Michelle Pfeiffer in Talks to Reteam With Tim Burton for 'Dark Shadows'

by Borys Kit
From: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/

Role would cast her opposite Johnny Depp in Warner Bros’ big-screen take on the 1960s gothic vampire TV soap opera.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Michelle Pfeiffer is in negotiations to reteam with Tim Burton for Dark Shadows, Warner Bros’ big-screen take on the 1960s gothic vampire TV soap opera starring Johnny Depp.

The movie has an April start and has been casting up, with Jackie Earle Haley, Eva Green and Bella Heathcote already on board.

Depp will portray Barnabas Collins, a self-loathing vampire living in a Maine manor who is searching for his lost love.

Pfeiffer would play Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the reclusive matriarch of the Collins family which runs the Maine town. The character has not left the mansion since the disappearance  of her husband a decade earlier.

Pfeiffer is finding herself very much in demand this new year. The actress is juggling a role in New Line’s all-star New Year’s Eve and shooting Welcome to People, the directorial debut of scribe Alex Kurtzman.

The last time she worked with Burton was as Catwoman in 1992’s Batman Returns.

Pfeiffer is repped by CAA and Management 360.

'Dark Shadows' ready for the light

Burton-directed pic stars Depp; newcomer Heathcote in talks

By Justin Kroll

From http://www.variety.com/

Depp

Burton

Heathcote

 

After years of trying to get "Dark Shadows" off the ground, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton are seeing their passion project finally near production.

 

Bella Heathcote, the up-and-coming Aussie thesp starring next year in David Chase's first post- "Sopranos" feature "Twylight Zones," is in early talks for the female lead opposite Depp in the Warner Bros. fantasy pic.
"Dark Shadows" is based on the 1960s supernatural TV soap opera that followed the life of vampire Barnabas Collins, to be played by Depp. He's forced to deal with all sorts of monsters, ghosts and other supernatural creatures. Heathcote would play a waitress whom Collins takes a shine to because of her resemblance to his long-lost love.

Seth Grahame-Smith has penned the script, and Depp, Graham King, Richard Zanuck, Christi Dembrowski and David Kennedy are producing. Production sked starts this spring for a 2012 release.
Warner Bros. acquired the rights from show creator Dan Curtis in 2007 and has been trying to get a movie going ever since.

Depp signed on early, but the writers strike derailed the project. Once it was resolved, Burton came on to direct and brought on John August to pen a first draft.

But August fell out, Burton and Depp's busy schedules got in the way and the project continued to be pushed back. Then, last summer, "Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies" and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" author July Smith was brought aboard to rewrite the script.

If Heathcote gets locked in soon, a greenlight should follow, making a spring production start realistic.
Besides Chase's "Twylight Zones," Heathcote has also been cast opposite Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake in "Now."

"Dark Shadows" has the potential to solve another problem for Warners: the need for a franchise to replace the "Harry Potter" series. Though "Green Lantern," "Superman" and any number of DC Comics-centered pics are in the works, the studio is light on fantasy fare that can also appeal to female auds.

Though Burton and Depp haven't talked of franchising "Dark Shadows," there's a trove of material for them to work with.

Besides her upcoming slate, Heathcote was most recently seen in the indie "Beneath Hill 60."

She is repped by WME and Jackson-Medavoy Entertainment.

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s Dark Shadows Pushed to April 2011

By Krystal Clark
From: http://screencrave.com/

If any of you are surprised by this latest production news you obviously haven’t been following Johnny Depp’s career over the last 25 years. That man stars in everything and is constantly being courted for projects therefore, we’re not shocked that his big screen adaptation with Tim Burton entitled Dark Shadows has been pushed back.

Back in July, we reported that Dark Shadows had found a screenwriter and was scheduled to begin production in January 2011. Seth Grahame-Smith the acclaimed novelist who’s known for putting “a macabre twist to literary classics and historical figures” will pen the screenplay for the film which is based on the defunct television soap opera of the same name that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. Production on the film will now begin in April 2011.

Dark Shadows was a supernatural soap that centered on Barnabas Collins (played by Jonathan Frid) and all of his outer wordly antics. Depp will naturally step into the role, while his supporting cast is still being decided. A few months isn’t that much of a delay and Depp and Burton are both dedicated to bringing this story to the big screen.

The only downside to this is the monkey wrench it throws in another film’s production. Kathryn Bigelow has been courting Depp to star in her drama Sleeping Dogs (formerly Triple Frontier), which begins production in February. This is confusing because if Dark Shadows began filming in January as planned, she still wouldn’t have been able to use him. We’re hearing his runner up for that part is Mark Wahlberg.

Pirates 4's Comic Con Teaser Trailer Leaks Online

By Josh Tyler:
From: http://www.cinemablend.com/

Yesterday we told you about Captain Jack Sparrow’s rather strange Comic Con cameo where he told the assembled San Diego audience to expect all manner of oddities in the next Pirates of the Caribbean. It seems that cameo was actually more a Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides teaser trailer, in which Jack sat up on a screen, rambled endlessly about his next adventure, and then promised everyone watching Bloody Marys.

That teaser video, the first ever teaser for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, has now leaked its way online. It’s unclear whether Disney actually wants anyone to see it, so the embedded video below may or may not vanish at any time.

Update! Three cheers for Disney. They're on board with releasing it and they've just made a high-res version available. Check that out below.

Johnny Depp's Rango Trailer Has Arrived (vid)

Now we've got the trailer! Huzzah!

From: http://www.examiner.com/

Comedy ExaminerScott Wampler

Just earlier today, we released the official movie poster for Gore Verbinski's latest collaboration with Johnny Depp, Rango. We also included a little teaser trailer that told us absolutely nothing about the film. Well, now Paramount's released the first full-length trailer for the film, and we've got a much better idea of what to expect when Rango hits theaters next March (in glorious 3D, we're sure). It may be the weirdest, most inexplicable kids' movie in some time, but Rango definitely looks like it'll be original. See the first trailer for yourselves below, my gentle Examiner readers...

Earlier today, we unleashed the poster on the right for Gore Verbinski's Rango, an animated comedy starring Johnny Depp due to hit next March. Now Paramount's released the first, full-length trailer for the film, and we've got a much better idea of what we can expect out of Rango. Check it out, folks:

UPDATE: Check it out at the 1:47 mark in particular-- that appears to be Hunter S. Thompson's windshield that Rango's bouncing off of, doesn't it? What do you guys think-- that's definitely supposed to be the Good Doctor, isn't is? Dig it:

That's Thompson, right? Anyway, here's the trailer:

Am I crazy, or was that Tom Waits singing on the soundtrack? It's not like I needed another reason to check out Rango when it arrives next March. Adding Tom Waits to something makes it instantly 400% cooler. Look at Book of Eli: that movie would've been pretty awesome on its own, but with just a twist of Waits, it became kick-ass. All movies should follow this lead. As for Rango, we're still unclear on the plot beyond the fact that it stars Johnny Depp as a chameleon with an identity crisis, but the picture's starting to get a little more clear with each new update the studio releases. Stay tuned for more Rango updates as they become available, my precious snowflakes!

Alice In Wonderland: A Tattoo Story

By FrankSh

http://www.walyou.com

Undoubtedly with the new major motion picture due out in the near future, there will no doubt be some fair weather Alice in Wonderland fans coming out of the woodwork to profess their love for all that is Alice (and Johnny Depp, as the case may be). With that in mind, I’d just like to let everyone know that you’re not a real fan unless you have just about the entire Alice in Wonderland story inked into the upper half of your body.

There were a few things that ran through my mind when I first saw this picture. My first thought was that’s totally awesome, the second was wow that had to hurt like hell but it would have to be a great conversation starter, and finally I thought that I really hope this person trusts whoever does their tattoos. If you’re a long time reader here are Walyou, you’ve seen some pretty rad tattoo displays like the cool Tetris tattoo and of course the Pacman tattoo, but this one has to take the cake. I think given the choice between these I’d have to go with Tetris…but I guess I’m not hardcore enough to be a Disney fan if this is any indication.

Now aside from the obvious practical issues, you have to admit this is pretty cool. All of your favorite characters from the animated movie are here, including the Mad Hatter, Chershire Cat, and of course some of the card soldiers. I’d like to see a view from the front as well, but I’m not sure how much you could see without venturing into the land of inappropriate.

One has to wonder if we won’t see similar tattoos when the live action version of the story comes out. Personally I think having Johnny Depp staring at me for the rest of forever would be pretty creepy, but I’d be willing to bet there are some ladies out there who would disagree. Of course you might run into some copyright issues there…and getting a tattoo of that magnitude removed would take some serious pain and money!

Tattoo Artist: Holly Azzara Via: Rainbow Zombies Ate My Unicorn

Read more: Alice In Wonderland: A Tattoo Story | Walyou http://www.walyou.com/blog/2010/02/24/alice-in-wonderland-back-tattoo/#ixzz0gZ84UcvY
http://www.walyou.com

Penelope Cruz eyes 'Pirates of the Caribbean' sequel

By Borys Kit

Penelope Cruz is in negotiations to join Johnny Depp and sail the seven seas in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," the fourth installment of the movie series being directed by Rob Marshall.

Depp is reprising his popular role of Captain Jack Sparrow, and while plot details are buried deeper than Blackbeard's treasure, it is known the tale revolves around the Fountain of Youth.

Cruz's character details are also being kept secret, though she is to be Sparrow's foil and equal in many ways.

Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot wrote the script. Jerry Bruckheimer is producing.

For Cruz, the role reunites her with Marshall, who directed her in "Nine." Her performance garnered her an Oscar nomination in the best supporting actress category just last week. She won the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role for 2008's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

"Pirates" will set sail before cameras in Hawaii this summer. Disney plans for a May 20, 2011, release.

'Alice in Wonderland' screenwriter is ready for haters

latimesblogs.latimes.com — Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Disney are adding a strange new chapter to the Lewis Carroll classic with "Alice in Wonderland." Screenwriter Linda Woolverton, whose previous credits include the Disney hits "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King," says at one point she thought "Really, what have you got yourself into?" [Warning: Spoilers]

Click here for the full article...spoilers ahead.. 'Alice in Wonderland' screenwriter is ready for haters

Five Facts About Alice in Wonderland (Slight Spoilers)

Exclusive: Burton and his collaborators spill Wonderland's secrets to RT.

by Rosamund Witcher |
from: http://www.rottentomatoes.com

N/A

Over the past 20 years, director Tim Burton and his chiseled muse Johnny Depp have proved an extremely fruitful pairing. From the gothic beauty of Edward Scissorhands, through the campy farce of Sleepy Hollow to the eye-popping lunacy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, they have given us some of the most memorable movies of recent years. Fans eagerly await their latest collaboration, Alice in Wonderland, in which Depp plays The Mad Hatter opposite newcomer Mia Wasikowska as Alice. RT goes behind the scenes on the film to discover that Tim Burton dislikes motion capture, Mia Wasikowska hates green screen and that making an animated cat is more difficult than you might think...

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Fact #1: It Won't Be Like Any Other Adaptation You've Ever Seen

Because, frankly, Tim Burton wasn't impressed with them. "All the other versions of Alice I've seen were lacking a narrative dynamic," he tells RT. "They were just a series of absurdist tales with one weird character after another and not too much of a context. So you watch it thinking, 'Oh, that's weird,' and 'Yeah, that's strange,' without ever paying attention to the story plot points."

How is Burton's Alice going to avoid those pitfalls? "We tried to give all of the characters a bit more of a foundation and a more simple, grounded story to work off all the weird stuff," he explains. "I mean, they're obviously all mad. But we have tried to give each of them a particular madness and a bit more depth."

Fact #2: The Effects Were Trial and Error

Or, as Burton likes to call it: "an organic process." In fact, the effects crew actually filmed scenes using expensive Zemeckis-style motion capture technology, before discarding the whole lot. "We suited the Tweedles (Matt Lucas) and the Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover, pictured) for motion capture," explains animation supervisor David Schaub. "The Knave is eight feet tall so we thought that motion capture would be the best method. But Crispin had to be on stilts for eye line purposes, so all of the captured images looked like a guy on stilts. It was clunky." Was it frustrating to have to throw away the footage? "It's Tim's choice," shrugs Schaub. "He knows what's out there and he makes choices based on the films he sees and the techniques used."

There must have been some heated debates with the effects team? "We discussed what we like and don't like about motion capture," admits Burton. "Personally, I think it looks weird."

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Fact #3: You Won't Know What's Real and What Isn't

"We basically have three live-action characters," explains David Schaub. "They are Alice (Wasikowska), The Mad Hatter (Depp) and The White Queen (Anne Hathaway). The Tweedles and the Knave of Hearts are real heads blended onto animated bodies. That creates a special look that you won't have seen before. It's very cool. Meanwhile, Helena Bonham Carter's character (The Red Queen) is an amalgamation of all kinds of different techniques, which we then distorted." One of the most difficult characters to create, though, was The Cheshire Cat. "That was hard because he actually floats," says Schaub. "So we had to think, if a cat could float, how would a cat float? Then he's got this huge grin the whole time, which causes problems because he's got to have emotions. But how do you make him anything other than happy when he's got this permanent smile? It was intense."

As for Wonderland itself, it's almost entirely CGI. "There is one significant prop where Alice steps into Wonderland and goes down some stairs," says Schaub. "That was an amazing piece of architecture. But everything else is a CG environment."

The end result may look incredible, but do spare a thought for poor Mia Wasikowska. "It was three months of green screen," she sighs. "So I had to try and keep the energy up and remember that there will be an animated character in front of me. But it's hard when you're acting opposite nothing but sticky tape and tennis balls."

Fact #4: The Mad Hatter is Truly a Burton/Depp Creation

"It's funny," laughs costume designer Colleen Atwood, who has worked with Tim Burton on seven films over the past 20 years, including Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish and Sweeney Todd. "Tim, Johnny and I had all made sketches of what we thought the Mad Hatter should look like. Then, when we sat down to discuss it, we realised they were all really similar!" One of the most interesting things about the Mad Hatter's costume is that it changes colour according to his mood. "It's like a mood ring," explains Atwood. "I made his suits in different colours, with layers of other colours, and then they enhanced it with CGI. It's going to look really fun."

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Fact #5: Mia Wasikowska is the New Cate Blanchett

"She's just an amazing young woman," Atwood gushes to RT. "Her head is not up in the clouds and she's a really hard worker with a great sense of humour -- something you need on a film as crazy as this. She's definitely channeling Cate Blanchett in the sense that both actresses are extremely talented but very grounded. Plus they're both Australian."

Tim Burton agrees: "Mia has an old soul, but there are elements of her that feel very young and naïve," he explains. "She's perfect to play Alice at this stage of her life because she is at a crossroads, and the film's journey is her finding out who she is and what she wants. Although this is probably the weirdest, most abstract movie that she will ever be in. I mean, it's weird even for me."

With such effusive praise being ladled on her, is Wasikowska feeling the pressure? "A little bit," she laughs, nervously. "I'm excited to see the finished product but, of course, there is a certain amount of anxiety that comes with it. Having said that, I have such faith in Tim and everybody on this film, so I'm not really worried."

Alice in Wonderland is released nationwide on Friday 5 March.

'Alice in Wonderland': Even More Wonderfully Weird in Full-Length Trailer

• By: Mike Scalise

When the first trailer for Tim Burton's live-action take on Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland' premiered at Comic-Con in July, it seemed like Burton had all the pieces in place for another goth-stained, Burtonesque classic: Mia Wasikowska as a 19-year-old Alice, Helena Bonham Carter as the diminutive, treacherous Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the rival White Queen, and Johnny Depp's orange-haired Mad Hatter bouncing manically in between them.

But we only caught glimpses of Burton's Wonderland then, snippets of landscapes, hints at the twists and turns Burton made to the famous fairy tale land. In this full-length trailer, we see Wonderland bloom in full: a place that's as dark and fog-ridden as it is vibrant and mysterious.

'Alice in Wonderland' Trailer No. 2

'Alice in Wonderland' Trailer in HD

In the film, hitting theaters March 5, Wonderland has fallen under the Red Queen's grips, and its up to Alice to save the day, but not without first butting heads with the whole, twisted gang: the toothy Cheshire Cat (Stephen Fry), Tweedledee and Tweedledum (voiced by Matt Lucas), and the excellent Crispin Glover's Knave of Hearts.

The best moments of this new full-length trailer, however, belong to Bonham Carter's Red Queen, a sublime creation of comic menace. "Off with their heads!" seems almost too natural of a line for her, but a few moments later, as we watch the queen rest her boots on an oinking pig and tell Depp's Hatter "I love a warm pig belly for my aching feet," it's clear that the Wonderland Burton's given us here is one we already know by heart, but is still capable of new surprises.

'Alice in Wonderland' Photos

Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images

See extraordinary photos from Tim Burton's 'Alice.'

http://www.pocketburgers.com/2009/06/alice-in-wonderland-fashion-battle-tim.html

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'Alice in Wonderland' Photos

See extraordinary photos from Tim Burton's 'Alice.'

Photo by Dave M. Benett/Getty Images

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Alice in Wonderland' Photos

In this film publicity image released by Disney, Johnny Depp is shown as the Mad Hatter from the upcoming film, "Alice in Wonderland," in theaters on March 5, 2010.

Disney / AP

In this film publicity image released by Disney, Mia Wasikowska is shown as Alice from the upcoming film, "Alice in Wonderland," in theaters on March 5, 2010.

Disney / AP

In this film publicity image released by Disney, Helena Bonham Carter is shown as The Red Queen from the upcoming film, "Alice in Wonderland," in theaters on March 5, 2010.

Disney / AP

In this film publicity image released by Disney, Anne Hathaway is shown as The White Queen from the upcoming film, "Alice in Wonderland," in theaters on March 5, 2010.

Disney / AP

In this film publicity image released by Disney, Matt Lucas portrays Tweedledee & Tweedledum in the upcoming film, "Alice in Wonderland," in theaters on March 5, 2010.

Disney / AP

Mia Wasikowska in ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Disney

Concept Art for ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Disney

Concept Art for ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Disney

Concept Art for ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Disney

Mia Wasikowska in ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Disney

Nicolas Cage 2009: Johnny Depp to Pay Broke Actor's Debts for Him

By Anne Bauso

Sad, sweet tales happen in real life, too

It seems as if not even Hollywood is exempt from the fact that life has a tendency to come full circle. Nicolas Cage saw his finances crumble this year, leaving the actor currently facing a tax bill of over $5 million. While Cage is in the process of suing his former financial advisor for mismanaging his funds, it looks like his dire financial straits may be temporarily fixed, and by none other than fellow A-lister Johnny Depp.

In a true "that's what friends are for" move, the Public Enemies star has reportedly called his old friend to let him know that he will front "whatever he needs" to get him out of this crisis. Depp is generous in his financial and emotional support, possibly seeing the move as a way to pay Cage back for launching Depp's stellar career: It was Nic who arranged for Depp, then an unknown musician, to meet with his agent, which led him to A Nightmare on Elm Street.

New Pirates Movie w/ Johnny Depp Coming In 2011

Studio backing Guillermo del Toro production shingle

By Paul Bond

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"

ANAHEIM -- Disney has teamed with director Guillermo del Toro to create Disney Double Dare You, a new label with a mandate to produce spooky animated feature films.

Studio chairman Dick Cook made the announcement Friday in front of 5,000 enthusiastic fans of all things Disney during the second day of the company's four-day D23 Expo.

The first film from the new studio is called "Trollhunters" and based on an original story by del Toro. He'll also produce the movie.

Del Toro was in New Zealand directing "The Hobbit" for MGM and New Line. However, there was plenty of star power on hand to wow the crowd. And Cook had other official announcements up his sleeve.

Cook confirmed that Disney will remake the 1968 Beatles' film "Yellow Submarine," to be written and directed by Robert Zemeckis and turned into a 3D motion-capture spectacle.

Zemeckis showed the attendees scenes from his upcoming take on "A Christmas Carol" that stars Jim Carrey in "seven or eight roles" (he couldn't quite remember which). "And we only had to pay him once," Cook quipped.

Johnny Depp also hit the stage to a standing ovation. Playing a drunken Jack Sparrow, he and Cook announced that the fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie will be subtitled "On Stranger Tides" and hit theaters in summer 2011.

Tim Burton also joined Cook -- rousing almost as much passion from the audience as did Depp -- and showed some "Alice in Wonderland" clips. He confirmed that he is working on a feature-length version of his 1984 short film "Frankenweenie."

John Travolta, wife Kelly Preston and their daughter Ella Bleu Travolta showed scenes from their upcoming comedy "Old Dogs," which also stars Robin Williams. It's 9-year-old Ella Bleu's feature-film debut.

Miley Cyrus, who stars in next year's "The Last Song," sang her hit tune "The Climb," and Jerry Bruckheimer showed snippets from "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time."

Nicolas Cage told Cook he's interested making another "National Treasure" movie and he showed scenes from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," a live-action film inspired by Disney's 1940 animated "Fantasia," which Cage called "the most beautiful movie ever made."

Cage also took a few moments to get serious, noting that Friday marked the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Turmoil like that inspires him to make family-oriented movies, he said.

The nearly two-hour event at the Anaheim Convention Center began with a lengthy montage, accompanied by a live orchestra, of Disney films through the ages, with fans showing their appreciation with various degrees of applause. For those keeping score, the crowd made the most noise for "Mary Poppins," "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Beauty and the Beast."

And not only did directors, stars and movies receive love from the fans, so did Cook, providing evidence that the Disney studio itself attracts the sort of loyalty usually reserved for celebrities.

That sort of reaction must have been like music to the ears of Steven Clark, head of the D23 Expo. The conference ends Sunday, when Disney-Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter will head a presentation similar to Cook's.

Clark wouldn't reveal how many attended the conference -- beyond "tens of thousands" -- nor would he guarantee a repeat performance next year.

He did, though, say that if D23 Expo is to be an annual event, he plans to keep it in Anaheim.

D23 is the name of the $75-a-year fan club that Disney launched six months ago. The D23 Expo is its "signature event," Clark said. The number "23" is an homage to 1923, the year Walt Disney founded his animation studio.

Clark says Disney's intent is to break even on D23 Expo, though it's obviously a marketing effort and -- judging from the positive reaction from fans and attention it has been getting from mainstream media outlets -- a successful one.

Attendees paid $37 a day or $111 for all four days, with discounts for children and D23 members. Clark said attendees have come from all 50 states and several countries, "including large contingents from Australia, the U.K. and Japan."

VIDEO: Alice In Wonderland Trailer Released

Alice in Wonderland at IGN.com

Tim Burton’s twisted take on the classic childrens’ story Alice in Wonderland doesn’t hit theaters until next year, but the trailer has just been released --and RadarOnline.com can show it to you!

The movie –in 3D no less--stars the always amazing Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, and Mia Wasikowska as Alice.

See photos of the cast of Alice In Wonderland.

Burton will be making his first appearance in thirty years at Comic-Con in San Diego this week and is bringing with him footage from “Alice” as well as clips from his upcoming post-apocalyptic animated film, 9, which he produced.

Alice In Wonderland is scheduled to be released March 5, 2010.

Alice in Wonderland Fashion Battle: Tim Burton's New School vs. Cartoon Disney Old School

By Gendy Alimurung

Tim Burton's film adaptation of Alice In Wonderland isn't out until next year, but if the promo photos are any indication, it's going to be the most visually arresting, luxurious Alice yet. Here's a look at how new Alice stacks up against older Alices from a fashion perspective.

1. Alice

The new Alice is played by 19 year old Mia Wasikowska. From the looks of her outfit--a slightly-longer than tea-length gown, white booties, fingerless gloves--in this photo, the film will be returning to Alice In Wonderland's Victorian roots. Her dress resembles cartoon Disney Alice's frock, but owes more in feel and attitude to Arthur Rackham's haunting, Earthy vision of Alice. Also, I just noticed this, but look how chubby cartoon Alice's calves are compared to her arms.

Also glad that Wasikowska-Alice isn't a super-blonde blonde.

2. The Mad Hatter

Johnny Depp was all but born to play this role. Or rather, it's a role he's been playing for film after film after film now. Looks like he's a redhead in Tim Burton's flick. He's also way more psychedelic and frightening than either Sir John Tenniel's imagining of the Mad Hatter or Disney's portly, nebbishy Mad Hatter (who by comparison looks like he is on his way to a congressional hearing instead of a tea party). The pink sash around the hat and pink shirt peeping out from behind the wacky cravat are a nice touch. Why does pink on guys always connote crazy? I expect we'll be seeing a lot of this on Halloween and at cosplay conventions.

3. Tweedledee & Tweedledum

Maybe it's the black and white prison stripe shirts, but Burton must have been channeling the Addams Family when he did his version of Dee and Dum. Matt Lucas plays both of them. They look menacing and slightly Mongoloid in this illustration--you wouldn't want to be running into this pair on the playground anytime soon. Disney's cartoon twins in their bright, primary color jumpers look like effete clowns by comparison. Tenniel's twins look like thugs.

4. The Red Queen

Loving the heart-shaped geisha style lipstick on Helena Bonham Carter's pasty white face. The candy apple red hair--also a nice touch. The crisp white collar winging up from the bodice of her blue velvet gown is a nifty homage to cartoon Disney Red Queen. I like that she's not decked out in head-to-toe red and that her gown isn't a giant heart card. And that she's not mannish and butch like both cartoon Disney and Tenniel's Red Queen. Women in power--especially the violent, vicious ones--are sexy these days.

5. The White Queen

There was no White Queen in Disney's animated version of Alice In Wonderland. The White Queen is a character who appeared in Lewis Carroll's sequel Though the Looking-Glass. Anne Hathaway plays her in Burton's film. She looks amazing and sort of like what every girl wishes she looked like at prom, or at her wedding. And wow, that blood red lipstick against all the white! Will her gown have those puffy white Michelin Man rings around the skirt? One can only hope.

6. Wonderland

The concept art for the world of Wonderland is just spectacular. It owes a lot to Mark Ryden. It's his jewel-toned, cool pastel, chiaroscuro color palette to a tee. Innocent with a hint of darkness, and a soupcon of psycho.

Tim Burton's twisted 3D adaptation of Alice in Wonderland.

See the original image at vanityfair.com — Johnny Depp Owns a 45-Acre Private Island and You Don't

by Vanity Fair

The notoriously private actor invited Vanity Fair along on a sailing trip to his Caribbean isle. “You’ve got all-access,” Johnny Depp declared, “Ask me about anything you want.” Photograph by François-Marie Banier.

Ever wonder what it would be like to take a vacation with Johnny Depp on his private Caribbean island? Vanity Fair contributing editor Douglas Brinkley, who, like Depp, was a close friend of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, did just that. As he reports in the July cover story, “Johnny Depp’s Great Escape,” it’s pretty damn great.

See all of Johnny Depp’s appearances in Vanity Fair, from 1995 to today.

With no handlers or publicists in sight, Brinkley, Depp, and three of the actor’s best friends set off from the Bahamas on Depp’s yacht to a 45-acre tropical paradise called Little Hall’s Pond Cay. Here are some choice nuggets from Brinkley’s travelogue:

About the yacht

• Depp’s yacht is a 156-foot, steam-powered boat called Vajoliroja, an amalgam of the names of his partner (singer/actress Vanessa Paradis), himself, and their children, Lily Rose and Jack. There are pirate-themed touches throughout, and the ship flies the Jolly Roger alongside its official Marshall Islands flag.

Photography by François-Marie Banier.

About the island

• Depp named one of the six beaches on his island Gonzo, for Hunter S. Thompson (others are named Paradis, Lily Rose, Jack, and Brando, after his partner, kids, and other great mentor). Gonzo Beach features glass tables with Thompson’s face etched in the center.

• Depp says, “I don’t think I’d ever seen any place so pure and beautiful. You can feel your pulse rate drop about 20 beats. It’s instant freedom.”

What they did for fun

• Snorkeled with barracudas, neon-colored fish, and nurse sharks in what Depp has named Heath’s place (after Heath Ledger)

• Watched lots of YouTube videos and Hollywood movies old and new, including Tropic Thunder. (“That’s the best I’ve ever seen Cruise,” Depp says of his fellow actor’s portrayal of a foul-mouthed studio boss.)

How Depp relaxes

• Depp’s hobbies include reading, playing guitar, and painting. “What I love to do is paint people’s faces, y’know, their eyes,” he says. “Because you want to find that emotion, see what’s going on behind their eyes.”

Depp also talks to Brinkley about the experience of filming his new movie, Public Enemies; his favorite Hollywood icon (and what she ordered when he had dinner with her); his approach to acting and the toll it can take on him; and which famous fictional character he’d like to play.

To read the complete article, pick up the July issue of Vanity Fair, which is on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on June 3, nationwide on June 9.

Public Enemies Tralier

The official trailer for Universal Pictures' Public Enemies courtesy of Apple.

In the action-thriller Public Enemies, acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the incredible and true story of legendary Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger (Depp)the charismatic bank robber whose lightning raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoovers fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale), and a folk hero.... to much of the downtrodden public. No one could stop Dillinger. No jail could hold him. His charm and audacious jailbreaks endeared him to almost everyonefrom his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks that had plunged the country into the Depression.

But while the adventures of Dillinger's ganglater including the sociopathic Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham)thrilled many, Hoover (Billy Crudup) hit on the idea of exploiting the outlaw's capture as a way to elevate his Bureau of Investigation into the national police force that became the FBI. He made Dillinger America's first Public Enemy Number One. Hoover sent in Purvis, the dashing "Clark Gable of the FBI". However, Dillinger and his gang outwitted and outgunned Purvis' men in wild chases and shootouts. Only after importing a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly baptized as agents) who were real gunfighters and orchestrating epic betrayals from the infamous "Lady in Red" to the Chicago crime boss Frank Nittiwere Purvis and the FBI able to close in on Dillinger.

First Look at Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter?

Source:Johnny-Depp.org

Here is your first glimpse at what appears to be Johnny Depp as he'll look in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Depp is playing the Mad Hatter and he'll appear alongside co-stars Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen, Mia Wasikowska, Matt Lucas, Crispin Glover, Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman.

Burton's latest is written by Linda Woolverton and based on the Lewis Carroll classic "Alice in Wonderland." The film will combine performance-capture imagery, currently seen in Beowulf, with live-action footage. Look for it in theaters on March 5, 2010.