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

I'd still like to see Anne Hathaway as Victoria even though she cut her short.  The more things I read about Depp the less likely I see DS being done.  Its depressing  .  I'm making a vow now to not worry about it and be happy.  I've ordered the new JF audio and looking forward to listening to it 

I'm trying to keep an open mind about whether or not the film will actually be made. My one hope is that if it is, we don't get another rehash of Barnabas' search for Josette through Maggie (or Victoria). We already saw that redone in House of Dark Shadows and the 1991 TV revival. Not saying that shouldn't be part of the story--of course it should--but there were so many other elements and fine characterizations to DS, that it would be a shame if they focused on just that again.

well said i agree, it kinda gets old seeing the same story keep getting repeated when they did sooooo many of them on the show.

I don't see how a rehash is to be avoided.  Johnny Depp is to play Barnabas, and undoubtedly Barnabas is to be the central character of the movie.  Barnabas is a vampire, and undoubtedly the fact that he is a vampire is to be a focus of the movie.  Given these facts, the only alternative to a rehash, as far as I can tell, would be to make up a completely new backstory for Barnabas.

And I don't think a rehash would be necessarily bad.  A lot of Dark Shadows is the rehashing of old stories, and yet we still love it.  A good writer could take the Barnabas/Josette/Maggie/Vicky story, find hitherto unexplored facets to it, and make it shine like new.

PS: emeraldeyesonly, whether or not I agree with you, I'm still glad you're posting!

oh i know that. but if done right, the writing could add a new twist to it. it wouldn't surprise me if they did flashbacks in it as well. he did in "Charlie & The Choloclate Factory" well by that i mean "Tim Burton" i of course would LOVE to see "Christopher Lee" in it. i dunno who he would play though.


but than to be honest, i'd love to see that man in any film.  even if his character wasn't really needed in the "Willy Wonka" remake i still loved him in it.  . see to me if they do a rehash if done right, they should change it a bit. but in a good way. & don't let the film be no 90 minutes either. that's just far too short if ya ask me. but "Anne Hathway" would be a good A"Vicki Winters" this is the type of film that it breaks my heart that the greats are now passed on such as

"John Carradine' could have played the caretaker. Vincent Price" i dunno & fit Peter Cushing in that as well. man that's a dream cast. in the right roles of course. i also think that if John Carradine was still alive. his career would have gotten better than it was in his last years of his life. had Charles Band used him more often than he did. which is just once.

i'm sorry i'm just day dreaming thinking about films if it was still the 70's that cast would prolly happen.

Still hopeful this will get made and be good.
Barnabas will need a love intrest, so it's inevitable that there will be a love story with Josette/Maggie/Vicky in some variation. Just hope they'll find a fresh angle.
It occured to me tonight if this does get made there will be tons of merchandising. DS swag yay! Maybe a DS video game dare we hope, and more DS stuff based on the original and Revival will surely be put out. Surely at that point the House and Night movies will get restored and finally get a dvd/blu ray release, and maybe the Revival series dvd set will FINALLY be done right, with the extened scenes and all the wonky technical problems corrected.
Should help sales of the DS audios and maybe we can get more novels too.

ya right, i also NEVER did think about that either. a DS game HELL YEAH! i'd LOVE to see that. just as long as we can get it on all the systems. such as the "DS" & the "PS2" cause i don't have any of the other systems. & it also wouldn't surprise me if they re-issued the dvd's of the original show either.


honestly i never did think of all the merchandise we will get. i don't think anyone here has either. cause ya are the 1st poster i've seen that has brought it up. damn i hope this film actually gets made.

I'm dying for casting news. I've been thinking that Zachery Quinto, who was really good as Spock on the new Star Trek movie, and Sylar on Heroes. He's shown all kinds of range, he can do sweet, vulnderable, evil, crazy, scary, repressed, etc. Really, with his looks and acting he's my first choice to play Barnabas. I feel kinda guilty to say that because I think we're lucky to have a talented and popular actor like Depp lined up to play Barnabas.

 i think Zachary Q. or however ya spell his last name. is a damn fine actor as well. i agree he SHOULD be part of "D.S." but the thing is, i can' t see him play the part of " Barnabas" i'm sorry i just can't. another role yes i can see that. i honestly don't know who though. maybe Peter Bradford if they use that character? or i dunno maybe Professor Stokes?

to be honest i haven't really given it much though. but he would be GREAT to have in the film. in my eyes the right people just seem to be working on it at the moment. cause Tim Burton has i dunno the right persona for it. he's got this Gothic Personality kinda like "Grayson Hall" in real life they say did. but are also both very nice people in real life. or so i've read.

there really hasn't been that many of his films i haven't liked. i did enjoy the "Willy Wonka" remake i'd say what it's flaws were but i believe i've already have here. he he. some people say he's lost his touch, but i honestly dunno if he has, &

that i have thought about. but i also haven't seen all of his movies either. so i can't really comment on them until i watch all of them. i have yet to watch 'Alice In Wonderland" & i  bought the Blue-Ray back in June for it. i just haven't gotten

around to watch it to be honest. & from the roles i have seen "Johny Depp" play & there's many i've been a fan of his since (1987)  when "21 Jump Street" 1st came out. & i also recall being pissed off when he left the show in (1990) when his movie Career took off. with "Edward Scissorhands" i recall thinking what the hell kind of role did he take on?

cause he hadn't done anything like that at the time before. now it's standard for him to play every kind of role there is.
 but back than & for many years really i was like HUH? the show was really never the same after he left it. unfortunally.

anyways, since he has the ability to play any role which NOT all actors or actresses in any decade since they 1st started doing movies in (1894) i believe when the 1st film with sound i think was of someone Sneezing or that may have been in (1896) in either case (1894) is when they 1st started making films in some way. anyways, my point is of all the actors &

actress's going back to when the 1st came out that had story. not many of them have the abilty to play any character like Johnny Depp has.  Lon Chaney Sr. had it. so did Boris Karloff.  all actors who did every genere there. so that's why i can see Johnny Depp play "Barnabas' & sorry about my ramblings on as well he he.

I have two ideas for potential cast members...

As a matron role (Elizabeth Stoddard, Naomi Collins, etc), I name Maggie Smith (most recently McGonagall from Harry Potter)
And as either Roger or Joshua, I propose Sean Connery.

Any takers here?

They're both wonderful actors, and both decades too old for the roles, alas.

If I were casting it, I would try to find out what Alice Krige is up to these days for Elizabeth.  I think she's too old now for Julia and in any event I am 99 percent certain that that role is going to go to Madam Helena Bonham Carter-Burton...

G.

Helena Bonham Carter as Julia? I've wondered about that myself. She's too old now for Josette/Maggie/Vicki.

Liz/Naomi will have to be the right age to be the mother of Barnabas and/or Carolyn. I'd like to see one of the DS ladies in that role, Kathryn Leigh Scott or Nancy Barrett preferably.
I could get on borad with HBC as Julia, but my first choice is Susan Sarandon.  She's a lot older than Grayson was, but she still looks right for the part and can play the emotions of the role.
I think Depp would be better as Quentin in a sequel.
I think David Hyde-Pierce, I think that's his name, who played Frasier's brother would make a great Roger, he looks right, and he could play the effete snobbishness of Roger very well, and still do the surprisingly tender moments that Roger could do when need be. I wonder if they would actually make Roger gay in the movie? I alwasy thought Roger came off as repressed gay, with his intense issues with Burke, I alwasy thought he only wanted Laura just because she was Burke's, and Angelique had to use mind control to get him and keep his intrest. An openly gay Roger, with David being born from a brief failed marriage, would be an interesting update.
I've had a list in my head for a long time for casting,but as time goes on I have to change it as some actors are no longer the right age. I used to think that Sarah Michelle Geller would be a great Carolyn, but is probably a little too old now.

Right now I'm too lazy to look for the article/link, but when asked back in March (while doing publicity for Alice in Wonderland) if she was going to be in the Depp/DS film, didn't Helena Bonham-Carter say that though she and Tim Burton hadn't even discussed the possibly, she presumed that she wouldn't be in it? Though, of course, that's not a definite no.

The link to the article was posted by jimbo...

I used to think that Sarah Michelle Geller would be a great Carolyn, but is probably a little too old now.

Yes, she's definitely too old for the role.