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

[Midnite]

WB to begin employee layoffs (plus the effects of the strike):  http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117978718.html?categoryid=10&cs=1
My friends and neighbors in the business are leaving the state to find work.  It's so sad, but there's just nothing for them here.   

[Lydia]

Yes, that's sad.  Being laid off is no fun.

[PennyDreadful]

I was leafing through the new HourrorHound magazine last night (Issue 9 - Pinhead cover) and there's an interview with Tim Burton.  The interviewer asks him about interest in directing the DS movie!  He says, and I'm paraphrasing here, that he has spoken to Johnny Depp about it a few times and that he (Burton) is "defintiely, definitely" interested in it.  He goes on to say DS was on TV when he was a kid and that it "pounded a nail into his brain" (and I'm sure he means that in a good way).   So take that for what's it's worth.     

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Interesting. But like I said, the article that ProfStokes provided us the link to made it seem like Burton has his hands full for the next two years, if not beyond. However, at the rate things are progressing due to the writers' strike and who knows what else might happen in the future, Depp's DS film might not be anywhere near ready to go into production for another two years or beyond, so perhaps things could easily work out to have Burton on board. Though whether or not having Burton on board would be a good thing remains to be seen.

[michael c]

...and ryan seacrest as jeff clark?

i don't know.i was watching something with ryan seacrest on it and for some reason he was really giving me a 'roger davis as jeff clark' kind of vibe.

maybe it's the tan.or the hair.or the grin.

would jeff have been considered a "metrosexual" today with all that hair-fussing?

[Josette]

...and ryan seacrest as jeff clark? 

I never would have thought of it, but as soon as I saw this, I could picture it!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I have nothing against Ryan Seacrest, but let's hope the Jeff Clark character never again appears in any version of DS! Well, unless he's radically reimagined. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Yet another mention of how Depp thinks it would be a dream-come-true to play Barnabas: Andrew Mercado's column in The Daily Telegraph.

And with a "tentative" agreement supposedly waiting for approval this coming weekend, perhaps the writers' strike will actually be over soon, and the script for this film might actually begin development before most of us reach 60.   

[jennifer]

And with a "tentative" agreement supposedly waiting for approval this coming weekend, perhaps the writers' strike will actually be over soon, and the script for this film might actually begin development before most of us reach 60.   

OMG 60 i'm just getting used to 52   

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I haven't reached 52 yet (though it's not far off  ), but my only point was that for a while there it looked like the strike could go on for quite a long time.    Thankfully, though, from what I've been reading today, it seems like most writers like what they've seen of the tentative deal and an end to the strike will be forthcoming very soon. But we won't know for sure until later this week...

[jimbo]

Let's hope the strike will be over soon.  The author of this article is a writer and producer and he believes the strike will end. The article also lists how many new episodes will be filmed for some of the existing tv shows.

http://www.moviehole.net/news/20080211_the_end_of_the_writers_strike.html

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It's official: the WGA members voted to end their strike. What happens now with the Depp DS movie? Well, one can only hope that if they hadn't already, they hire someone to develop the script.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Even though we haven't gotten any new news on the Depp DS film, it's still nice to see it mentioned in two recent articles concerning Graham King:

From the Earthtimes press release Gore Verbinski, Graham King and John Logan to Collaborate on Animated Feature Film:
GK FILMS - Graham King was awarded the Best Picture Oscar in 2007 for the Scorsese directed crime thriller THE DEPARTED. In addition to THE DEPARTED, King was also a producer on BLOOD DIAMOND the same year and both films were nominated for five Academy Awards each. So far King's credits have achieved an outstanding 38 Academy Award nominations from such titles as TRAFFIC, ALI, GANGS OF NEW YORK and THE AVIATOR. Through King's production deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, he is set to produce the highly anticipated project SHANTARAM starring Johnny Depp and produced in conjunction with Infinitum Nihil and Plan B. Also with Infinitum Nihil he will produce SASHA'S STORY: THE LIFE and DEATH OF A RUSSIAN SPY, the newly announced DARK SHADOWS and THE RUM DIARY with Warner Independent Pictures. King launched his new production entity GK Films with partner Tim Headington earlier this year and through GK Films, King recently completed lensing THE YOUNG VICTORIA starring Emily Blunt on location in the UK.

And from Variety's King, Verbinski team on new film:
King is also developing "Sasha's Story: The Life and Death of a Russian Spy," "Dark Shadows" and "The Rum Diary" with Infinitum Nihil, Depp's shingle. He recently completed lensing "The Young Victoria."

Though hopefully one of these days we'll get more than just that it's in the development pipeline. 

[Doug]

Does anybody know where they are planning to film the movie? I hope it won't Southern California
where the series of 1991 was filmed. I remember a scene where it showed a couple of palm trees.

[Barnabas'sBride]

I don't think we'll have to worry about that. This will be a big budget film.  They'll be able to make sure the look is perfect.