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

I am very excited! First of all Johnny Depp is a DS lover (one of us), so he shouldn't mess around too much. I am just scared about the director. I don't want anybody to kill the story and make it the way they want. I wish dearest Dan was still around so he could direct and produce it. The thought of a new Dark Shadows film gave me a shiver up my spine but Johnny Depp...aaaahh! I know he is perfect!


(edited by admin)

Another article on the legacy of DS and the upcoming movie.

Depp Bites Into 'Dark Shadows'
Cancelled soap finds new life

Another article on the legacy of DS and the upcoming movie.

Thanks for the link, this bit was interesting:

David Kennedy will aid Depp and King in producing the film. Kennedy served as head of Dan Curtis Productions, until Curtis' death last year from a brain tumor. A script is currently being written for the film, however, no production date has been set.

I don't think I've heard of David Kennedy before, is he who the article says he is? And it's interesting that the article mentions a script is "currently being written." I wonder where they got that information?

Hey ALL! i'm back! i didn't get to even access this board cause my piece of shit of a computer wouldn't even ALLOW me to
access this GREAT SITE!  buut SINCE i'm NOW back i'm THRILLED ya know? anyways, i'm THRILLED that they will have "DEPP" has it's starr! maybe they will have some original cast members in the film? & who knows maybe they can FINALYL uh LOWER the price to the dvd's. when the film comes out & since "Depp"s" in it most likely it WILL be A  HUGE HIT! given the right script & who's cast & who's directing. ya know the usual stuff.

I don't think I've heard of David Kennedy before, is he who the article says he is?

You can check out:

President Of DCP Forms Own Production Company

The news article "HBO Enters the Kennedy Compound" is no longer available, but I could probably dig it up if you're interested.

DK was later discussed in the Variety announcement, and since it was quoted in ShadowGram, you could find it through an Advanced search of board posts from 0 to 30 days old.

nd it's interesting that the article mentions a script is "currently being written." I wonder where they got that information?

That entire article uses information from other sources, and that particular bit could have come from the same ShadowGram email, which stated that development of a script was to begin immediately.

Thanks for the link, this bit was interesting:

David Kennedy will aid Depp and King in producing the film. Kennedy served as head of Dan Curtis Productions, until Curtis' death last year from a brain tumor. ...

I don't think I've heard of David Kennedy before, is he who the article says he is?

Retzev you are welcome. I obtained the following information on David Kennedy from the www.sho.com website that was written in 2005. He is now with HBO.

"Executive Producer DAVID KENNEDY has been the President of Dan Curtis Productions for the past seven years. He is also, along with Dan Curtis, the Executive Producer of "Saving Milly," a television movie to be seen on CBS in early 2005. He began his career as a programming executive at NBC Sports and produced his first network television special - the first live broadcast of the America's Cup races - at the age of 22. Kennedy left NBC Sports to open the New York office of the legendary Mark McCormack's International Management Group's Trans World International (TWI), today the world's largest independent producer of sports programming. Kennedy left TWI to become the Executive Vice President of Television in New York for International Creative Management (ICM) from 1973-1985, where his clients ranged from Dr. Suess to Robin Williams and Dick Clark, and where he was instrumental in the sale of two long-running television landmarks: "Saturday Night Live" and "The Kennedy Center Honors." He then moved to Los Angeles to become head of programming for Pearson/Grundy Productions and joined Dan Curtis Productions in 1997. Kennedy is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame."

Wow.  What great news! I've been away for soooo long, I finally saw Minja last weekend and she suggested I come back to the forum. And I get this news! 

I ALSO today got word from Amazon about the DS Beginning Collections becoming available and preordered them. I'm REALLY excited about that too, it was so cool when Sci Fi finally showed those episodes and now I can have them for my own....

Thanks for the info, Midnite and Jimbo.

Hadn't gotten around to posting yet.  I haven't been on these boards in forever.  I had kind of lost all HOPE that DS would ever live on.  Just when you think all hope is gone. BOOM! You get this type of news.  Johnny is a fan, so I think he will do right by the show.  I cannot wait to see this movie.  Even if it is years off.   SO EXCITED AND I JUST CAN'T HIDE IT!!!

Another recent article.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/354199/depp_to_bring_dark_shadows_to_light.html

Something else that implies that it’s really in the works - on the movie review show “Reel Talk” with Jeffrey Lyons and Alison Bailes, at the end of the show each gives a commentary.  Last weekend Jeffrey Lyons said,

“My final take this week deals with the recent announcement that Johnny Depp has been attached, as they say in the trade papers, to star in a movie version of Dark Shadows, that’s the campy vampire show which ran live afternoons on ABC from 1966 to 1971.  I watched it religiously.”  [By this point they are showing the opening picture with the waves and the name Dark Shadows, then a glimpse of Joan, I think from the first episode when she goes to the window while awaiting Vicki’s arrival, and a couple other little bits.]

“The series focused on a reclusive woman played by 40s star Joan Bennett and a vampire named Barnabas Collins played by Jonathan Frid, a Canadian actor.  I only hope that somehow Depp and his collaborators do justice to the original series, which to this day has a loyal fan base.  Maybe the surviving cast members, including Frid, will be available for cameos.  And who better than Johnny Depp to portray a vampire in Collinsport, Maine?”

[Then, turning towards Alison and speaking more conversationally] "My favorite part of the show was when the actors would forget their lines and they’d have to look at the cue cards; it was so obvious; it was campy and it was delightful.  We’ll see.”

Alison replied, “I haven’t seen it, but I’d see Depp in anything as long as he’s not a pirate.”

Nice article on how vampire based shows are making a comeback including the DS movie.

BLOOD SELLS
VAMPIRES STAKE CLAIM (YET AGAIN)

Last weekend Jeffrey Lyons said

Apparently Lyons is a big DS fan. I remember back in '89 or '90 he did a whole segment on his PBS series Sneak Previews about the MPI VHS tapes, complete with footage of scenes from the 1840 storyline that had yet to be released and hadn't been seen outside of the Fests since their original airings.

Nice article on how vampire based shows are making a comeback including the DS movie.

Very nice, jimbo - thanks for posting the link.

One does hope, though, that for his Barnabas Depp won't go with his look in the article's accompanying photo. They've said Alec Newman made for a more "blue collar" Barnabas, but that would be taking it to a whole new extreme!    Something like the Fest portrait would be preferred - though it would most certainly be in the exact opposite direction from blue collar.    So, pehaps something somewhere between the two would be best. 

Very nice, jimbo - thanks for posting the link.

One does hope, though, that for his Barnabas Depp won't go with his look in the article's accompanying photo. They've said Alec Newman made for a more "blue collar" Barnabas, but that would be taking it to a whole new extreme!    Something like the Fest portrait would be preferred - though it would most certainly be in the exact opposite direction from blue collar.    So, pehaps something somewhere between the two would be best. 

You're welcome MB. What is missing from the online edition is the red blood splatter in the article's background and a brief chronology entitled in red , "Fangs for the memories" consisting of a list of vampire themed genre starting with Vlad Dracula 1431-1476 and ending with the new 2007 tv shows; and includes of course DS with the Johnny Depp remake noted. It's on page 42 in today's edition of the newspaper.

It will certainly be interesting to see the new reimagined Barnabas Collins.

What is missing from the online edition is the red blood splatter in the article's background and a brief chronology entitled in red , "Fangs for the memories" consisting of a list of vampire themed genre starting with Vlad Dracula 1431-1476 and ending with the new 2007 tv shows; and includes of course DS with the Johnny Depp remake noted. It's on page 42 in today's edition of the newspaper.

The timeline can be found via the link after the 1st paragraph (minus the spattery background).  Who knew that DS aired from 1961 to 1971??    Thanks for posting it, jimbo.

Isn't a Lost Boys 2 in the works?