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

[Taeylor Collins]

I don't think I came across correctly. I don't want HODS in any way, shape or form.  I just hope it has the creep factor.  So many scary movies just don't scare you anymore!  It doesn't have to resort to tons of violence for this either.  Just make this world we are watching CREEPY for there is nothing like a good "JUMP" out of your seat moment!!  I am sure Johnnny and Burton will do great.  The fact that they are fans does appeal to me!  I feel conflicted today.  Overlook me!   

[GooberCollins]

I'm more talking about HoDS's forboding atmosphere and beautiful cinematography than its plot, which was a bit too Dracula and not enough DS for my taste.

I completely agree that too many horror movies these days rely on gore instead of genuine scares, or, at the very least, mood and atmosphere. I watched Let's Scare Jessica to Death the other day and the atmosphere was superb, even if the movie wasn't truly scary until the end. I detest Saw/Hostel-esque torture porn, and the only "slasher" films I actually like are the first Halloween and Scream; maybe Valentine, as well, though that's a lot less well-known.

And I tend to feel that Burton is either going to make it perfect or totally butcher it.

Dan Curtis's problem was that he was somewhat unimaginative. DS is great, but you have to admit that it cribbed a lot from other stories, though it did so very well. And when the chance for a revival swung back around, he had them tell almost the same story again.

[Miss_Winthrop]

But seriously, I honestly haven't seen enough of Bonham Carter's work to judge. The only thing I can recall seeing her in was the '85 version of A Room with a View - and that was a long time ago.

HBC is in 'Howard's End' with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.  A must see movie.  She's very good as Thompson's little sister. 

[JS]

Goober,

How can you say such a thing? "Dan Curtis's problem was that he was somewhat unimaginative".   Dan Curtis was a genius to say the least. He created the most popular soap opera of all time, bar none. It was his fantastic imagination and creativity, granted, family and friends encouraged him. Never the less, this unimaginative person is responsible for the greatest soap in our lifetime, the likes of which we may never see again.

[GooberCollins]

Forgive me, "uncreative" was the term I meant to use, not "unimaginative." As I said, Dark Shadows is a great show, and I find the fact that it openly borrowed from so many horror stories to create a very large portion of its storylines strangely endearing. Aside from that, when the Revival popped up, they didn't do enough to differentiate it from the original series, which is probably due to Dan Curtis. Sure, different cast and a few plot changes, but it was essentially the same story. But what you read about the writing staff on the internet, as well as somewhat in the PomPress books, indicates that Dan Curtis was having the writers speed-read various horror stories, and then rewriting those stories into the DS universe; not exactly an enormous sign of creativity. And let's not forget that if Dan Curtis had gotten his way and made Barnabas an all-evil vampire instead of giving into Frid and the writers, Dark Shadows likely would have gotten canceled instead of being saved by Barnabas. I'm not denying that DS had some really creative stuff in it - but I think it more had to do with other writers than with DC himself. Just my opinion.

[JS]

I guess that you are partially right on that aspect. Much of Dark Shadows was borrowed from other horror stories. It was really just a menagerie of horror stories. This was the magic potion that made Dark Shadows work. I too was glad that Dan Curtis didn’t get his way with Barnabas, However, the creation of Barnabas was so good that anyone that tries to deviate from the original character portrayed by Jonathan Frid will never be successful. 

[GooberCollins]

the creation of Barnabas was so good that anyone that tries to deviate from the original character portrayed by Jonathan Frid will never be successful. 

Exactly. That's one of the reasons why I view the Revivial, the 2004 WB pilot, and any other revivals of DS to be more novelties than anything else. For me, Dark Shadows is the original series, and everything else is just an extra. It's also why we need to have a good actor playing Barnabas for this movie - he'll never be able to stand up against Frid, but he needs to be a worthy successor.

[JS]

  Dittos! I couldn't agree more.

[Barnabas'sBride]

Actually, deviating from the original portrayal is the only way to go.  If Depp just mimics Frid's performance, this new movie will not be as good as it could be. Depp has his own talent and originality to bring to the table, and he should definitely bring it.

[Lydia]

Just as Dark Shadows took already existing stories and turned them into something that could stand on its own, so, I believe, the character of Barnabas can be played by another actor, with shades of difference and indeed whole boatloads of difference, and fascinate the audience as much as the original Barnabas did.

I've said before that I don't think I'll like Johnny Depp's Dark Shadows movie because too much attention will be paid to horror - but that doesn't change my opinion about what's possible.

[Zahir]

I am genuinely startled at seeing how many posters here evidently don't want there to be any more incarnations of DS ever.  Because let's face it, DS without Barnabas is just not DS.  And Jonathan Frid is a retired actor in his eighties so he's never playing Barnabas again.

Hence, no Dark Shadows.  Ever.

[GooberCollins]

The new actor, whoever he may be, should deviate from Frid somewhat. As I said, he needs to be a worthy successor, but he'll never stand up against Frid; therefore, exactly regurgitating Frid's version of the character would be a huge mistake.

Actually, what I'm saying is that, in my mind, there can be no new incarnation of Dark Shadows. For allegory, the famous "original" glazed variety of Krispy Kreme donuts is the Krispy Kreme donut, and all the others are just Krispy Kreme-branded donuts. (Did that make sense?) I'm not against another show or movie, but I don't see them as true revivals of the original show, just new media released under the brand name of the original show.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Another article that mentions how Depp has the DS film in his pipeline.

Check out: A very busy Depp
(Scroll down about a third of the way down the page.)


And I don't know where this article is getting its info, but it claims that there are reports that Anne Hathaway is already attached to the Depp/DS film.

Check out: Divorced From Typecasting

That would be interesting news if true, but somehow I suspect someone is simply misreading the speculation that some Web sites and DS fans have been spinning. And we all know how rumors run rampant on the Internet. Though who knows? Look how long John August was attached as screenwriter before it was actually confirmed...

[JS]

I am not opposed to deviating from the original Barnabas as long as it is a mature actor with a Shakespearean style of acting. If the new Barnabas is just a young hunk up on the screen the new DS movie I hate to say, will flop. 

[GooberCollins]

Actually, a young heartthrob actor would likely be better for revenue, though probably not quality. God forbid we see Disney get ahold of the production and cast Zac Efron or one of the Jonas Brothers as Barnabas.