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

[GooberCollins]

The Wikipedia article for the movie says that WB has officially confirmed it, and they provide no sources to back it up. But hey, it's Wikipedia, so it must be true!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The N.Y. Times lists Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins. Wonder who they checked with to confirm this "fact".

Well, at least in the case of Depp playing Barnabas, there are several past interviews with Depp that they could cite as well as some of the remarks he's made since the project was announced last July. But it's definitely true that since the announcement nothing has come out that said with 100% authority that Depp will indeed play Barnabas in the film. At least nothing that anyone here on the forum has seen because we would have certainly posted about it - or anything that the vast majority of the people posting all the recent reports have seen because, if they bring up the subject, they all say it hasn't been confirmed...

[jimbo]

All of these "confirmations" posted by our cousins here and yet no real official confirmation. Variety and the Hollywoodreporter have been very silent about these latest unconfirmed DS movie developments. When the movie was first announced back in July'07, ShadowGram out-scooped Variety and provided us with that information before Variety posted its article. Hopefully the same may happen in the near future. But as has been discussed here that may not happen this time.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The more time that passes the more virtually certain I become that nothing will appear in the trades or SG until after TPTB make their presentation at the Fest. If TPTB wanted to confirm the news, they've already had plenty of time to do so since the news broke online early on Monday.

And as for SG scooping Variety, yes, it's true they scooped the print edition of Daily Variety, maybe even their Web site - but not Variety's news wire. 

[Mary]

The more time that passes the more virtually certain I become that nothing will appear in the trades or SG until after TPTB make their presentation at the Fest.

Is there a possibility there will be press there covering the presentation eager to get the scoop?  Woo hoo!  LOL!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

This article brings up an intriguing possibility - that Burton might shoot the film in B&W (like he did with Ed Wood): TIM BURTON DIRECTING A GOTHIC DRAMA? GET OUT!

What do we think of that idea?

[IluvBarnabas]

I think it would be cool. The show always did seem a bit spookier in black and white anyway, and doing the movie that way would give it that gothic, eerie quality the black and white episodes had.

[ProfStokes]

Interesting possibility, MB. I had suggested that on another DS Forum, and I mentioned it to DLA75 also.  But I thought that, if the movie were to include a 1795 flashback, Burton might go the Wizard of Oz route and shoot the scenes from the past in color and the scenes in the present in B&W.

I'm also wondering if the "present" will be now (2000s) or sometime in the 1960s/70s, the same time that Barnabas first appeared on the series.  Personally, I think a "vintage" setting would be more fun. We wouldn't have to bother with pesky cell phones or the Internet, and the movie would be more similar to the show.

ProfStokes

[barnabasjr]

Wow, ProfStokes! Ingenious Intellect, indeed! That Wizard of Oz take is brilliant!

[Doug]

Yeah I was wondering if the movie is going to be B&W. But I think it will be okay.

[Brandon Collins]

While I think that filming the movie in B&W might be good for it, I don't think it would be a good idea as far as attracting an audience. While we, as devoted DS fans, would already appreciate it before we see the film, general audiences wouldn't get the atmosphere that black and white would add, and I'm sure it would be highly publicized that the film is black and white, especially in a world where everything has eye-catching special effects. That media coverage would certainly, IMO, kill the chance for bringing in new fans.

[JS]

I couldn't agree more. B & W was great for horror movies in my day, that's why the classic Night of the Living Dead was purposely filmed in B & W and so was Young Frankenstein and even a few other non horror films for that special effect. This new generation wouldn't be turned on by B & W. They want glorious High Def color with all the computerized special effects that can be squeezed into a two hour film.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

While I do think that shooting in B&W could possibly add to the movie stylistically, I'm afraid I have to agree with Brandon - and I would even go so far as to say that shooting in B&W could kill any chances of the movie launching a franchise. The sad fact is that movies shot in B&W often severely limit themselves because there's a whole chunk of the audience (more specifically many people born in the '70s and beyond) who refuse to watch anything shot in B&W because they think it's too old fashioned to it's just plain dull, and they stay away in droves. Just look at almost any of the grosses for any of the films that have been shot in B&W since the mid-'80s (Schindler's List being one of the few exceptions (mostly because it appealed to an older audience) - Burton/Depp's own Ed Wood being the norm (a pathetic $5.8 million despite being critically hailed)). If the movie was strictly planned as a one time thing, and they were simply going for style over boxoffice (which major studios like WB rarely if ever do these days), B&W could be a viable alternative. But I strongly suspect that everyone involved is hoping for a possible franchise - and franchises need big boxoffice to get off the ground - and that means targeting the age range that seems to most support movies:12-25 year olds (and maybe 26-35 year olds) - and that will in all probability require that the film be shot in color. Quite simply, while our dollars will certainly be accepted, we original fans (meaning those of us who watched the daytime DS in the '60s and '70s) are not really a target audience for the movie...

[IluvBarnabas]

Yes, unfortunately, it's all too true that a majority of viewers today won't watch anything in black and white and I think that's sad because there are a great many gems in B&W that I happen to like and I was born in the mid 70's. I think most of today's audiences are too spoiled by all the CGI effects, bloodgore and sexfests that are constantly thrown out in movie screens nowadays.

I have nothing against CGI, I don't even mind some bloodshed or a bit of nudity now and then, but I have a special fondness for movies with heart and great acting...plenty of the old classics have those.

[jimbo]

In my opinion there is no way that this movie will be filmed in black and white. I think as other posters indicated, WB expects this movie to be a big hit with several possible sequels. Young people want MTV- like splashy, colored themes. Artistically b&w would work for us fans but I can't see younger audiences dropping $11 on a black and white movie. Speaking of sequels I wonder what John August has in mind to end the movie. I assume he will have an open type ending. I also wonder what the budget will be for this movie. If the 2004 45 minute pilot cost six million dollars I can't even begin to think how much this movie will cost with Depp's and Burton's salary and not even considering the CGI effects, entire cast, location shots , interior shots plus marketing etc......