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

[Mysterious Benefactor]

didn't MB say something about Cobert not having direct involvement?

Yes, Cobert himself said at the '10 Fest that he's happily retired and wouldn't be working on the Depp/DS film. But if Depp/Burton are trying to lure him out of retirement, well, who knows what may happen? I love Cobert's scores - but I've also been impressed by Danny Elfman's scores - so I'll probably be happy regardless of how things turn out...

[Taeylor Collins]

I think that I would be happy if Bob was perhaps a Music Consultant or something to that effect. Don't get me wrong I would love for him to score the movie; however, if he is happily retired and doesn't want the work load it would be nice to know he is working closely with Danny to mesh their respective styles together! Nevertheless, Bob always talks very funnily about not having to go to the set and just recording his music and collecting royalties. I am sure he will love this project since he can just kick back and watch the royalty checks come in! Again though I would like for him to consult.  As they way they would say it on DS, "We will see, WE...WILL...SEEE!!!" BAH BAH BUUUUUUUUMMMMMM!

[Midnite]

Yes, Cobert himself said at the '10 Fest that he's happily retired and wouldn't be working on the Depp/DS film. But if Depp/Burton are trying to lure him out of retirement, well, who knows what may happen?

Yes, he said he didn't need the money or aggravation ("Why knock myself out?"), yet said it's not out of the realm of possibility ("But I might") if he were asked to do it.

[loril54]

I was just thinking that this movie is starting to shoot in April, a good Month for Barnabas. 

[loril54]

There is an interesting note on JF website.

http://jonathanfrid.com/

We will now wonder what this means.

[PennyDreadful]

Ah, very intriguing.  I'm sure they've asked him to participate in some capacity.  

[Taeylor Collins]

That is cool. I think that it's very cool that Frid is going to be participating in the new DS. Hopefully he will bring some "luck" to the movie as he did with DS. I am not the biggest Frid fan but I do give the man props for his contribution to DS although I think Laura doesn't get her due, but that is for another post.  It's also cool that the movie will start shooting in April!  Another good sign!?

[jimbo]

Thanks cousin loril54 for your post. That is great news that Mr. Frid has been asked to contribute to the new DS movie. He has a lot to offer!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

This report comes from the English tabloid The Sun, so believe of it what you will, but according to them Depp is on a green tea diet to lose weight to play Barn:

Johnny Depp's got diet down to a tea

[Cousin_Barnabas]

And Featuring Jonathan "Barnabas" Frid as the Caretaker!  ---  Just speculation. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I see that Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter has cast its lead and will begin shooting in March. And while that really has no bearing on the Depp/DS film, one thing that may is Variety's report that AL:VH will be shooting in 3D. So, despite some recent setbacks/disappointments at the boxoffice with 3D films, obviously Burton hasn't given up on the idea of 3D, so that could mean that the Depp/DS film is still slated to shoot in 3D as well.

I'm still not sure what I think of DS in 3D...

[KMR]

This report comes from the English tabloid The Sun, so believe of it what you will, but according to them Depp is on a green tea diet to lose weight to play Barn:

Thanks for this tidbit, MB!  Reports like this just make it sound all the more certain that filming really will begin this spring!

 

[Brandon Collins]

It's definitely exciting to see that Frid will be involved in a "modest way" with the new DS film. I've been out of the DS loop for a bit now, and I just found the news that the film will begin shooting in April, which is exciting. I'm interested to see what the product of the filmmakers efforts will be, and if DS will appeal to the highly romanticized young adult crowd that is currently going gaga over vampire stories at this point in time.

It's amazing to me how only a few years ago vamps seemed to be on the outs but thanks to Twilight all of a sudden they're the shiznit at again.

Now all I have to do is work up the courage to actually go to the theater when this film comes out and sit through everyone's eating noises and cellphone clicking.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Well, I've had my first dream about the Depp/DS film. At least I think it was my first dream because I don't remember dreaming about the film before. And if it wasn't my first dream, I wish I didn't remember this one either because it was a nightmare. A doozie of a nightmare! And that's the only reason I'm posting about it.

It started off with someone involved with the film posting an entire scene online. Sounds good in theory, but it was this weird rambling scene involving Kristen Stewart (of the Twilight movies), Oliver Platt (probably best known for his running characters on The West Wing and Nip/Tuck) and Deep Roy (the actor who played all the Oompa Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) in some abandoned warehouse going on and on about how they had to leave town but they didn't know where they were going to go. It was like someone had written a really bad version of a scene out of a Harold Pinter play, and we had absolutely no idea what any of it had to do with DS.

But as bad (and boring) as that was to see, it was soon followed up by an official release of a scene that turned out to be what I suspect could be most fans' worst Tim Burton nightmare for the film: a musical sequence in which Barnabas' rejuvenation after attacking Willie is accompanied by singing and dancing skeletons and, wait for it, clowns! I can't even begin to describe how awful it was - but we were all completely horrified - though for all the wrong reasons. But the worst part of it was how emaciated Depp looked even after Barn had rejuvenated. We figured at least that had to be some sort of special make up effect - but the truth of it leads to the third part -

As if all of that wasn't bad enough, we next learned that Depp had been rushed from Pinewood Studios to a London hospital because he'd taken his green tea diet too far and had collapsed on the set. Burton was quoted as saying he didn't understand how it could have happened because Depp looked fine to him. But the truth of the matter was that Depp looked 10 times more emaciated than Christian Bale did in The Machinist!!

Thankfully I woke up right then. And the first thing I asked myself was, "What the hell was that?!" But I may never get this one image out of my head:

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Speaking of Depp's green tea diet, apparently it has helped to inspired this poll: The Top Ten Extreme Roles

Not at all a surprise that Christian Bale in The Machinist tops the list. But let's hope Depp doesn't make any future version of the poll for his appearance in the DS film...