Johnny Depp to Star in Tim Burton’s Adaptation of Dark Shadows
July 2009 (Updated December 7th, 2009) – The long-rumored film adaptation of the ’60s Gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows, has been confirmed as a new collaboration between star Johnny Depp, director Tim Burton, and screenwriter John August (Go, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.)
Deep Shadows ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971 with stories about vampires, ghosts, and other monsters. The 175-year old vampire, Barnabas Collins, roamed the town of Collinsport, Maine in search for his lost love. While the character was originally planned as a 13-week story arc in the show, the massive response from viewers prompted Barnabas to become the lead character for the following four years.
The show has been adapted into two films in the early 1970s and revived as a series in 1991 as well as a pilot that failed to be picked up in 2004. With Hollywood’s attention toward the vampire genre re-ignited by recent trends, it’s no surprise that more adaptations are in development as of 2009.
On the role of Barnabas Collins, actor Johnny Depp told Collider that it has been “a lifelong dream” to accept the part, having been a fan of the show as a child. “I have photographs of me holding Barnabas Collins posters when I was five or six,” the star added.
About the recent trend of vampire films, director Tim Burton commented to the Los Angeles Times, “It’s like any great fable or fairy tale, it’s got a power to it. I think that’s why people keep going back to it… It’s symbolic for something, I’m sure with everybody it’s slightly different but it’s still powerful.”
At the Comic-Con in July 2009, Burton confirmed rumors of the film adaptation.
UPDATE: October 2009 – Screenwriter John August, who maintains an informative blog for aspiring screenwriters, mentioned Dark Shadows as one of his current writing projects that he would most like to get made, during a radio interview with Blog Talk Radio.
Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows is presently in development and estimated for a 2011 release, the year in which the final installment of the Twilight saga, Breaking Dawn, is also slated for its cinematic release.
UPDATE: December 2009 – According to Sci Fi Wire, producer Graham King answered that Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows is set for shooting in September/October of 2010, with a possible release date in the summer or fall of 2011 if all goes as planned.
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