Edward Scissorhands ballet tour info and Believe it or Not update

Two small news items today. For those of you that don't already know, Matthew Bourne's stage production of Edward Scissorhands is currently on tour in America. More information on the dates and locations can be found here.
Also, Variety reports that Steve Oederkerk (Kung Pow) is working on the script for Believe It or Not, with Burton and Jim Carrey still attached. So we may yet see this delayed biopic of Robert Ripley after Burton is finished with Sweeney Todd.

Sweeney Todd updates

Technical problems have prevented any news being posted in a while, so here is a quick update on the latest Burton news. Alan Rickman has been cast as Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd. There are also rumours that Anthony Stewart Head (Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer) will play a role in the film.
In other news, The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D is now on release in the UK and Empire Magazine has an interview with Burton on their site.

Borat and Sweeney Todd. Very nice! High five!

We reported a while back on the rumour about Sacha Baron Cohen playing a role in Sweeney Todd. Well the English comedian, whose film Borat is currently busting blocks around the world, has been officially confirmed as playing Pirelli by Variety.

Most of you have probably heard this sad news already, but another Burton collaborator, Jack Palance, has recently passed away. Palance had a long career in Hollywood, appearing in, of course, Batman and many other classic movies.

Nightmare Before Christmas 3D leaves screens

Now that Halloween is over, Nightmare 3D has stopped playing just about everywhere. For those of you who weren't lucky enough to see it this time, Disney has promised they intend to bring it back for future Halloweens, hopefully on more screens. And if you're interested in box office figures, Nightmare 3D earned over $6 million in less than two weeks of release, pushing the film's lifetime box office to over $56 million, meaning it's passed the box office totals of both Corpse Bride and Edward Scissorhands.

Bones video premieres!

For those of you who missed it on MTV yesterday, you can watch Burton's video for "Bones" by The Killers on the MTV website. As you'd expect, it features people stripping down to their skeletons and getting involved in all kinds of shenanigans. There's also a making of video on the site.

Burton interviews galore!

Lots of Burton interviews for you today. For those who missed his appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, you can watch the whole interview on youtube. Harry Knowles over at Aint It Cool News also has an interview with Burton about a variety of topics. If that's not enough for you, there's an also an interview with Tim on the USA Today website.
And for those of you in the USA who have cable, don't forget that Corpse Bride has its TV premiere tonight at 8pm on ABC Family.

Sweeney casting news and Nightmare premiere multimedia

This news will be no suprise to anyone, but Helena Bonham Carter has been cast in Sweeney Todd. She will play the role of Mrs. Lovett.
There are also some pictures and video clips of the Nightmare Before Christmas 3D premiere that took place on Monday night, courtesy of Independent Entertainment News!

Report on Nightmare Before Xmas 3D premiere!

Our West Coast representative was lucky enough to be at the premiere of The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D in Hollywood last night, and here's his report:

"As you would expect the premiere was a fairly dull affair, who needs to brush shoulders, well 6' away, with John Lasseter, James Cameron, Danny Elfman and Tim Burton and walk down the red, ok black, carpet!
There were quite a few people in suits there but some people made the effort and dressed up as scary characters, one even came as Marilyn Manson, oh no that was Marilyn Manson! Burton went over to the crowd outside and signed autographs.
The movie had impressive 3D and the audience were really into it, cheering especially loud when Elfman's and Burton's name came on screen. Elfman and some of the others were hanging out in the foyer after to speak with fans. All in all it was a fantastic experience and I urge everyone to see the 3D version of the film if they can."

Thanks to Allan for the report and don't forget you can learn more about the 3D version of the film on our NMBC page. It's interesting that John Lasseter was at the premiere, since there are rumours that Burton may make a film with Pixar sometime in the future.

In other Nightmare news, Toon Zone has an interesting interview with Disney producer Don Hahn about the process of making the film 3D.

Borat and Burton to team up?

The latest, most exciting news about Sweeney Todd is that Sacha Baron Cohen (aka Borat, Bruno and Ali G) is reportedly in talks to appear as Todd's rival barber, Signor Adolfo. You can read more about the story here. Let's hope the rumours are true!

Nightmare songs and 3D premiere news!

With just over a week to go until the release of the 3D version of The Nightmare Before Christmas, there's lots of exciting news coming out. You can listen to several of Elfman's songs covered by artists such as Fiona Apple and Marilyn Manson on the myspace page for the film. There will also be a star-studded premiere for the film in Hollywood on October 16.

Burton nominated for award at Movies.com

Tim Burton has been nominated for best director in the 1st Annual movies.com Reader's Poll, alongside Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino and George Lucas. Burton is in fourth place at the moment, so if you want to show your support click here to vote.
In other news, there are reports that Sweeney Todd will begin filming at Pinewood Studios in England from the 5th February next year. Also Burton will be attending the 50th London Film Fesival, starting 18th October.

Marilyn Manson and other artists to cover Nightmare

The latest news about the upcoming rerelease of The Nightmare Before Christmas is that there will also be a new double CD soundtrack in stores. One disc will features Elfman's original music while the other will have covers of the songs by artists (and Nightmare fans) such as Marilyn Manson, Fiona Apple and Panic! at the Disco. This sounds like it could be either genius or completely awful. The CD will be released October 24 and you can read more about it here.

Jim Broadbent to join cast of Sweeney Todd?

The latest rumour about Sweeney Todd is that Oscar-winning actor Jim Broadbent, who was to star in the new movie version of Hairspray, will now appear in Burton's musical instead. Curiously, Broadbent will be replaced in Hairspray by Burton regular Christopher Walken. Read more about this story here.

Happy birthday, Tim!

Just to remind everyone that Tim Burton turns 48 today! Post your birthday wishes here, and your plans for the day (movie marathons, etc.)

Depp is Sweeney Todd

This is just an update on our last story for those who haven't heard already - Johnny Depp has been officially confirmed as playing the lead in Sweeney Todd. So post your thoughts on Burton and Depp collaborating yet again.

Depp to take singing lessons for Sweeney Todd?

The latest news about Sweeney Todd is that Johnny Depp, still the favourite for the lead role, will reportedly have to take a singing test in order to get the approval from composer Stephen Sondheim. If Depp wins the role, it'll be his sixth collaboration with Burton. You can read more on this story here.

Nightmare Before Christmas 3D poster!

With only three months to go before the release, the poster for the 3D version of The Nightmare Before Christmas has been unveiled! Thanks to Aint It Cool News for the scoop.

Burton to direct Killers video and Grim Fandango?

Burton will reportedly direct the video for The Killer's song "Read My Mind", which may excite some people. Anyone else remember the last time Burton was rumored to direct a music video (Madonna's "Bad Girl") but it fell though?
And in the crazy, unverified rumors department, Playfuls.com has the story that Burton will direct the feature film of the video game Grim Fandango after he completes Sweeney Todd. Sounds highly unlikely, but then so did the early rumors of him directing Sweeney.
Finally, some news we can confirm is that Burton will be at the 9th International Short Film Festival Expresion en Corto, in the cities of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, Mexico from the 22th to the 29th of July, where his films will be honored and he will be part of a conference about "Breaking out" in cinema. Thanks to Pablo Daniel González Cortés for letting us know about this.

Believe It or Not postponed?

According to Slate.com, Burton's film, starring Jim Carrey as Robert Ripley, has been postponed due to script problems and the escalating budget. This is disappointing if it's true, but the same story says that Burton has been switched to directing the often-rumoured Sweeney Todd instead. So either way it seems like we'll have at least one Burton film to look forward to in the near future.

Burton in Cannes and Mike Johnson interview

A couple of small but interesting stories today. First of all, Burton has been selected as one of the Cinéfondation jury members at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The jury will, among other things, hand out the Palme d'or for Best Short Film during the Closing Ceremony.

Also, Animated News has a link to an interview with Mike Johnson where he talks about his experiences of directing Corpse Bride with Burton.

3D Nightmare!

Exciting news today that Disney are planning another re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas this Halloween, and this time you'll be able to see Jack and co. in 3D. Full details here.

Gong Li cast in Believe It or Not

Finally some news on Burton's latest film. It's just been reported in the Chinese press that actress Gong Li, star of the upcoming Miami Vice movie, has been cast in Believe It or Not, beating out another contender, Zhang Ziyi. It hasn't been officially confirmed yet, but you can read more about the news here.

Excerpt from new edition of Burton on Burton

Real news this time, honest! Guardian Unlimited has Johnny Depp's new foreward from the book for you to read, where he discusses working with Tim on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, their shared fatherhood and more. Don't forget the new edition of Burton on Burton is available from Amazon UK.

Michael Keaton signs up for back to back sequels with Burton!

From The Milton Keynes Gazette comes the exciting news that Keaton will reteam with Burton for not one, but two long-awaited sequels. First up will be Beetlejuice II: Gothic Boogaloo, which finds the bio-exorcist trapped in the world of the living and performing his own one-man show in Vegas. Once that wraps, the dynamic duo will then move on to Batman Ends, which will chronicle the final adventures of the Dark Knight. Said a spokesman for Warner Bros. "This will serve as sequel not only to Batman Returns but also the new Christian Bale franchise. We figure Batman is popular enough that we can make people pay to watch two different Batmans. There is also the possibility that young Bruce Wayne will travel into the future and be forced into a fight to the death with his older self which causes a rip in the space time continuum that can only be fixed by Superman flying around the Earth really fast."
More news as we get it.

New article about Tim in Filmink magazine

The lastest issue of the Australian magazine Filmink has an article about Burton. Click on the following links to read part one and part two of the article. You can find out more about the magazine (which is available in Australia and New Zealand, and can be ordered online) on their website.

Corpse Bride wins prize!

Making up slightly for its recent loss at the Oscars, Corpse Bride just won the best feature film award at this year's British Animation Awards. You can read more about its win here!

A couple more Burton interviews - no Beetlejuice 2

Interviews with Tim seem to be cropping up all over the place as the Oscars near, and here are two more for you to enjoy.

First up is a text interview at TheJacksonChannel.com, where Burton discusses Corpse Bride and it's Oscar nomination.

There's also a video interview with Tim at The Movie Reporter. He denies the rumors of a Beetlejuice sequel (sorry, Mike) and says he is still attached to direct Believe It or Not, but the star of the film has yet to be confirmed.

Another Burton interview!

The LA Times has posted an amusing interview with Tim where he discusses his thoughts on Corpse Bride being nominated for the Best Animated Feature award at this year's Oscar.

Also, remember there are only around 10 days left to enter our banner/forum logo competition to win a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory poster! And maybe some other mystery prizes!

Corpse Bride signings! And Burton interview!

We've just heard the exciting news from Warner Bros. that Tim Burton will be signing Corpse Bride DVDs in New York on Saturday, February 11 and in Los Angeles on Tuesday, February 14. Here are the details:

New York:

Tim Burton in-store signing for CORPSE BRIDE

Virgin Megastore

Union Square (52 E. 14th Street @ 4th Avenue)

Saturday - February 11, 2006
1:00p.m.


Los Angeles:

Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman in-store signing for CORPSE BRIDE
Best Buy 1015 La Brea Avenue, Hollywood

Tuesday, February 14, 2006
8:30 pm

More information about the New York signing.
More information about the Los Angeles signing.

This is very cool news for anyone lucky enough to live in or close to those cities!

In other news, Aint it Cool News has posted an interesting interview with Tim, where he discusses various topics, including his involvement with Believe It or Not and the Sweeney Todd musical.

Update on revised edition of Burton on Burton

For those of you who don't already know, the revised edition of Burton on Burton (with new chapters on more recent Burton films such as Big Fish and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) will be released in the UK on the March 2nd and can be preordered from Amazon UK. Hopefully release dates for the US and the rest of the world will be announced soon, too.

Corpse Bride DVD release and new contest!

As I'm sure most of you are aware, the Region 1 Corpse Bride DVD is released on Tuesday! However, any obsessed collectors might want to wait for the Region 2 Collectors Edition, which will include a book and postcards!

In other news, and this has already been announced on the forums, but for anyone who missed it, we're running a new contest! Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to design either:

A banner to promote the Collective (you can be as creative as you want with this, just think of anything that would attract visitors to the Collective)
OR
A new logo to go in the top left corner of the forum
The logo should be around 230 x 166 pixels and fit the existing themes of the forum.

If you're feeling extra creative, you could even design both a banner and a forum logo (but only one submission of each per person, please).

As for the prize, well the best design chosen by a team of judges will win the following super fullsize poster!


And possibly some other Burton-related prizes if we can find them!

Your designs should be in jpeg format (unless you create an animated banner) and emailed to: this address.
Please include your approximate location in the email, as well as the name you wish to be credited under if your designs are chosen. The contest will run until February 24th, so that should be plenty of time for all the budding artists out there to think of some ideas.

Even if you already have the poster, it's still worth entering as it'll be your chance to put your mark on the Collective. There's no guarantee we'll use the best logo and/or banner, of course, but if we do, the winner will be credited.
Good luck!

Rumour about Burton directing 'Sweeney Todd' with Johnny Depp

A couple of days ago Moviemusicals.net website offered a scoop about a new Burton movie. This movie project has not been officially confirmed, so it might be completely false information. Look forward to more news about this in the next few weeks, we should soon know whether this is valid or not.

Here is the original news story from Moviemusicals net:



January 7, 2006
Exclusive: Tim Burton & Johnny Depp Team For 'Sweeney Todd'
By Andrew Hartman, MovieMusicals.net
Status: Rumor From Valid Sources
According to anonymous sources, director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp, who together have worked on five major motion pictures including 'Edward Scissorhands' and more recently 'Charlie & the Chocolate Factory,' will team once more for the upcoming movie musical adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's 'Sweeney Todd.'

Depp will portray title character Sweeney Todd - the demon barber or Fleet Street - who slits the throats of his innocent (and not-so-innocent) customers.

As of last year, Sam Mendes ('Road to Perdition,' 'Jarhead') was rumored to be the frontrunner to direct, however he left the project shortly after 'Jarhead' opened in theatres.

It is unknown if Burton will opt to use the existing John Logan screenplay adaptation, or start from scratch. Therefore, a release date cannot be predicted at this time.

'Sweeney Todd' first opened on Broadway in 1979 which starred Len Cariou, Angela Lansbury, Victor Garber, and Ken Jennings. The show is currently on Broadway in its second revival, starring Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris. The show features a score by legendary composer Stephen Sondheim who in his career has earned eight Tony awards, including Best Score for 'Sweeney Todd.'

An official announcement is expected in the coming weeks.





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