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

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Myentertainmentworld.com website reported today that the shooting date is now May 15.

Given what Bella Heathcote tweeted, that would make sense. They're supposed to rehearse for a period before actual shooting begins, and with Bella arriving in London on the 9th that would give them about a week to rehearse. Though how Depp may fit into that type of a rehearsal schedule, who knows? I suppose he could pop in between commitments to promote Pirates...

Thanks for the update. jimbo.  

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I haven't been posting about the latest additions to the behind the scenes creative personnel on the film because it's gotten to the point where they're adding a lot of positions where many DS fans probably don't pay much attention to who handles them. However, I keep forgetting to mention that they've added some prosthetic technicians to the Make Up Department. And while that's not surprising because every horror movie seems to use prosthetics these days, it did get me to thinking - especially considering that Joel Harlow is the department head. Why is that possibly significant? Well, because he worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and as anyone who's even just seen photos from that TV show knows, the vamps in the BtVS universe looked very different from what we're used to in the DS universe. So, I'm wondering if instead of just fangs and/or red eyes, the vamp(s) in the Depp/DS film might not also have a look similar to what was done on BtVS? Not that the simple fact that Harlow worked on BtVS means that they will. But combining that fact with the Make Up Department's prosthetics personnel *could* be a *hint* that we *might* want to prepare ourselves for a very different type of vampire look from what we're used to seeing...

[Gothick]

So not a fan of the Buffy vamp look here.  It always made me think of that old Hammer film "the Reptile," or as if the vampires were part Klingon.  sigh.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Well, we don't know that it will be like BtVS. I'm just throwing out that a similar look is a possibility given Joel Harlow's background. But even if the vampire look for the Depp/DS film is different from BtVS (and I'm sure it would never be exactly the same as BtVS, anyway), the potential for it to be different from what we're used to is certainly there, so we should probably prepare for that real possibility.

[Zahir]

Don't you think a make-up designer can come up with more than one design?  Especially for entirely different projects?

The Buffy vampire design, btw, was specifically so it wouldn't seem as if the heroine was going around murdering "people," hence the overtly demonic 'game face.'  Such considerations simply don't apply to Dark Shadows.

Likewise, the original series made do with pale makeup and fangs, nothing else.  It wasn't until the '91 revival that we got golden eyes (very a la Forever Knight btw) whereas for the '04 pilot Barnabas had eyes that went very dark (not unlike The Vampire Diaries) and with extended 'double fangs' (i.e. two on each side, rather like the fang design for Blood Ties).

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Don't you think a make-up designer can come up with more than one design?  Especially for entirely different projects?

Oh, definitely - which is why I said whatever they come up with would never be exactly the same as BtVS.  

The Buffy vampire design, btw, was specifically so it wouldn't seem as if the heroine was going around murdering "people," hence the overtly demonic 'game face.'

True - which is also why I said that the simple fact that Harlow worked on BtVS does not mean the Depp/DS film's vamps will have a similar look.  

Likewise, the original series made do with pale makeup and fangs, nothing else.  It wasn't until the '91 revival that we got golden eyes (very a la Forever Knight btw) whereas for the '04 pilot Barnabas had eyes that went very dark (not unlike The Vampire Diaries) and with extended 'double fangs' (i.e. two on each side, rather like the fang design for Blood Ties).

Also true.    And you'll note that I've never said the vampire look for the Depp/DS film will be different from what we're used to in the DS universe - only that it "could" and "might" be.    Though even beyond Harlow's background there are two other things that lead me to that possibility: films have bigger budgets, and they tend to want to be different. When you have the resources to go in different directions than what's been done before, you tend to explore the possibilities. But who knows? They could do make up tests of different directions with prosthetics, decide that what they've tried looks hideous, and then decide that hewing closer to what's gone before in the DS universe is a better choice. But maybe not. The possibility also exists that if they experiment with prosthetics in ways that we're not used to seeing, they might like what they come up with. And that's all I'm saying - that there is a possibility for the vampire look in the Depp/DS film to be different. And because that possibility exists, it might be wise to prepare for the possibility should it become a reality.    We've already been warned that many things will be different, so the make up could be one of those things...

[borgosi]

If the movie is so different that I need to prepare myself for it, maybe I should just stay home at least until I know more.

However they decide to make the vampires look, DS is a love story. I don't think a young twenty something girl is going to have a hard time leaving someone that looks like a demon. And if it isn't about that then someone needs to tell me why it's called "Dark Shadows" and not something different.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I never meant to imply that people should gird themselves for the possibility of a different vampire look in the Depp/DS film - only that they shouldn't be surprised if there is a different look.    And I also never meant to imply that it would be a look that would always be on display. Like in other vampire stories, it would only manifest itself when the vampire is about to attack and/or feeling the lust for blood - the same situations where Barnabas' eyes would change and his fangs would appear in the '91 series.  

Also, in the '91 Series Josette had no problem accepting Barnabas when he was in full-on vampire mode. In fact, she took his face in her hands and made Barnabas look directly at her to show that nothing had changed for her and she wasn't afraid. The very same sort of situation could take place in the Depp/DS film. After all, it's a classic beauty and the beast type of moment. Altering the vampire make up need not necessarily affect the love story one iota.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Another video interview with Thomas McDonell: Prom's Thomas McDonell on Nabbing a Disney Role and Getting Used to Screaming Fans. And not just screaming girls, but apparently also screaming old men. Hmm...

At least when he discusses DS this time around, he doesn't say it's already shooting. Maybe someone clued him in. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I see where Chloe Moretz has earned three 2011 MTV Movie Awards nominations. One for Best Breakout Star for her appearance in Kick-Ass. Another for Biggest Badass Star (where she's competing against Joseph Gordon-Levitt). And another for Best Fight (for her fight scene with Mark Strong in Kick-Ass)(and she's also competing against Joseph Gordon-Levitt in this category as well).

[madscntst]

For what it's worth, Pirates promotion will be in full force beginning today with press junkets the next couple of days, followed by the premiere at Disneyland on the 7th, and then several premieres to including Moscow, London, Cannes and Tokyo.  I believe Johnny has been confirmed to appear in London and Cannes (and Disneyland, of course); not sure about the others.  So, first, hopefully he will be mentioning DS in interviews, and second, I'm thinking that filming will probably be starting around the week after next, which fits in with Bella's remarks.

Johnny's appearance on Oprah airs tomorrow; I still don't know when the Larry King segment will air, and I haven't heard about other talk shows yet.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Thanks for keeping us up-to-date, madscntst. 

Even though I'm not expecting much if any discussion about DS, I've already programed Oprah to record tomorrow...

[jimbo]

Michael Sheen says that he is not in the DS movie. Too bad. As others have pointed out here nothing is confirmed until it really is.
http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/05/04/dark-shadows-michael-sheen-johnny-depp/

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Certainly sad news because I was definitely looking forward to Michael Sheen playing Roger. Oh well... Though Sheen certainly looks like he just stepped out of the '70s. Could he be...lying? Between the confidentiality agreements and everything else that's being done to keep a lid on things, I'm almost willing to believe Sheen could be lying for some reason - the same reason that has prevented anything beyond "he's in talks" from being reported up to this point. But who knows? And damn you, Tim Burton, for making us so paranoid that we're even willing to entertain seriously that someone could be lying because of your confidentiality agreements.  

[jimbo]

He did look a bit uncomfortable like he was thinking to himself (does Tim want me to confirm I'm in the movie). Anything is possible. This writer says don't trust that imdb DS website page. I wish it was more accurate.
http://www.iamrogue.com/news/movie-news/item/3571-michael-sheen-is-definitely-not-in-tim-burtons-dark-shadows.html