There's a DARK SHADOW over Johnny Depp. Is it Tim Burton?

by Matt Holmes

Well I more than vaguely hinted at it in my original July 27th 2007 post about the story of Johnny Depp's long time ambition to bring the forgotten 60's horror t.v. show Dark Shadows to the big screen over at Warner Bros which I said could end up in the hands of Tim Burton. It almost seemed inevitable didn't it? Burton and Depp have worked together for three of the director's films straight now, six times in total and the subject matter sounded so much up Burton's alley that there was only ever going to be on man to direct this.

IESB carry the scoop that the Burton-meister is attached to the film...
While interviewing GET SMART director Peter Segal this past weekend in Beverly Hills, he spoke briefly about writer John August. Segal says August, who is writing BILLY BATSON AND THE LEGEND OF SHAZAM for Segal over at WB, is jumping back and forth between Tim Burton's DARK SHADOWS and his SHAZAM script trying to work on both films at the same time due to a back log of work after the writers' strike earlier this year. So, while we can't confirm the rumors of Depp starring as Barnabus Collins in DARK SHADOWS, the IESB has confirmed that TIM BURTON is attached to direct and JOHN AUGUST has been brought in to write the adaptation for the film.
John August has worked with Burton before on the scripts for Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride. Dark Shadows was a highly atmospheric, spooky soap that featured gothic horror staples like vampires, monsters, witches, werewolves, ghosts and zombies... and probably shares most in common with the tone of Sleepy Hollow - a geeky cool movie that is one of my favourite Burton pictures. Depp is currently shooting Public Enemies as notorious gangster John Dillinger and is expected to film Shantaram (which was strike delayed) sometime this year. For Burton... we know he is working on a motion captured Alice in Wonderland but may play more of a role behind-the-scenes ala Corpse Bride and film a live-action movie alongside it.
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Matt Holmes is the co-founder of What Culture, formerly known as Obsessed With Film. He has been blogging about pop culture and entertainment since 2006 and has written over 10,000 articles.