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

Hi Doug. The studio Warner Bros has not even green lighted the movie and as far as I know never made any comment regarding when the DS movie would start filming. In fact the studio has not even directly uttered the words Dark Shadows. It's seems that several of the DS producers have previously informed the media that the DS movie would be filmed in the summer/late summer in London this year and even reported same to a movie production listing company. However, at that time they were possibly spinning this information in the hope that Burton would have completed filming Alice by then. Sadly for many DS fans, Burton apparently won't be done filming Alice until March 2010. Then you apparently had Disney (who's profits fell badly this past year and needs a hit movie) somehow convinced Depp to film Pirates 4 first even though at this point there is no completed script or a director attached to the movie. It seems Disney is showing a lot more love to Pirates than WB is to Dark Shadows for some unstated reason. In fact the only people who have stated that WB is high on DS is Jim Pierson and the other DS producers. So I expect that the DS movie won't start filming until late summer of next year. I am always hoping that the DS movie could be pushed up as things do change in this mad industry. Who knows when Warner Bros will make an announcement regarding the DS project.

It does most definitely appear that Pirates 4 is being fast tracked. Variety is reporting that its producer wants to film Pirates 4 before Johnny films The Lone Ranger....... and they apparently have its director almost in place. Where does this leave Dark Shadows?

http://chud.com/articles/articles/20324/1/FROM-CHICAGO-TO-THE-CARIBBEAN-ROB-MARSHALL-MAY-DIRECT-PIRATES-4/Page1.html

Where does this leave Dark Shadows?

Most likely Depp's film following Pirates 4. One would think that everything should come together by then. Burton will certainly be done with AiW.

I begged JOHNNY DEPP to tell me when the D.S. filming would start but he just stood there like a wax figure in a museum! ha ha I was at the opening of madame tussaud's new wax museum in hollywood yesterday. I managed to slip the mpi BARNABAS ring on the wax figures finger! it is a great museum but no chamber of horrors?!

FYI:

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-depp-burton-dark-shadows.html

I saw this last week.

Nice to know that the Depp/DS film was supposedly included as one of "three of the most talked-about things at Comic-Con."  

Thanks for posting the link, Garth.  

Great link! Thank you!

Not that any of us actually thought Depp was going to be a part of it this time around, but apparently now it's official: Johnny Depp Is Off Don Quixote

One less rumored project to potentially interfere with the DS film. 

I was at the opening of madame tussaud's new wax museum in hollywood yesterday. I managed to slip the mpi BARNABAS ring on the wax figures finger! it is a great museum but no chamber of horrors?!

None at the one I went to in DC either.  I was majorly underwhelmed -- I'd expected something more like Madame T.'s in London. 

Jeannie

An article, which references the Depp/DS film, that poses the questions:

Should Depp and Burton Separate?
Has Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's screen marriage gone stale? Or are they still a perfect match?

So far, the poll results are overwhelming (88% vs, 12%) that they should continue to work together because "they've made great films."


And apparently it's a good thing that the DS film is going to be made because it's given this blogger something to live for: Feelin' the Love and Vampires Rock

There's no real news here, but Tom O'Neil, a journalist/blogger for the LA Times Gold Derby, has written a little item about Depp and DS:

Can Johnny Depp defy the curse of the vampires at the oscars?

Granted, Tom is pretty focused on Oscar potential of any film/actor.  I'm sure Johnny's been flattered to get 3 Oscar nominations, but that doesn't seem to be why he chooses roles- he has often said that he really doesn't like the competition for awards.  Other than enjoying seeing Johnny dress up in fancy suits once in awhile, I don't really care that much about Oscar potential for DS-- I just want it to be a cool film!

Cathy

I'm sure Johnny's been flattered to get 3 Oscar nominations, but that doesn't seem to be why he chooses roles- he has often said that he really doesn't like the competition for awards.

I recently read a remark from Depp about how, while sitting in the audience for one of his nominations, both he and Vanessa felt so uncomfortable being at the ceremony that they couldn't wait to get out of the theater - and he was quite happy that he didn't win. Quite a refreshing change from the actors who seem to be completely obsessed with winning awards at all costs.


(And just to make a slight correction to that article, Joan Bennett didn't lose - the Emmy category that she and MacDonald Carey were nominated in was simply never handed out for some odd reason...)

MB, there is another interview somewhere with Vanessa, where she said her feelings were split in half- partly she wanted him to win because she was proud of him, and partly she wanted him to lose because she knew how painful it'd be for him to get up and make a speech    I think it was from his first nom for Pirates 1.  I think Johnny's "please let the other guy win" remark was from one of the Rolling Stone interviews.

Marcy Robin, ShadowGram, stated during her DS panel presentation, that the script had yet to be completed and that she would keep us informed. Jim Pierson stated in one of the breaks that the movie would hopefully be released in 2011 but it was possible that it could be released in 2012. I don't believe he provided any additional information on the project. JP stated that he was hoping that the fans be patient during this down time.

Of course, everybody needs to bear in mind that once the picture is completed, months or years could go by before it is released.

It's happened before--ask fans of Joss Whedon's "Firefly" series about the history of the feature film version, "Serenity."

G.