Depp/Burton DARK SHADOWS Is In Production!!

I respectfully retract my previous comment:  http://www.badassdigest.com/2011/08/14/why-was-the-lone-ranger-going-to-cost-so-much-werewolves-obviously

So...  This is a joke, right?   

I think a Native American werewolf movie sounds kinda cool ... except I don't think the Lone Ranger should be involved.  Oh dear.

My thought exactly, Mary.  This seems to stray too far from the basic concept of The Lone Ranger to even have the same name.  Why not call it "The Adventures of Tonto" or just "Tonto"?  I am sure fans would be a lot more accepting.  I don't understand why Depp was given the supporting role anyway.  There is no way that he won't outshine the Ranger, making this a Tonto-centered film anyway...  Just name it as such.  It would actually be a creative way of going at the Lone Ranger story - without it actually having to be called the Lone Ranger.  

Bringing this back to Shadows, though, I just hope that we don't have a similar surprise when we see more of the film revealed.  I doubt we will since A) we are used to werewolves already,   B) we have been given a basic plot outline which seems to stay true to the idea of the original, and C) Johnny Depp is indeed SUPPOSED TO BE the star of this movie.    But, if true, this Lone Ranger movie is just one example of how horribly far a studio can take a franchise.  We should be thankful that Shadows seems to be staying true to its characters and stories.  At least we have no official reason to doubt that we won't recognize this film when it is done, whereas Ranger fans would most certainly seem to have cause.  

Interesting. That article is the first I've even seen that says werewolves/skinwalkers are involved in the story. And that is a valid Native American legend, so it wouldn't really be all that shocking. I can definitely see how someone could think to tie that in with the Lone Ranger's silver bullets.

One thing that probably shouldn't be lost sight of, though, is that the article is basing its claims on an '09 draft of the script, before the current writer came on board, and who knows what he kept and what he dropped? For example, John August's original script for DS could leak and it could be very different from what we'll ultimately see in the finished film.

That being said, though, IF the werewolves/skinwalkers ARE still a part of the final Lone Ranger script, that really would go a long way in explaining what sort of special effects could have ballooned the budget to an astronomical $250 million!

268 days 13 hours 43 minutes 10 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

I don't want to dwell on Lone Ranger too much because I know it's off topic, but just a couple of things- while the project may not be dead for good, they cancelled a casting call last weekend (after it had only just been announced!) and are reportedly now taking down sets.  Even if they can reach a compromise with the budget, it likely won't start on time in Oct.  About the werewolves, nobody really knows the full story, but what seems to be shaking out is that 1) the story leak is from an old script that was scrapped a couple of years ago, and 2) most discussion, which I am not sure is based on anything but conjecture, seems to be that there might've been an element of werewolves in more of a sense of Native American spirit guides and such.  But it seems there has been an awful lot of press from people who really don't know the true story.  The whole thing and how it has been handled has been extremely peculiar, however.  This project wasn't one of my favorites so I'm not that broken up about it per se, but the fact that the rug was pulled out like this so close to filming is quite jarring and disturbing.  Thank goodness (knock wood) DS production is going about smoothly!  

Edit- MB posted while I was writing, and he said some of the same things I just did, but I will post this anyway to confirm what I've heard.  Just an addendum, though, werewolves or no werewolves, I think everyone is a little confused about why the budget would be $250M.  Does anyone recall if the budget for DS has been discussed?  I can't imagine it being near that amount.

darrenpstone Darren Stone
massive film set in the bourne woods #farnham after the dark shadows set has been dismantled apparently this one is for #snow white
2 hours ago

I wonder if they've even started to dismantle the Collinwood exterior set yet?

268 days 13 hours 30 minutes 1 second until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

But it seems there has been an awful lot of press from people who really don't know the true story.  The whole thing and how it has been handled has been extremely peculiar, however.

Indeed. But then, sadly, not knowing the facts has never stopped anyone from speculating with little to even no real information - or even to blow a small bit of actual info out of proportion - especially when it comes to articles written for the Internet. We've seen that ourselves with the DS film.    

Just an addendum, though, werewolves or no werewolves, I think everyone is a little confused about why the budget would be $250M.

I would guess it all depends on how prominently the werewolves/skinwalkers would factor in? If they're a really big part of the script that would require a lot of special effects... But if that's the case, what in the world was everyone involved thinking to have let things get so out of hand as to require a budget of $250 million?!

Does anyone recall if the budget for DS has been discussed?

Not to my knowledge - and I've found that very interesting. But it's likely to come out eventually. Once films are released, the amount they take in at the box office is almost invariably offset by what it cost to make them. That's why a movie that brings in $150 million can be considered a disappointment if it cost $175 million to make - or a movie that brings in even $50 million can be considered a big hit if it only cost $20 million to make.

I can't imagine it being near that amount.

I wouldn't think so. But it's hard to judge when we know so little. I found it quite surprising when we learned the other day that they were doing 3D imaging of Chloe Moretz, so the special effects in the film are obviously going to be more widespread than just involving sequences with Barnabas and with Angelique.

268 days 13 hours 6 minutes 46 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

Depp's Obsession A spoof, Dark Shadows

Too funny. And it's written by one of the forum's members who mostly lurks here.

268 days 11 hours 37 minutes 26 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

The only problem with that is... Well... looked how Jack's Christmas idea turned out.     But maybe that firing of August managed to save it at the end.   

NICKRMDONALD NICHOLAS R M DONALD
Should find out today if I am going to be involved in a Big Budget Hollwood film :-p
11 hours ago

NICKRMDONALD
Bummer my hair let me down for being in Dark Shadows!! Either that or it was my stunning good looks!!! hahaha. Nah it was prob the hair! :-p
1 hour ago


Celine_Huys04 Celine Liette Huys
Auditions for 'Dark Shadows' by Tim Burton....ship me off please lol. (^_^)
1 hour ago

268 days 9 hours 6 minutes 17 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

But maybe that firing of August managed to save it at the end.  

I think that bit about John August's firing was meant just to be a joke - or maybe the writer has simply misunderstood August's status with the film. And that's understandable given there have been conflicting reports. One being that August is now simply credited with Seth Grahame-Smith as coming up with the story, but with Grahame-Smith credited with writing the script. And another, stated in Grahame-Smith's own interviews, that he was brought in simply to tweak the Barnabas dialogue in August's script. Each gives August a very different status on the film. But in either instance, August is still a part of the film. And supposedly only time will tell which is the real story...

268 days 4 hours 28 minutes 21 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!

Yeah.  It is confusing.  I assumed that August wrote the story with his initial script, but THAT Grahame-Smith wrote the current script based off of August's story.  

Speaking of John August he tweeted about an hour or so ago that he updated his site to include scripts he had written and Dark Shadows is one of them. Previously his site did not include DS as one of his projects.
http://johnaugust.com/about

shall we assume that art wallace will still be receiving some sort of creative credit?

He certainly should be since he created many of the characters who'll be featured in the film.

267 days 19 hours 13 minutes 14 seconds until the day the Depp/Burton Dark Shadows is released(ET)!!