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

[Taeylor Collins]

I am sorry for the confusion.  I was referring to Johnny Depp and Jonathan Frid.

[Taeylor Collins]

Also sorry for the double post but the GOOD GOD: THAT MAN IS HOT line was referring to Johnny Depp!  SHEW! FAINT!

[Nancy]

I am sorry for the confusion.  I was referring to Johnny Depp and Jonathan Frid.

Ah, sorry.  I misread.  Frid was born looking older than his years.  In high school he was cast as the father in "The Heiress." 

nancy

[Nancy]

Also sorry for the double post but the GOOD GOD: THAT MAN IS HOT line was referring to Johnny Depp!  SHEW! FAINT!

Oh yeah!! I'm right with you on that, Taeylor! Very hot indeed!

[Taeylor Collins]

I am gonna get back on topic...but I wasn't trying to say that JF wasn't good looking.  In that picture from Big Lou with him in his swimming shorts and sunglasses.  WOW! What a great body he had!  I have also saw pictures of JF as a younger man and I thought he was swoon worthy!  The way he played Barnabas also made me pine for him! So elegant, charming and seductive!

Now onto the topic at hand...I cannot wait to hear some more news about the movie.  And I really hope we get the pilot as an extra.  And that HODS and NODS are released and the NODS restoration comes to fruition!

[MagnusTrask]

Also sorry for the double post but the GOOD GOD: THAT MAN IS HOT line was referring to Johnny Depp!  SHEW! FAINT!

Well I didn't think you were talking about Harry Potter... by the way, I too always yell FAINT! right before I faint.  It's sort of like yelling "Fore!" in golf.  Not that I've played golf.  I have fainted though, once last November.   I'm still trying to figure that one out...

Nancy, thanks for the early Frid information.   

[jimbo]

Twilight sold over 3 million DVDs units on its first day of release. With its phenomenal box office intake and now its DVDs success I am sure WB is even more anxious to get the DS movie off the ground.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=53880

[madscntst]

Also sorry for the double post but the GOOD GOD: THAT MAN IS HOT line was referring to Johnny Depp!  SHEW! FAINT!

SHEW! FAINT!  Yes, indeed    As for Frid, the thing about him is that he may have looked a little older than his years during the DS run (though still very dapper and attractive), but he has made up for it now by still looking wonderful 40 years later!

As for Twilight, I confess that I haven't seen it, and I fear that from what I've heard of it, it may be a little too sappy for my taste.  I'm glad it's keeping folks interested in vampires, though!  I think that Let The Right One In, which I *have* seen, has also recently come out on DVD.  That one had a lot of critical praise, but I don't think it is nearly as much on people's radar.  I wonder how it's doing.  I recommend it highly, by the way!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Yesterday I was at a fund raising auction for an elementary school where I do some volunteer computer consulting, and one of the items that got the most attention was a basket filled with various Twilight items (the DVD, an Edward doll, a calendar, a Bella t-shirt, the novels, etc.). However, that attention was from seemingly every squealing 10 to 13-year-old girl in attendance. Frankly, that's not quite the audience I'd like to see the Depp/DS film primarily appeal to. And thankfully, their actions thus far would seem to indicate that TPTB will indeed be reaching out to attract a much wider target audience.

[Taeylor Collins]

Yes I hope Depp Shadows does have a broader audience.  I think it will since DS spans 40 decades now! I have to admit (Sheephisly) that I am devouring the first book right now.  What I find so interesting is as I have said before how Barnabas really changed the course the vampire role has taken from Louis in Interview...to Angel in well Angel...to Bill in True Blood and now Edward in Twillight!  I find it interesting that Stephanie Meyer dreamed about the book much like DC did DS.   Sorry I got a bit off subject!

[jimbo]

That is a good question as to what the target audience is going to be for the DS movie. I am guessing that WB is hoping that many of the young Twilight fans will watch the DS movie. I thought many of Twilight's fans are like the 14-19 age group(?) but I guess it could be a lot younger. I don't really know anything about Twilight so I can't make an intelligent argument but I would think WB wants part of that audience. On the other hand the movie obviously also needs to appeal to the 18-49 + crowd. Do we all agree that the Victoria Winters actress needs to look 25? I don't think that character should look older than that age? I thought Joanna Going was perfect for that role even though she was several years older than 25 if my memory serves me well. I am glad I am not the casting director for this movie because you can't please all target audiences.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I am guessing that WB is hoping that many of the young Twilight fans will watch the DS movie.

I'm sure they are. And they are more than welcomed to the party. But my point was that we wouldn't want the Depp/DS film to only appeal to Twilight's core audience.

the movie obviously also needs to appeal to the 18-49 + crowd.

Exactly. And the Depp/DS film should also appeal to males. Twilight seems to be an almost exclusively female, and young female at that, phenomenon.

I thought Joanna Going was perfect for that role even though she was several years older than 25 if my memory serves me well.

Going was 27 when the pilot was shot and had just turned 28 when the series began shooting.

[madscntst]

I think that teen girls are inevitably going to be part of the target audience for DS.  I'm not as sure about 10-13 year olds- certainly Johnny himself has many fans that age from the Pirates films, but I think that for DS, that's a little young.  I would guess that the *minimum* rating they'll go for is a PG-13, and I wouldn't be too surprised if they decide to go for an R, as they did with Sweeney Todd.  (Not that I am in favor of a slasher-type film, but I don't want them to be afraid to make it dark).  Didn't I hear that a lot of *moms* like Twilight, though?  The moms will definitely be all over a Depp DS film, especially if they're old enough to remember the original.  But I agree with MB and Taeylor that I hope the target audience is going to be much broader than this. 

Regarding the male audience, while a lot of the die-hard Depp fans are female, I think that males respect him, as well, and I think it won't hurt that his upcoming films Public Enemies and The Rum Diary will help to keep the male fanbase interested in what else Depp will be up to, including DS.

I agree, Jimbo, that Vicki should look 25 at the *most*.  College educated, perhaps with a master's in education, but still young and just starting a career.  I think Joanna Going was perfect, at the time.  I just checked IMDb, and she was born in '63, so was 27 or 28 for DS- that was pretty good.  

[jimbo]

Thanks MB and madscntst. I think WB needs to certainly reach that male demographic base who want to see Barnabas on steroids and have a large body count with that of the Twilight teens and their moms. I don't think you can sell "The Love story beyond time" angle to the male demographic, for example, to hook them in. It's going to be a balancing marketing approach to reach a broad audience. I do agree that many males respect Johnny Depp. OT for a second I heard that Public enemies is receiving mixed reviews but in any event I expect that the movie will perform well at the box office and that can't hurt DS.

[dom]

I hope they scrap the whole Victoria Winters/Josette angle. It's too restrictive and repetitive and antiquated (not to mention corny). There, I said it!