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

Our fan base is so small we often have to fight to keep the franchise alive.
It needs to be bigger: this film can do that.

IMDB is now listing Heathcote's character as someone named...









"Vicki Winters."

This was not up when I looked just a few days ago.  Not really sure how IMDB works, but the name is not hyperlinked like the other characters mentioned, so I am not sure what implications that may have.  Maybe it's because it is not listed as ''Victoria Winters,'' which also, for some reason, leads me to suspect that she is employed in a local diner.  Maybe it's the MaggIE effect.

According to TB's Editor the DS movie will start filming in May as ET reported and he said some positive things about the movie.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=74400

This was not up when I looked just a few days ago.

It wasn't up as recently as about 1am ET today, which is when I last checked, so it was only added within the few hours between the time I looked and you found it.

Not really sure how IMDB works, but the name is not hyperlinked like the other characters mentioned, so I am not sure what implications that may have.  Maybe it's because it is not listed as ''Victoria Winters,'' which also, for some reason, leads me to suspect that she is employed in a local diner.  Maybe it's the MaggIE effect.

Character names are hyperlinked if a character page has been created for them. If you notice, under the actor/character listing it says "Create a character page for:," then there's a drop down menu, and that's followed by a "Create" button. If whoever had added the name had entered "Victoria Winters," then I suppose it would be hyperlinked to the already existing page. However, it might be significant that they put Vicki rather than Victoria IF it's because they didn't want the name to link to the existing character page because the film's Vicki is different in some way from the previous Victorias (for example: the film's Vicki Winters is a waitress).

I wouldn't read too much into the 'Vicki' thing. For instance, the 1991 series scripts called the character that throughout.

Here's a link to the original Hollywood Reporter article:

"Alice in Wonderland" editor Chris Lebenzon revealed details on longtime collaborator Tim Burton's next projects, "Frankenweenie" and "Dark Shadows," at Saturday night's ACE Eddie Awards.

However, his comments about the Depp/DS film were copied word for word by comingsoon.net.

It's fantastic that Lebenzon says, “It’s a relationship movie. It’s a lot of interaction of characters, from past and present,” because I suspect that's exactly what most of us want to hear.

And it's interesting that he mentions beginning work in May. That could mean the start has indeed been moved to May - or it could simply mean he doesn't begin work until May. Editors don't always begin work at the same time a film begins shooting. Though these days, with all the digital editing tools available, it's often the case that footage is indeed edited on the same day or the day after it's shot. So, as per usual, only time will tell...

Thanks for the link, jimbo. 

Thanks for the link too MB. I agree with the fact that some shooting may start earlier than May. The myentertainmentworld website revised the DS listing today but the start date of April 11 did not change. http://www.myentertainmentworld.com/mew/film_production_newlisting.html
As for Vickie the waitress possible scenario we still need someone to keep an eye on David. j/k Hopefully we will receive some confirmed news on that front.

The fact that it's going to be a "relationship movie and a lot of interaction of characters from past and present" makes me EXTREMELY happy and excited! YAY!

The myentertainmentworld website revised the DS listing today but the start date of April 11 did not change.

Interesting. And IMDb's listing is still saying April, too, despite having made additions. Though with IMDb one can't always be sure what's right or wrong...

If viki is going to be a waitress for the whole movie not just the start then there may be no david in the movie or roger i hope david is in the film. david was not a minor charater on the show for a kid charater he had a lot of stories

Well, there are only two members of the Collins family in the whole movie right now, and one's dead.  So I would imagine they would have to fill that house with someone.  I would hope Roger would be one of those someones, as his snarky dialogue cannot be missed.  I am sure that we'd have to have a Carolyn Collins Stoddard.  

But, David is interesting.   If he doesn't have a governess, he could be off at boarding school (or back home from boarding school for vacation).  He could also be in the local school.  And maybe he gets a governess in the second film.  Or maybe Maggie Evans is the governess.  Too many possibilities to fathom at this point.  

But, I think more important that all of that is WHERE and HOW does this movie end?  Let's look at the plot for a second:  Barnabas returns to Collinsport and finds someone who resembles his lost love.  Angelique plays a part.  Hoffman plays a part.  And Elizabeth is most likely doing her own thing.  I would hope we'd avoid the HODS ending.  And I would want something more definitive than Barnabas is cured, but that is a possible ending and it could work as long as there was enough action leading to that point.   Hoffman is an epic battle with Angelique to get the cure to take effect.  Barnabas is in an epic battle with Angelique to win over Vicki.  I can see it working. 

i'm always surprised when references to the elizabeth blackmail storyline are mentioned in terms of this film. with so many other things happening i'd be surprised if this was even touched upon. i'd have thought the willie character would already have been ensconced at collinwood(as he was in the 1991 series)to eliminate a lengthy introduction to that character.

i'm sure roger,carolyn and david will be among the next parts cast. and for god's sake mrs.johnson MUST answer the door when a certain cousin from england comes to call. she'd be a fun bit of stunt casting with an original actress(marie wallace,perhaps?).

i know we're still speculating(aren't we?)but vicki as a waitress is kind of a bummer. the whole "jane eyre" component of the gothic governess is elemental to the DS mythology. it was pivotal to dan curtis' conception of this whole story.

I've always felt that ever since the middle of the original series, with a few prominent exceptions, Elizabeth was seen a throw-away character, and that should never have happened with Joan Bennett in the role.  But, it happened again in HODS and it happened in the revival.  In those two version, some of Hollywood's classiest stars were cast, and then treated to very little plot.  In the new version, I hope that Elizabeth gets a good plot, as she deserves it, being the stalwart of regality, power, and family pride.  I can actually see the blackmailing being a good set-up to the release of Barnabas, except Barnabas's 200-year-resting place may have to be dug up in a new location.     

Character names are hyperlinked if a character page has been created for them. ... If whoever had added the name had entered "Victoria Winters," then I suppose it would be hyperlinked to the already existing page.

Interestingly, I see that the name is now hyperlinked and does link to the existing page on IMDb. However, there is no character bio on the page or any sort of description of her, so the fact that it is now linking doesn't shed any light whatsoever on what type of character she will be in the Depp/DS film. And considering that apparently anyone can go to the page and create a character bio, it may not matter much even if there was one. For example, any one of us could go there, write about how Victoria Winters was a governess in the original series, the '91 series, and the '04 pilot but there's a possibility Vicki Winters will be a waitress in Johnny Depp's version of DS, and if IMDb were to approve that, it would go up on the page...