a "meaty role" - she has "a love/hate relationship" with Barnabas - she's "madly in love him" - he's "very attracted to her, too, but hates her" - "it's very funny, very complicated." But the article is worth a read because there are some very interesting things about Green herself.)

And one about Thomas McDonell:

Thomas McDonell: King of "Prom"
(Apparently he hopes his resemblance to Depp doesn't freak Depp out.)

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Not that the Daily Star is the most reliable source of information

And speaking of the Daily Star, they're reporting that Depp is already filming DS:

JOHNNY DEPP'S £700 IN TIPS

Are they rehearsing? Are they shooting? Who knows what they're doing?!  

[Cousin_Barnabas]

This is the link, and it looks "off" to me...

http://bx.businessweek.com/movies/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.onlinemovieshut.com%2Fonline-movies%2Fdark-shadows-movie-2012

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Very, very strange. No wonder I couldn't find it on the bx.businessweek.com Web site because it's on onlinemovieshut.com. But even that may not be where it originated because the article certainly seems as if it was translated into English using some browser's translation feature. And it's even stranger that Business Week would feature something like that.    But at the same time it's definitely good to know what the article was. Thanks for tracking it down, Cousin_Barnabas.  

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Hmm - Entertainment Weekly's review of Prom is the first I've seen, and I think it's safe to say critic Owen Gleiberman likes Thomas McDonell:

"Will Miss Perfect fall for the Leader of the Pack? It helps that he's played by Thomas McDonell, who's not only a dead ringer for Johnny Depp but also has a comparable charisma. He's a rare case of true prom royalty: the natural-born kind."

Maybe we should be disappointed that McDonell won't have a very big part in the Depp/DS film...

[joe integlia]

i saw PROM on a sneak preview wed night and agree with the review. he looks and acts just like depp.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I see that Helena Bonham Carter's name has been added back on IMDb - but once again she's listed as "rumored." However, according to this interview with Thomas McDonell:

Next Factor: 'Prom' Star Thomas McDonell

he's looking forward to working with Bonham Carter, so one would think that takes things out of the realm of rumor, no?  

Apparently he also has a thing for Michelle Pfeiffer.