Tim Burtons next film project now seems to be moving on apace. With the cat calls surrounding the supremely disappointing Alice in Wonderland still ringing in his ears, Burton desperately needs to recapture the magic of his timeless earlier works like Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice to keep our interest, not having neared this artistic standard in over a decade. But now, with
Johnny Depp in tow- another who is perhaps dwelling too long on former glories and vast pay cheques- the names are lining up for what is being billed by many as an unofficial comeback, the latest being
the surprise announcement of hotly tipped young actor,
Thomas McDonnell. McDowells few notable credits in the past include US television series Law and Order and the yet to be released comedy drama Prom (Joe Nussbaum) and he will play a younger version of Johnny Depps character Barnabas Collins, a vampire who came into the original gothic TV Soap in its second series, and is widely credited with its popularisation. The rights to the series are currently owned by Warner Bros having been purchased from- the now late- original creator Dan Curtis in 2007. A long list of producers and associate producers have so far been disclosed for the project including Depp himself and his Infinitum Nihil company, in addition to names such as Graham King, Richard Zanuck, Christi Dembrowski and David Kennedy all of whom will strive for Burton to achieve his vision for the cult series which originally ran between 1966 and 1971. The script is from in-vogue novelist Seth Grahame-Greene, most notable for his mash-up novel Pride Prejudice and Zombies- currently the subject of its own adaptation. Other actors that have already signed on include
an impressive cast that includes
Eva Green (as a witch who is obsessed about Collins),
Michelle Pfeiffer (the matriarch of the estate in Collins absence),
Bella Heathcoate (as the governess of the estate),
Jackie Earle Haley (as a con artist) and
Helena Bonham Carter (as a specialist in psychology and rare blood disorders) - with
Michael Sheen entering talks on Friday. Dark Shadows will be released next year.