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

A friend mentioned the other day that Perez Hilton ran an item in his column (which I don't read) implying that Depp may not be playing Barnabas after all in the DS film.

I'm sure that it's just Hilton stirring the shit without anything to back it up as per his usual m. o., but it's odd that Tim Burton sounds so under-enthusiastic about the DS project in that latest interview.

G.

Re Perez Hilton's brand of lunacy:

How sad. He may be claiming an effort to change his bullying ways, but apparently Perez Hilton still can't get his facts straight. He's reporting that if Depp can't work out his schedule to do the DS film, "Mark Wahlberg could be taking his place." But the fact of the matter is (as everyone else reporting that aspect of the situation is saying) it's not if Depp can't work out doing the DS film (he's already committed to it) - it's if he can't work out doing Triple Frontier that Mark Wahlberg might step into that film.

  

And it's not so much that Burton isn't enthusiastic - he's recently said more than once that he's excited about both the film and Depp playing Barn. it's more so that lately he's also been making comments like "I’m trying to find a certain tone, and we don’t know if we get it until we start it" (meaning, I presume, that he's not sure they'll get things right until they start to shoot) and "I'm not really sure what's happening yet" (which is a real head scratchier in light of his other recent remarks). Those remarks seem to downplay and to conflict with the ones that say he's excited and that he's finally getting a script with the right tone.  

If Marky Mark is cast as Barnabas I will really have to slap someone.  The very notion makes me feel queasy.  Depp has been obsessed with playing the role ever since he was a kid.  There's no way he'll pass it up. 

It would be nice if Burton told was what "that certain tone" was...  From these statements, this "tone" is everything... 

If I recall correctly, Perez Hilton got mixed up between DS and the Kathryn Bigelow film, for which I think Wahlberg's name was being floated around.  In general, don't trust Perez Hilton   

Also, Tim Burton is the master of the understatement and the deadpan attitude, and he is also often evasive. So don't worry if he doesn't gush too much- it's just his way.

It would be nice if Burton told was what "that certain tone" was...  From these statements, this "tone" is everything...

I'd like to think that the tone Burton keeps referring to is akin to what DC frequently described as the "delicate balance between romance and horror" that makes DS DS. (A realization (which I believe is completely accurate) that DC apparently came to AFTER making hoDS because any romance in hoDS was sledgehammered over the head by the horror!    But it was better late than never that he came to the realization.  ) But in the back of my mind I still have that nagging doubt that I keep trying to put down that that's not actually the tone Burton is talking about. But we shall see - and we can only hope...

Nothing really new in this, but I love the, uh, plain words of advice for Depp and Burton: Random Things (That's what LJ's for after all).
(Scroll down to the 5th paragraph. It starts off with "Speaking of dialog-centered shows, Dark Shadows...")

Not really related to the Depp/DS film directly - and I'm sure most of us have already heard/read about the story - but does this mean Barnabas will be gay? 

 Johnny Depp: "All My Characters Are Gay"

^^^ I guess we'll have to wait to find out!

A teensy heads-up-- Today and tomorrow are press junket dates for The Tourist, and Johnny is about to be heavily (if superficially) interviewed.  You never know if/how much DS will be brought up, but here's hoping! 

so his character in " A Nightmare on elm street" which is his 1st film. & easily my favorite of all them. so ole "Glen'" is gay?  i doubt it.  i don't think all his characters are. but some i wouldn't me surprised by.

I can definitely see that with Jack Sparrow, Willie Wonka  and Ichabod Crane. I think it's an exaggeration to say that all his characters are gay, but he does bring an effemenent quality to a lot of his characters, and does it more and more over time. Not as much with his earlier roles.

i agree. i DO hope that he doesn't play ole Barny that way.

I doubt he will. Depp was clearly joking when he made the remark (as I was joking when I posed the question about Barn) and trying to make the Disney rep realize how foolish she was being. What's sad, though, is that one has to wonder if the rep ever realized that she was being foolish? 

Here we go- Johnny himself confirms the April start date in the Chicago Sun-Times, and he's already making bad puns in this tiny snippet      

Traveling in style in 'Tourist'

And I really like him using the word "dark"  

Cathy

By the way, I meant to post this a day or two ago.  Johnny hit many of the usual TV entertainment shows the other day (Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Access Hollywood), and he appeared wearing a bunch of scarves tied around his neck.  I'm going to see if I can attach a small photo to show.  Now, it may just be a whim, but sometimes Johnny starts to add trinkets to his wardrobe that end up as part of the attire he wears for his next character.  For instance, he started wearing a colored bandana hanging off his jeans pocket, and next thing you know, Sweeney Todd's outfit had a hankie or whatever for which Sweeney could wipe his blade.  All I'm saying is that I wonder if Johnny is starting to think in terms of some type of cravat or something for Barn's character.  Also, it's not evident here, but I saw it on one of the TV segments, he's got a hoop earring in his left ear.  He's worn earrings over the years, but not the past decade or so, so it's a new look for him.  It could be for Pirates, but since Captain Jack has all those dreads going on, an earring wouldn't even be noticed!  So I also started to wonder if Barn may end up with an earring. 

Of course, I could be totally wrong and he's just in a phase of wearing these trinkets just for himself!     But you never know if it's part of him searching for the feel of his next character...

Cathy