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

[PennyDreadful]

"it will be scary"

Gotcha.  That's good.

"it'll be very funny"

Um, WHAT?  No.

"and it will carry the Tim Burton stamp of uniqueness"

Uh oh.

I'm hoping Burton and Depp's love for the classic series will ensure that they get it right and that this Zanuck guy is just talking out his you-know-what.

~Penny Dreadful~

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Well at least he says "It won't be high camp" and that "it will be scary." DS did have intentionally funny moments, like with Carl in 1897 and almost every one of Roger's sarcastic remarks. Hopefully any humor will be that sort of humor and not of the pesky flies variety. But after Burton's remarks on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, I'm still not sure what to think...

"and it will carry the Tim Burton stamp of uniqueness"

Uh oh.

As I've said from the outset of Burton's name being bandied about as director, that has been my worst fear. But I'm still trying to keep an open mind...

[Cousin_Barnabas]

When you think about it, Dark Shadows is quite funny.  As MB pointed out, Roger and Carl were really hilarious, and Trask - especially Gregory - was quite comical, especially when pitted against his "transformed" daughter.  So, let's hope that the "funny" stuff to which Zanuck was referring is of this kind.  Though, a few, slight homages to the original's unintentional gaffs would be welcome, so long as they aren't overdone, exaggerated, or distinct.  Inside jokes are quite acceptable. 

And, of course, as Penny pointed out, it could just be Zanuck fishing for words.  Or maybe he's reading the script the wrong way...  You never know. 

Tim's unique take on things has had me worried as well, but let's hope for the best. 

But what has me concerned is this: 

"Finally, since the show ran for several seasons and incorporated so many different elements of sci-fi and horror we wanted to know which elements he was hoping to incorporate into the film and if the lead character would still be the vampire Barnabus Collins played by Johnny Depp? 'Well the main character ... yes,' answered Zanuck."

What on earth does that mean?  He could be referring to the fact that there are several times to choose from, but, I'd think that there would be some other constants in addition to Barnabas. 

Overall, for now, I think we should take this report with a grain of salt, if only for the fact that Zanuck's answers are a little fuzzy at best. 

[Nancy]

I never considered DS to be camp or high camp.  That was a take that flabbergasted me when I first learned that was a perspective some people had.

There were funny moments in the show, sure, but I never thought of DS as being "funny." 

Tim Burton's stamp for me is the way his productions are filmed. That is a style unique to him.

Nancy

[Gerard]

DS wasn't funny, but it sure did put in, through brilliant writing, some really funny lines.  It played off of the characters.  Some of the best zingers came from Roger, for example.  And then there is the brilliant scene (to me, DS's best-ever written, directed and acted scene) when Judith informs her siblings that Grandmamama left her everything.  While Edward and Carl were shocked, Quentin - that ne'erdowell - took it all in stride and uttered his extremely laughable "I'm going to cry!" line with all the sarcasm he could muster.  Brilliant! And perfectly comical!

Gerard

[KMR]

Penny, MB, Nancy: Zanuck's comments are getting me worried, too. DS was not a "funny" show, and never intended to be. The material was always handled quite seriously, and especially in the two movies (which, I am assuming, were in the tone that Dan Curtis specifically was aiming for, since he directed those himself). The NBC series added a little bit of outright humor, e.g. in the characters of Willie Loomis and Millicent Collins. But that humor wasn't mean to be "very funny", just light comic relief.

I'm wondering what "the Tim Burton stamp of uniqueness" will end up meaning for this project. Does it mean over-the-top stylistic weirdness? That can work--when applied to the appropriate property. I think it worked very well in Beetlejuice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and others. But DS isn't that kind of property. If that's what Zanuck meant, then he's also right that "It will be scary"--just not the kind of scary he thinks he's talking about!

The only way I can see "very funny" possibly working at all is if the whole thing is treated as metafiction.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

I think we are all taking this "funny" business too seriously.  DS was indeed funny, in terms of its witty-writing and the great acting which made its light moments especially enjoyable, but it still maintained its initial purpose - that of being a serious drama.   (Usually the humor was of a sharper nature.  It some respects, at times, it was Hitchcockian.)   There are many episodes in which I laugh at something Barnabas has said to Willie or some look Liz is giving to Roger, while the overall episode is still very serious.  It is a unique balance that was achieved in the original show.  It was serious, but it could also be funny when it wanted to be in attempt to offset the serious aspect.  If Burton uses this type of balanced comic relief to the film's advantage, then I think we are all going to be laughing and screaming for all of the right reasons. 

One thing I disliked about the original films was that, for the most part, they lacked the warmth and wit of the series.  The characters were pretty much one-dimensional, whereas in the show, they were rather fully developed.  The "funny" moments help to make characters well-rounded.   

I don't think you can have a truly "scary" movie and a truly "funny" movie all in one.  You have to choose which way you want to go, and simply inject elements of the other.  I think you can have a scary movie, with incredibly funny moments, just as in the original show, and I hope that is what they are going for.  If Burton and his crew are out to make a funny movie, then they are out to kill the original intent of the show, and I don't think they want to do that.  I don't think Depp wants to do that.

[KMR]

CB, I get what you're saying, but that kind of "funny" isn't at all the kind of stuff that Tim Burton has done. With a Burton project, "very funny" is laugh-out-loud and/or weird. It's not sophisticated wit of the DS variety.

The only thing I'm hanging on to for hope is the fact that Depp loved DS when he was a kid. IIRC, this whole project was instigated by Depp; if he hasn't ceded too much control, perhaps that childhood love of DS will keep this on the right track.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

That is true, KMR.  I wasn't thinking about Burton's other films when considering the possibilities here.  I guess I am just hoping that the humor in the script is borrowing from the original show and not from Burton's repertoire. 

And, I have A LOT of faith in Johnny.  Perhaps there is such a hold up over the script because of the differing views on the project.  Let's hope that whoever is supporting a film in the original vein wins out. 

[Nancy]

Of course another thing to keep in mind is that even if the DS movie turns out to be awful, that doesn't change what the original and abbreviated revival series means to all of us and anyone else who loves the show.  An awful movie will be a disappointment but nothing catastrophic.

Nancy

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Very true, Nancy.  But a great movie wouldn't hurt either.   

[Taeylor Collins]

My faith is strong in Johnny and I am not gonna sweat it.  As for delays this is truly the nature of the business.

[LOOKE300]

I would think the main thing would be the new delay now it won,nt film until at best until early 2011. but im sure next it won,nt film until the end of 2011 is depp going to keep delaying filming it to make other films its been 3 years it should be put up or shutup  time for depp  make the film or drop it stop playing games.

[Taeylor Collins]

I don't think he is playing games.  The script may not be right and also  when he bought DS he had tons of other commitments. These things take time. As an avid follower of TV and movies like I said it's just the nature of the business.

[Gothick]

Maybe they can film it using Pixar bobble-heads.  That would certainly give an entertaining twist to the 3-D factor.  They'll love it in Peoria and think of the action figures!

cheers, G. still repeating his mantra:  NoDS restoration out on DVD (with extras)!