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

[Nightfall59]

If they are going to have Barnabas use the cousin from England cover story,  I would imagine that would fly better if the film is set in the earlier era. Not that investigating someone's bogus background wasn't possible before the modern computer age. Burke Devlin was beginning to put together some truths about Barn before his plane crash demise, but the Collins clan seemed to take Barn on his word because he looked so much like "original" Barnabas' portrait and had the cane and the ring. Did someone from 1967 England really go strolling around with a walking stick?  The characters innocence about many matters was part of the series charm and I would hope that the film could find a way to retain at least some of that.

[jimbo]

If I was one of the producers of the movie I would want to start the story in the present time or start it in the past especially for the targeted new audience. If the movie is set in the 70s that is essentially the endgame for the movie and its sequels unless there is time travel to the present time or its future. If you set the movie in the present time and then have time travel to the 1790s at least most of the new audience can for obvious reasons relate to the present time and the story will flow better imo. I think it will hurt the box office if the story is set in the 70s. The new audience is going to wonder why it is set in the 70s. The movie is a retelling (hate the word remake these days) and not a sequel to the original show which of course I am all for. I could see them setting the movie in the 70s for nostalgia purposes but the producers need to get new blood to the theatres and market it to today's  "younger" audience. Is it necessary to have the movie set in the 70s? Despite the aforementioned tweets I will be shocked if the story takes place in the 70s.

[jimbo]

Sorry for the double post. fyi Schultz and Wiremu tweeted 3 hours ago that Colleen Atwood arrives tomorrow and ..."Dark Shadows here we go". They also tweeted yesterday about DS started production and all systems are go, go, go. It also previously tweeted that filming begins in May which had been previously confirmed.
It's website http://www.schultz-wiremufabricfx.co.uk/ says in part it provides clothing for the 18th century period. You can follow there tweets @multidyer

[LdyAnne]

Did someone from 1967 England really go strolling around with a walking stick?  

Well the upper crust of British society would not have thought it odd as the were much more formal than America at that time.
http://scifipulse.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/theavengers.jpg  Think Advengers

[Stuart]

It'll be interesting to see if the film does end up being specifically set in the 60s or 70s... For a long time, I've thought it would be great to do a Dark Shadows revival with a sorta retro look. The early present day episodes of the show could often easily be set in the 1940s or 50s, based on the visuals, so it could just have an old-fashioned style and look. Not a literal 60s or 70s setting, but more a general sense of Collinsport being a bit behind the times and a place the rest of the world has left behind. I think that would be potentially very charming and in the long run date the film far less than something rooted to the here and now.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

I wholly concur with Stuart.  I recall the look of the early episodes being very reminiscent of '40s films, with a few notable fashion exceptions.  But, Liz, Roger, and Burke could all have easily be transplanted two decades earlier.  I don't really think we need the film to be set in the '60s.  It would be great.  But, if it just had an appropriately aged look to it, we'd be in good hands.  Anytime you bring in current technology into a film, you run the risk of it being dated, which is why I don't really even want to see cell phones in this movie.  The one electronic device that has aged the best is probably the television set, as there are still plenty of older sets around today.  Corded telephones are also pretty standard.  But, I really would dread seeing computers or mobile devices being used in the movie to any noticeable extent.  A "behind the times" feel for Collinsport - and Collinwood - is a great approach. 

[Nancy]

I agree as well with the retro look.  Also, if the movie does well enough to ignite a big interest in checking out the original series, the 1960s/1970s look would fit right in with along the lines of what new fans would expect.  The sloppy production values will take them by surprise but hopefully they will learn that "live" TV like DS didn't stop for mistakes or mishaps. 

nancy

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Regardless of what era the film takes place, it's definitely going to interesting to see how they play up the whole Barnabas dealing with a world that's centuries beyond the world he knew. But with regard to that I keep coming back to something Jim Pierson said when he brought the whole subject up, and that was that in the talks they were having back when he was interviewed in November, they weren't planning on getting "too cutesy with it" and that it was simply going to be "something that humanizes the character." That doesn't seem like it's going to be played for laughs. Well, at least not the sort of laughs that I would expect people to describe as very funny. But who knows? Things could have changed after Pierson's interview...

And I could also see the film having some sort of retro feel/look to it even if it does take place in our time. Though if the characters are sort of in their own world and if they do continue to dress in some sort of vintage fashion, one can only hope that that would simply be used for tone and not for humor as, say, it was in the Brady Bunch films... 

And speaking of the film possibly being retro -

Helena has reportedly stated that it will be set in the '70s, though I cannot find a source to verify this information.

Do you remember where/from whom you heard this? Not that I'm doubting that you did, but like you I cannot find a source - not in any of the linked articles Goggle sends me alerts for, not with several search criteria permutations I've tried using to search on my own. Normally comments like that will show up on multiple Web sites because sites are constantly swapping/referring to other sites and other sources of information. It's extremely odd for it to seemingly be untraceable. 

[KMR]

But with regard to that I keep coming back to something Jim Pierson said when he brought the whole subject up, and that was that in the talks they were having back when he was interviewed in November, they weren't planning on getting "too cutesy with it" and that it was simply going to be "something that humanizes the character." That doesn't seem like it's going to be played for laughs. Well, at least not the sort of laughs that I would expect people to describe as very funny. But who knows? Things could have changed after Pierson's interview...

Perhaps they mean "funny" in the way that most of Alfred Hitchcock's movies are funny. There is really a great deal of humor in most Hitchcock movies (the only real exception I can think of is The Wrong Man, which is quite atypical of Hitchcock in many respects). In fact, the other night I watched Psycho again, and found even more humor in it than I had before.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

MB, I can't find it in any trade publication or blog either, though I have been trying since I initially read the remark.  I'm taking the comment with a grain of salt and hoping everyone else does, as I picked it up from the IMDB message board:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1077368/board/nest/174961628

They did not state a source, so if, in fact, the poster heard it, I am assuming it was from a video interview...  But I guess we won't know unless we ask the poster.   

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Eva Green Will Channel Bette Davis and Janis Joplin For Her Role In Dark Shadows

Very interesting to hear that the film is so different from the daytime show that Green feels watching the show wouldn't help her to develop her character. Although, personally I'm glad to hear that she'll be bringing her own take to Angelique rather than basing it in any way on the original. And channeling Bette Davis? What could be better than that? 

[PennyDreadful]

It'll be interesting to see if the film does end up being specifically set in the 60s or 70s... For a long time, I've thought it would be great to do a Dark Shadows revival with a sorta retro look. The early present day episodes of the show could often easily be set in the 1940s or 50s, based on the visuals, so it could just have an old-fashioned style and look. Not a literal 60s or 70s setting, but more a general sense of Collinsport being a bit behind the times and a place the rest of the world has left behind. I think that would be potentially very charming and in the long run date the film far less than something rooted to the here and now.

This!  I completely agree.  Collinsport should be a bit "removed" from the rest of the world.  As Jonathan Frid called it, "a dark Brigadoon."

[jimbo]

Eva Green says Angelique will be a blond and an American in the 70s? DS to be like a play.

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/03/16/dark-shadows-eva-green/

[Taeylor Collins]

I don't think she means funny in the sense of FUNNY. I think a lot of times people use that word for the situation.  I mean Angelique and Barnabas were ridiclously funny in the way they fought and bantered through five years on the show.  I think it would be cool if it had a nebulous feel.  One doesn't really know what "TIME" it could be set in.  I think it is important the Collinsport seems like this place away from the the real world. Collinsport being it's own world.

Bette Davis and Janis Joplin= WOW! I think she will be great.  Bette was a shrud business woman and could play bitch to the hilt!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Now that is really interesting. So, the film will indeed take place in the '70s. Barn and Angelique with have a 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'/very love-hate relationship that's also very funny. Well, that's the sort of funny I can definitely get into. And not only will the film be Burton unlike we've ever seen him, it'll be so focused on the actors that it could almost be a play. Today's news just keeps getting better and better!