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

This news is just TOO awesome!  Perhaps this will inject new blood (pun intended) into fandom like the NBC revival series, the release of original eps to VHS and the show starting to air on SciFi did in 1990!  

Hmmm...the best approach might be to film the 1795 storyline.  Of all the storylines, it has (arguably) the tightest structure, with a clear and focused beginning, middle, and end.  Because it ends with Barnabas being chained in his coffin, it would set the stage for a sequel set in present-day Collinwood.

Even more important, 1795 is the foundation of the Barnabas mythos -- his origin story -- and a retelling of that storyline would give newcomers insight into the character.

http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.com/2007/07/dark-shadows-returns.html

Another interesting link, where other things are mentioned also

Lori

I knew you guys would already have a thread up and running for this!!

I'm tickled pink, whatever that means. I'm floating on air at the prospect of
this movie actually hitting the theatres. I really never even dreamed that a
new Dark Shadows movie would come to be. But so it seems that this will
come to pass. I just can't believe it... Dammit it all, I'm stunned. This is
magnificent news.

And I STILL want David Tennant to play Willie Loomis. ~DJ

OMG! OMG! OMG!

*falls over. dies.*

I wish my mom was still with me so I could share this with her...we always talked about how cool it would be to see Depp in the role.

Yeah, my Mom never imagined the possibility of Depp partaking in the role. She's just
on cloud nine with the idea alone that she'll get to see it in the theatre.

This is just fabulous. A friend was just saying on another board that Depp's star power
alone would be enough to "refuel" interest in Dark Shadows. I imagine this will create a renewed
interest. If it doesn't, I'll be utterly surprised. What a party the fests will be then, huh?
Not that they weren't fun to begin with, but they're going to be packed if this pulls
through!

I wish my mom was still with me so I could share this with her...we always talked about how cool it would be to see Depp in the role.

One does have to wonder why Barnabas is being referred to as "the vampire patriarch" in so many reports. Sure, he's an old man (in years, if not in appearance), he's the oldest member of the Collins family in almost any century he shows up in, and he often attempts to shepherd or "save" members of the extended Collins familiy or the family as a whole (though more often with disastrous results - though I suppose that's beside the point). However, no one within the storylines ever sees him as their "leader" (excepting Leviathans, which is a special case) or the head of the family - and he's certainly no one's father. And in reality, in at least three instances, the Collins family is actually lead by the matriarchs Edith, Judith and Liz while Barnabas is very much on the scene.

But then, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised because we all know how the Internet works: one site reports something in a certain fashion (Variety in this case) and within a matter of hours the same sort of terms/descriptions are all over the Internet.  :-

I hate that whole "vampire patriarch" thing but it seems so very characteristic of meta-media in our times.  To quote the immortal Lucy van Pelt, BLEAH!

My greatest hope at the moment is that this will give a definitive green light for WB to produce a lavish, RESTORED edition of the two films--if it's not too late at this point.  I had the impression that a Hallowe'en release for the discs had been mooted but perhaps with the Depp film being given a go, they'll be more interested in marketing a higher-quality product to tie in with the ramp-up to what I'm sure they fondly hope will be the next "Pirates of the Caribbean."  Let the schlock roll on... (although, I will see that if they get Tim Burton on board, there's just a chance that the project could produce something worthy of the Shadows heritage--judging from Burton's work on Sleepy Hollow.)

G.

Another interesting link, where other things are mentioned also

Thanks for posting that link, Lori.    Contrary to the too many sites that are unabashedly rehashing Variety's report word for word (I've come across more than two dozen already!  ), that one actually incorporates excerpts from Depp's comments about DS that were originally a part of his Combustible Celluloid interview.

I have to confess, though, that I find this site's report amusing, if only for the link to "Meet Vampire Females" at www.GothScene.com. 

Well, apparently the supposed Halloween DVD release has been postponed- a good sign that WB is listening to Gross, Pierson and others who have championed the cause of restoring NODS to its 129-minute pre-release version.  With this news, they'll have no choice BUT to restore it!  Also, don't be surprised if the original series comes back to cable within the next year.

 

Since 1971, DS has always faded away for awhile, then bounced back just when you thought it was over.

This is WONDERFUL news!
DS will always be here!

And for some reason, I had a feeling for years that Depp would someday do this.

I wonder why Tim Burton, Depp's friend & collaborator, isn't involved?
Burton is also a fan!

David

The idea of remakes makes me cringe, and brace for an impact.   I'm one bad-new-bit-of-remake-news away from going fetal.    I exaggerate because life is too tedious unless you do.

The big prime options for them, as they'd see it, would probably be remake or reboot.    (Hey, I don't make up these terms.)     With DC uninvolved, a retelling just might be avoided.     They're most likely to start the story over again with this or that familar element included, but a different origin story for Barnabas.     Does anyone care about that possibility?    I'm a bit less protective now that the percentage of storylines I have problems with has gone over 50%.   

Again, I always want a new story set in the same 'universe' as the series.     What other TV series movie has told the same, familiar events as in the series itself?

I'm always at least ten years behind on things, but Depp seems to be a short man with sort of a baby face, no angular arresting features, no menacing presence.   

I 'd expect the frst movie will be Barnabas being beleased from his coffin , Viki 's arrival at Collinwood , and the Barnabas /Viki relationship . I bet Viki will be Josette 's reincarnation as in the 1991Revival . I hope we get a sequel to do the 1795 storyline . I would expect all the character from those storylines would be there , but probably no Quentin unless you get a 3rd movie .
I am 10 kinds of excited about this , Johnny Depp was my first pick for Barnabas and with him on board I think we'll see a big budget , big name actors , and high quality overall . I can't wait to hear more casting .

Doesn't anyone hope for a fresh story?

This is HUGE news.  I've reposted it to a couple of places online.  I hope they can get Burton to direct.  As Gothick said, judging by his work on Sleepy Hollow, he could do justice to a DS movie.  As for Johnny Depp (love him, BTW), I always pictured him more as a roguish Quentin type, but since this is a role he's always wanted to play I have a feeling he'll pull it off (though I admit to having my worries about that).  If this happens, it'll be an enormous shot in the arm for classic DS.

- Penny