Variety reports that Rob Ashford has been tapped by Disney Theatrical Prods. to direct and choreograph the stage musical version of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.
A timeline has not be set for the production, but there is talk of the musical having its premiere in London, before it eventually appears on Broadway.
Also on board for the project are Linda Woolverton, who wrote the screenplay for the film and will be writing the book, and Richard D. Zanuck, one of the producers of the film and an exec producer of the legit tuner.
Showing posts with label linda woolverton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label linda woolverton. Show all posts
Friday, March 16, 2012
Saturday, June 04, 2011
No "Maleficent" for Burton
Back in January 2010, there was talk of the very busy Tim Burton being attached to direct a movie on the Sleeping Beauty villain Maleficent with Disney. But the Hollywood Reporter provides an update on the project, saying that Burton is no longer attached to direct Maleficent.
Disney has not put the project down yet, however. There is talk of the Harry Potter director David Yates being up for consideration to helm the movie. There is also speculation that Darren Aronofsky, director of such films as The Wrestler and Black Swan, might be attached to the film.
MTV News spoke with Angelina Jolie, who is still being considered to play the leading role of Maleficent, to get an update from her. Jolie said that she was not aware of Aronofsky being attached, but she has read the script (penned by Alice in Wonderland scribe Linda Woolverton) and enjoyed it.
On Maleficent, Jolie said, "I would love to [do it]. It's all new and being discussed, but I loved [Maleficent] when I was a little girl, she was my favorite."
Disney has not put the project down yet, however. There is talk of the Harry Potter director David Yates being up for consideration to helm the movie. There is also speculation that Darren Aronofsky, director of such films as The Wrestler and Black Swan, might be attached to the film.
MTV News spoke with Angelina Jolie, who is still being considered to play the leading role of Maleficent, to get an update from her. Jolie said that she was not aware of Aronofsky being attached, but she has read the script (penned by Alice in Wonderland scribe Linda Woolverton) and enjoyed it.
On Maleficent, Jolie said, "I would love to [do it]. It's all new and being discussed, but I loved [Maleficent] when I was a little girl, she was my favorite."
Tags:
Movie Trailers, Movies Blog
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
"Alice" on Broadway?
While rumors have been floating around regarding this matter for a little while, Playbill.com has learned that Disney is indeed considering adapting Tim Burton's recent version of Alice in Wonderland into a stage musical for Broadway.
Playbill.com writes that "Disney Theatrical Productions executives have met with key members of the film, including director Tim Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton, to develop the property as a stage musical."
Burton would oversee the project, but not direct. Woolverton would adapt her screenplay to the stage. Robert Jess Roth is set to helm the stage musical, with choreography by Matt West. The duo also collaborated on Disney's first Broadway outing, Beauty and the Beast.
No composer or songwriting team has been mentioned yet, and there is no current timeline for a Broadway arrival. Burton has also not made a comment yet.
This project is stil very much in its most embryonic form of development. It has happened before: several years ago, there was talk of adapting Burton's Batman film to a Broadway musical, with songs by Meatloaf. The project never came to fruition.
Playbill.com writes that "Disney Theatrical Productions executives have met with key members of the film, including director Tim Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton, to develop the property as a stage musical."
Burton would oversee the project, but not direct. Woolverton would adapt her screenplay to the stage. Robert Jess Roth is set to helm the stage musical, with choreography by Matt West. The duo also collaborated on Disney's first Broadway outing, Beauty and the Beast.
No composer or songwriting team has been mentioned yet, and there is no current timeline for a Broadway arrival. Burton has also not made a comment yet.
This project is stil very much in its most embryonic form of development. It has happened before: several years ago, there was talk of adapting Burton's Batman film to a Broadway musical, with songs by Meatloaf. The project never came to fruition.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Interview with "Alice" Producers Jennifer and Suzanne Todd
DisneyDreaming.com has a thorough interview with two of the producers of Alice in Wonderland: Jennifer Todd and Suzanne Todd. The sisters answered fans' questions, and explain what their roles as producers entailed, what it was like for a producer to be on set and work with actors like Mia Wasikowska and Johnny Depp, the upcoming DVD and Blu-ray release of Alice, what it's like being a female producer in a mostly male-dominated industry, and much more. (The interview is in two parts at DisneyDreaming.com: Part One and Part Two):
Q: Suzanne, Are you planning to bring another other classical novel to the cinema in the near future?
A: Suzanne Todd – We do have a number of projects currently in development that are based on literary works – we are big fans of classic literature and have always been avid readers.
Q: Suzanne, Can you tell us about how you entered the project with Tim Burton?
A: Suzanne Todd – We had developed the project with the writer, Linda Woolverton, and had sent it to Tim to consider after the script had been written. Tim was a first choice, a dream choice, and we were thrilled when he decided to sign on for the project.
Q: Suzanne, I would like to know if the character that emerges from the film, that is an Alice/Jeanne d’Arc was the intention of the director or developed along the way…?
A: Suzanne Todd – Many people responded to the Joan of Arc style costume and liked the comparison.
Q: Jennifer, I would like to know if the character that emerges from the film, that is an Alice/Jeanne d’Arc was in the intentions of the director or developed along the way…
A: Jennifer Todd – Only in homage to her armor, not from a character point of view.
Q: Jennifer, Having both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp (along with other talented cast and crew members) involved in the film, you literally struck gold. How was the experience working for both of you working with Burton and Depp?
A: Jennifer Todd – It was amazing – they are both ridiculously talented and watching their creativity – and their friendship- was very special.
Q: Jennifer, what would you say was the biggest challenge in producing this movie?
A: Jennifer Todd – The special effects were incredibly difficult. Combining Motion Capture, CG characters, animation, and 3D made this the most challenging film we’ve done.
Q: Suzanne, How did you manage the green screen-scenes? Did you give the actors something by the hand that they can act to something?
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes! We had green everything! Green props, tables, walls, teacups, platforms – so much green everywhere all over everything!
Q: Jennifer. .. Please talk about the decision to make the film in 3D and also your thoughts on the post-production conversion process versus shooting in 3D, from both a budgetary standpoint and an end-user standpoint.
A: Jennifer Todd – We chose not to shoot in 3D because of the difficulty of all the special effects we were doing. It was also more cost-effective for us to convert later.
Q: Suzanne, By any chance, did the both of you have to immerse yourself in the Lewis Carroll classic prior to working on the film?
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes, we all re-read the novels and we also reviewed all the many ways that works of Carroll have been seen in other movies, art, music videos and all forms of pop culture.
Q: Jennifer, How was the experience of working with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp?
A: Jennifer Todd – It was incredible. Their friendship is so unique and special and I think really adds so much to the creative process.
Q: Suzanne, How was it to work with Tim Burton? Did you ever have to force one point that differed from Burton’s vision?
A: Suzanne Todd – Working with Tim was literally a dream come true! He is truly a visionary, artist and genius! Plus, a really nice and funny guy.
Q: Jennifer, Team Todd has produced a good number of box office hits. But with “Alice in Wonderland”, it’s your first film that utilized special effects in such a grand scale, what was the most challenging part for each of you in producing the film?
A: Jennifer Todd – Definitely the special effects. We have worked with effects before but never at a scale like this. The combination of CG, animation, and motion capture – along with Alice’s character shrinking and growing made the filming very difficult and intense.
Q: Jennifer, How do you manage to work with relatives, sisters, in particular? Is it fun? Is it hard to separate family and the job?
A: Jennifer Todd – It’s a real gift to work with my sister. We obviously have such a shorthand communicating with each other, that it makes the process easier. And from growing up together and watching so many films together, we ended up with pretty similar taste.
Q: Suzanne… Please talk about the decision to make the film in 3D and also your thoughts on the post-production conversion process versus shooting in 3D, from both a budgetary standpoint and an end-user standpoint.
A: Suzanne Todd – Tim had the genius idea to make the movie in 3D and it’s been interesting to see how 3D has become so incredibly popular in the years it took us to make this movie. We did not have the time or money to actually shoot in 3D, but our film was planned for 3D release so there were lots of things built in along the way to make that movie going experience satisfying. From an end user standpoint, I think the planned shots in 3D movies like Avatar and ours will continue to be better received than 2D films that make a last minute decision to convert.
Q: Jennifer, Everybody knows what Burton can add to Alice’s history. But, what did Alice add to Burton’s filmography that we didn’t find before?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think Alice added a real female empowerment film to his filmography. I can’t think of another film he’s done with this great of a female hero, and with the theme of the film so strong. And Alice gave him his biggest hit ever!
Q: Suzanne, Why did Tim Burton adapt both Alice-stories, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Through the Looking-Glass’?
A: Suzanne Todd – The writer, Linda Woolverton, had decided to use material from both books when she first came up with the pitch. The Carroll novels did not put forth a simple movie adaption and she found material in both books that would be helpful in crafting a linear three-act structure for the movie.
Q: Jennifer, At which point of the creation-process did you make the decision that the whole movie is going to be cgi-driven such as it is right now?
A: Jennifer Todd – Very early on. I believe it was in our first meeting with Tim, he talked about creating a world from scratch using today’s technology.
Q: Suzanne, What do you think Lewis Carroll would think if he saw the movie?
A: Suzanne Todd – I hope he would be entertained! He seems to have been an out-of-the-box thinker and this version pushes the Alice mythology to a new level of both technology and storytelling. In my fantasy mind, he would leap from his chair and Futterwacken!
Q: Jennifer, What do you think Lewis Carroll would think if he saw the movie?
A: Jennifer Todd – I would hope he would appreciate our interpretation of his work – and I would think the effects would be amazing for him to see! There has been so much art inspired by his work I think he would be touched by the world’s affection for his stories.
Q: Jennifer, What do you think this version of Alice in Wonderland bring new as compared to other productions?
A: Jennifer Todd – Obviously this version takes advantage of the most cutting edge technology that none of the other versions were privy to. Tim was able to create a world like none other. We also took creative license with the characters, making Alice older, and incorporating elements from both books.
Q: Suzanne – Do you see any reflection in your own sister-sister relationship and the one between the White and Red Queens?
A: Suzanne Todd – Absolutely! Anyone that has a sister knows the agony and ecstasy of that relationship. Anne had really looked to get in touch with the family roots of her character – and the darkness and light that both sisters share – as a means of portraying her character with depth and realism.
Q: Jennifer, same question, Do you see any reflection in your own sister-sister relationship and the one between the White and Red Queens?
A: Jennifer Todd – Jokingly yes. But thankfully no, I didn’t other than that I understand how beautiful and complicated the relationship of sisters can be.
Q: Suzanne, What is your favourite character in the movie? which was more fun to draw out?
A: Suzanne Todd – I love so many of the characters! I feel like a mother in the way you have love for all your children. But if I have to pick one, it would be Alice – for her strength and curiosity and bravery and compassion. The idea that a movie with a female teenage lead character could be this successful at the world wide box office is a testament to Alice and her muchness.
Q: Jennifer, Why write a different story of Alice?
A: Jennifer Todd – We wrote a different story to modernize it and to make it more universal. What’s wonderful about the book is that it magically wanders, and that’s what makes it hard as a film. It was also necessary to make her older, so she would have graver complications in her life.
Q: Jennifer, How do you choose your movie projects, do you prefer a movie because of the script, the actors, or the director?
A: Jennifer Todd – We get involved so early that it is usually the idea and the material that gets us excited. On Alice, Linda brought us a pitch that we thought was a very exciting way in which to tell the story. Then after we all worked on the script it was incredibly exciting to get Tim and Johnny involved.
Q: Suzanne, What is the international expectation that you have for this DVD and Blu Ray launch?
A: Suzanne Todd – We expect that the public will continue to respond to the film in the way we have seen thus far – with enthusiastic response! Anyone that has seen and enjoyed the film will be further entranced at a look behind the scenes into the magic of Tim Burton’s Alice and the quality
on Blu-ray. The shorter home entertainment release window should also ensure a healthy public appetite – we will see!
Q: Jennifer, In the past you produced ‘Austin Powers’, ‘Across The Universe’ and now ‘Alice In Wonderland’. Did you yourself push the colorful look of these films?
A: Jennifer Todd – Not really, the directors are most responsible for the color of the films. I will say we are drawn to creating material that allows directors to create worlds, or push the palate of reality.
Q: Jennifer, what is it like to work with your sister?
A: Jennifer Todd – It’s great. We have been so lucky and I think it’s partly because we truly support each other. It’s very hard to get movies made, so it’s nice knowing we are each here for the other.
Q: Suzanne, If we look to use High Definition, does it mean the production has to be changed as every detail is now visible?
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes, as the technology advances there is more attention paid during the filmmaking process and the high-level of detail that becomes available to the viewing audience. Even something like the texture of the white pancaked skin of the Red Queen becomes subject for discussion, because you can see everything in so much greater detail now.
Q: Jennifer, What is your favourite character in the movie? which was more fun to draw out?
A: Jennifer Todd – I really love the Red Queen – I love the reason she’s so mean is that she’s just a scorned woman. She says “is it better to be feared than loved” and even though she is so awful you understand that it’s because she feels unloved.
Q: Suzanne, What other projects do you have coming up?
A: Suzanne Todd – Our next release is a very small film entitled, “The Romantics” starring Katie Holmes, Josh Duhamel, and Anna Pacquin. It will come out in Fall of 2010 and is the charming story of a group of close friends, ten years after their college graduation.
Q: Suzanne, What kinds of discussions have you had about a sequel at this time, seeing how successful this film was?
A: Suzanne Todd – When a movie is this successful, there is always talk of a sequel! If Tim and Johnny both want to venture down the rabbit hole again – I’m sure it will happen. We have had some preliminary story conversations – but I’m not sure anyone realizes just how hard Tim worked on this film.
Q: Suzanne, How long did the process of the postproduction last?
A: Suzanne Todd – We finished shooting the movie at the end of 2008, with our scheduled release date of March 2010 but it was a scramble to get it done in that time frame. That was a long post for a regular film but a tight post for a film with this many complicated effects.
Q: Suzanne, You knew John Foreman, what did you learned from this great producer?
A: Suzanne Todd – I learned a lot about what a producer does from John Foreman and that “the idea” is key when taking on a movie project. He was someone that loved the process and loved watching movies as much as making them.
Q: Jennifer, “Alice” is a much bigger feature than all the other both of you have been into. What changed in the way you work to accomplish this one?
A: Jennifer Todd – Alice took over two years to make and took a great deal of planning, obviously much more than usual. We spent so much more time prepping the film, and that was unique for us.
Q: Suzanne, Where there any accidents because the actors had to walk on stilts?
A: Suzanne Todd – The actors actually became very proficient on the stilts – almost to the point where they hardly noticed they were wearing them. I became very used to thinking of Crispin as really, really tall.
Q: Suzanne, Are you fans of the original Lewis Carroll books? Have you read them to your children?
A: Suzanne Todd – Recently I had the pleasure of going through the very fun Alice for the iPad short version of the book. It’s interactive and imaginative and entertaining and made me think how different the entire experience of even reading is for children today.
Q: Jennifer, How would you say this movie has influenced you two, as producers and sisters?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think we are both so proud that we got to make a “female empowerment” movie on a scale like this. The movie has so many wonderful themes but Alice’s strength is so wonderful to put out in the world to young girls.
Q: Suzanne, What do you think of Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter? Could you imagine him in another role?
A: Suzanne Todd – Johnny was incredible and brought so much to the role, long before he began the acting part. The watercolors he painted of the characters, his ideas about the mercury poisoning from the hat glue – and so much more! Johnny is one of the most talented actors of our time and could play any role he wanted! There was an internet rumor that he was going to play EVERY part and I thought I would like to see that version of the movie!
Q: Jennifer, Is there anything in Alice in Wonderland that you can point us to and say “That is a Team Todd contribution?”
A: Jennifer Todd – Absolutely, Suzanne and I worked very hard with Linda on Alice’s character arc and working on her “muchness”. We also were proud to have developed a script strong enough to appeal to Tim Burton and all the talent attracted to the project.
Q: Jennifer, What do you think of Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter? Could you imagine him in another role?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think Johnny Depp could play just about any role – I’d love to see what he would do with the Red Queen!
Q: Jennifer, What do you think about the current hype of 3D?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think it’s great for the film business and I’m very grateful that it helped our box office tremendously.
Q: Suzanne, As children, did you wonder in awe even at the ’simpler,’ animated version of Disney’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’?
A: Suzanne Todd – We had seen the animated version as children and I remember being both in awe of the creativity and sort of confused about the story. I loved the character of Alice and had actually dressed up as Alice for more than one Halloween.
Q: Suzanne, How involved are producers in the development of DVD /Blu-Ray features?
A: Suzanne Todd – Producers are very involved in the creation of additional bonus materials, putting together the featurettes that you see, and adding insight to the behind-the-scenes process.
Q: Suzanne, How often do you come across a script that you love but as producers – you know won’t work in the mass market? And are you free to make it thru the indie route?
A: Suzanne Todd – There have been a few occasions when we found material we truly loved that could not be financed and released through the traditional studio model. Memento was the first indie movie we had made, and even though we had to work for free, we were very happy with the result!
Q: Suzanne, This interpretation of Alice has a definite darker, adult twist – was this the vision from the outset or did that evolve? How much did Tim Burton’s unique style and interpretation affect this?
A: Suzanne Todd – Linda’s script had some already “dark” elements – the notion of the oversized body parts and the floating severed heads, for instance, but it naturally followed the course of Tim’s taste and sensibility after he came on board.
Q: Jennifer, As women in a male-dominated industry, what are qualities needed to survive Hollywood?
A: Jennifer Todd – Good question! I think you have to have a tough will and a very strong spirit. Movies are so hard to get made. I do think women make great producers though; we are good multi-taskers and caretakers.
Q: Jennifer, What did you learn working alongside, director, Tim Burton, for Alice in Wonderland?
A: Jennifer Todd – I learned from Tim that you can never aim too high. He really reached on this film from his own comfort zone and the results were magical. I learned you can never stop pushing the envelope.
Q: Suzanne, What attracted you to Alice in Wonderland? Especially since it had been done many times before.
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes, it’s true that Alice had been done many times before, but we felt that Linda’s take on the story took a fresh look at the time honored tale, and that the coupling of modern technology with Tim’s genius vision would make for fascinating entertainment.
Q: Suzanne, Can you tell us what it is like to work with Johnny Depp?
A: Suzanne Todd – There just aren’t the proper adjectives to describe the magnificence of Johnny Depp. He is the most incredibly talented actor yet also kind, down to earth, and hard-working.
Q: Jennifer, Can you tell us what it is like to work with Johnny Depp?
A: Jennifer Todd – Johnny’s such a sweet, likeable guy and a tremendous talent. He’s so affable; he makes you forget what a giant movie star he is.
Q: Suzanne, Where does your creative inspiration come from?
A: Suzanne Todd – My creative inspiration comes from so many aspects of my life – art, music, literature, pop culture, my children, my friends, and lots of travel and adventure!
Q: Jennifer, As I understand it, Alice is the first time Tim Burton has filmed on a green screen. With so much of the film shot against green screen, combined with demanding VFX, how much pre-production time was involved and what were some of the challenges foreseen?
A: Jennifer Todd – We prepped the film for about 6 months; it was a long prep to get everything organized for the shoot. Even then we still came across a lot of difficulties on set, with Alice shrinking and growing and taking into account the Queen’s head and all the fake characters, it felt like a complicated math puzzle every day.
Q: Jennifer, As children, did you wonder in awe even at the ’simpler,’ animated version of Disney’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’?
A: Jennifer Todd – Absolutely – I loved the original and I always loved the Disney ride! It’s amazing how far filmmaking has come since I was a child.
Q: Jennifer, Where does your creative inspiration come from?
A: Jennifer Todd – It comes from all over – films and books I’ve loved as well as the artists in my life. Now it also comes from my children.
Q: Jennifer, What were the biggest problems as a producer with getting the final product?
A: Jennifer Todd – One of the biggest problems was getting the film done in time. We had our release date locked very early, and we could not change it. So the last few months were very stressful waiting for the final FX to come in.
Q: Suzanne, What were the biggest problems as a producer with getting the final product?
A: Suzanne Todd – Like almost all movies, and certainly big tent pole movies, it always comes down to time and money. Luckily for us, with Tim directing, we never lacked for creative vision, so the task for everyone involved was to work their hardest to bring Tim’s vision to the screen – within the schedule and resources that we had available.
Q: Jennifer, What do you feel 3-D did for Alice in Wonderland in a new generation?
A: Jennifer Todd – I’m happy that 3D has excited a great deal of people to go to the movie theater. And I think that being one of the first big 3D films out in the US after Avatar helped our film tremendously.
Q: Jennifer, Were you surprised with the overwhelming success of ‘Alice’ at the box office?
A: Jennifer Todd – I was – although I expected the film would do well as I knew how good it was. But no one can predict the kind of numbers the film did. I wish I could!
Q: Suzanne, At what point in the process did Mia Wasikowska become involved? Was she always first choice for the role, did she audition etc.
A: Suzanne Todd – Tim had a very specific vision for the role of Alice and met with and read with a number of actresses. Although there were many famous actresses who wanted to play Alice, Tim wanted someone that would bring a timeless quality to the film. Mia demonstrated the perfect blend of strength and fragility, bewilderment and wonder, and is beautiful yet accessible.
Q: Jennifer, Did you find it more or less difficult to oversee production on a film with Burton’s whimsical touches? On a film that was mostly digitally created?
A: Jennifer Todd – I actually felt it was easier as Tim still had the freedom to make changes after we filmed the movie. That’s one of the upsides of a mostly digital film. He could make changes you could never make in a traditional live-action film.
Q: Jennifer, You’ve spent a significant time working in independent film – a far cry from Disney and blockbusters like Alice in Wonderland. Can you tell us what the transition was like for you, and whether or not your indie sensibilities informed the production of Alice at all?
A: Jennifer Todd – They are such different film making experiences, but yet I like them both. Obviously you always want to tell a great story, no matter how big or small. I love the intimacy of small films and I love the reach of big films like ALICE.
Q: Jennifer, Alice has such a long history on the big and small screen, was it daunting to create this new version?
A: Jennifer Todd – It was – it’s a bit scary to take on such a famous piece of literature. But at the same time we re-imagined it in a way that we thought would feel fresh to an audience.
Q: Suzanne, Were you surprised with the overwhelming success of ‘Alice’ at the box office?
A: Suzanne Todd – We could tell that there was a pretty voracious appetite for the film from the time the online campaign had launched. The facebook fan page was burning up and people were hungry for anything and everything about the film. Although we did have a sense that it would be well-received, no one dared to dream that we would approach a billion dollars worldwide!
Q: Jennifer, If you could go back to the beginning now, is there anything you’d want to do differently?
A: Jennifer Todd – I can’t say there is. Because of the success of the film, I’m just thrilled with it all.
Q: Suzanne, If you could go back to the beginning now, is there anything you’d want to do differently?
A: Suzanne Todd – There isn’t really much I would change about the production – I’m beyond thrilled with how everything turned out! I guess I would add time in the schedule if that was possible so Tim wouldn’t have had to work literally round the clock to finish the movie on time.
Q: Jennifer, What turned out to be favorite scene in the film, and is it surprising?
A: Jennifer Todd – Hmmm…that’s so hard. I love the introduction to the Red Queen when she’s playing croquet, I also love the end with Alice and the Mad Hatter.
Q: Suzanne, What turned out to be favorite scene in the film, and is it surprising?
A: Suzanne Todd – I have too many favorites!!! I love the resolution to the wedding proposal, the goodbye scene with the Hatter, and I am always surprised by how affected I am when she says “Lost my muchness, have I?”
Q: Suzanne, Did you read Alice in Wonderland as a child? Did the storyline have the same affect on you now, as an adult?
A: Suzanne Todd – I did read it as a children and when I re-read it as an adult, it seemed very different than what I had remembered! The movie story is obviously inspired by the Carroll novels but Linda created a structure for the movie that did not exist in the books.
Q: Jennifer, Can you discuss the way in which Tim Burton works on a set, compared to say Chris Nolan or Julie Taymor?
A: Jennifer Todd – Every director is so different, but these three are clearly so talented. Chris is a writer/director so I think he’s very confident in his material when he directs. All three of them are perfectionists – which I think one must be to deliver films on the level they do.
Q: Suzanne, Can you discuss the way in which Tim Burton works on a set, compared to say Chris Nolan or Julie Taymor?
A: Suzanne Todd – All three of those directors share a high-level of vision and commitment and we have been fortunate to work with such amazing talent. Tim is unique in many ways – one of which is that his process is SO visual – he starts by drawing and painting and sketching and moves forward in the process from there.
Q: Suzanne, The movie looks amazing, what was it like to be able to bring this classic story to a whole new audience?
A: Suzanne Todd – It has been very exciting to re-interpret a classic story! From the moment Tim signed on, I have felt a bit like I’ve needed to pinch myself to wake up from my own dream, just like our young Alice in the film.
Q: Jennifer, How did you map out the different sides of The Mad Hatter’s personality both in visuals and voice?
A: Jennifer Todd – Well the decision to make his eyes big was Tim’s and is just an amazing effect. Johnny decided the Hatter was a bit of a split personality – his Scottish accent comes out when he’s angry and remembering his past.
Q: Jennifer, You’ve assembled an amazing cast, many of whom are unrecognizable in their roles, was there anybody who turned you down though?
A: Jennifer Todd – No! That’s one of the great gifts of working with Tim – actors are dying to work with him.
Q: Jennifer, Given the relationship between Tim and Johnny, how difficult or challenging was it to collaborate?
A: Jennifer Todd – Once they decided to work together it was very easy. Their friendship and ease with each other made the filmmaking process really nice. It also set a nice tone on the set for the other actors.
Q: Jennifer, How does the experience compare between working on such a behemoth as Alice and a smaller scale movie like Memento?
A: Jennifer Todd – The time commitment is much greater on a big film. ALICE was about three years in the process and that’s even quick for a movie of its size. Also it takes so many more people to complete a film like this – Memento was such a small, intimate experience, the two feel like very different processes.
Q: Suzanne, The casting of the film was fascinating – not simply because of the little-known Mia Wasikowska. Can you tell us how Crispin Glover became involved?
A: Suzanne Todd – The casting was very unusual because on most films you go through a process of making offers, having actors pass on the project, and then working your way down the list. When you have Tim Burton directing, everyone is dying to work with him so he just picks who he likes and everyone says yes!
Q: Jennifer, We often hear stories of Johnny Deep staying in character throughout a shoot, was he like that for Alice, was he in Hatter mode a lot of the time?
A: Jennifer Todd – He was, although at the end of the day when he was cleaned up and not in make-up anymore he seemed to just be himself.
Q: Suzanne, Did the two of you “produce” anything in your younger days? (Backyard plays are acceptable)
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes! Story telling was always a big deal in our house from a very young age, and I was always an avid reader. We liked to act out scenes from The Phantom Tollbooth, which was one of my all-time favorites from childhood.
Q: Jennifer, Did the two of you “produce” anything in your younger days? (Backyard plays are acceptable)
A: Jennifer Todd – No, but my sister killed me off in a couple of her student films at USC. I was always her main actress, pity for her.
Q: Suzanne, Have you, for one reason or another, passed on any scripts that you later saw turned into great films?
A: Suzanne Todd – No, but the first project I ever did with Linda Woolverton was a great script that I have always still wanted to make – the movie adaptation of the book “Wicked”, which Linda adapted for me in 1996.
Q: Jennifer, Ken Ralston has done an amazing job of VFX. How did Ken get involved in the project – was he a first choice? – and what were some of the challenges cast/crew faced in delivering such convincing performances with so many VFX considerations to work around, such as oversized heads and the varying height of Alice?
A: Jennifer Todd – Ken was the first choice for the film – he’s such an amazing talent and really at the forefront of VFX. The challenges were enormous – every day was like a giant geometry equation of where Alice would stand and be the right size, where the eye lines for the CG characters were, where people could stand and not interfere with the Queen’s head. Thank goodness Ken could figure it all out.
Q: Suzanne, You’ve been involved in the production of notable visual spectacles in the past, particularly Across The Universe, how was this production different to those other effect-heavy films?
A: Suzanne Todd – This was different in that there were SO many effects that there was hardly a scene or a shot to be found that had no effects. Alice also represents every type of effect and some mixed effects that hadn’t been done before: motion capture, cgi, hybrid characters, and the idea that no matter what her size that Alice always remains “normal” looking in any environment.
Q: Jennifer, The visual effects are quite in-depth, is it hard to visualize the end computerized result when working with the actors?
A: Jennifer Todd – Yes – I give the actors great credit for acting to a green screen and making it so convincing. One day on the set Mia was running on a treadmill and an AD was yelling out “tree branch” for every time she was supposed to duck – it looked very difficult to me!
Q: Suzanne, I’ve read that motion capture was originally filmed but later discarded in favor of live action and animation – if this is correct, why this decision was made?
A: Suzanne Todd – It wasn’t so much that anything was discarded, but it was a process of discovery to figure out which technologies could best service each of the very different characters.
Q: Jennifer, What attracted you to Alice in Wonderland? Especially since it had been done many times before.
A: Jennifer Todd – I loved this take on Alice – I had never pictured her as a young woman before, and one who would become a symbol for female empowerment.
Q: Suzanne, why a remake of a classic?
A: Suzanne Todd – I don’t think our film is a “remake” on any other Alice film, I think it’s a reinterpretation of a classic tale. But the Alice mythology is resonant around the world and people have shown great interest in modern re-telling.
Q: Jennifer, There’s an interesting quote in the special features we’re seeing, which says of the Red Queen that she is played like a petulant child pretending at being queen, does that describe the theory at the outset, or did that evolve dynamically during the shooting?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think Helena brought a lot of that to the character. She’s written as a woman who is cruel because she is unloved, but I think Helena brought a great petulant quality.
Q: Jennifer, How much creativity did Johnny Depp bring to The Mad Hatter character?
A: Jennifer Todd – Johnny brought so much to the character. We re-wrote quite a bit of the Hatter when Johnny came in, we fleshed out his back story of his family being killed, which explained his motivation and state of mind. Also all the lovely nuances of the character – his accent, wardrobe, etc were all created by Johnny with Tim.
Q: Suzanne, How did you find the right balance to remake Alice, but not isolate the audience with the tragedy within some characters?
A: Suzanne Todd – The characters in Alice, much like in any great literary work, and filled with both good and evil and struggling to find balance. It is that very struggle that we find fascinating and worth taking on this classic story.
Q: Jennifer, Did you get to keep any of the props from Alice in Wonderland?
A: Jennifer Todd – Sadly no, there weren’t many props to pinch! The Hatter’s tea was so beautiful but it went on tour after we finished filming.
Q: Suzanne, How hard was it to find the right Alice?
A: Suzanne Todd – I wouldn’t say it was difficult but it was a thoughtful and time-consuming process. Tim’s taste is exquisite and he knew exactly what he was looking for and found it plus more in our amazing Mia.
Q: Jennifer, Have you, for one reason or another, passed on any scripts that you later saw turned into great films?
A: Jennifer Todd – I can’t think of any I have – although it’s bound to happen. As a producer you have to accept your own taste and know that you won’t catch everything. I’m sure I would miss a great horror film if it came my way as I’m not good at those.
Q: Jennifer, At what stage of production did you decide to make the film 3D?
A: Jennifer Todd – At the beginning when Tim signed on. He was very keen on making this his first 3D film as the technology had just improved so much.
Q: Suzanne, What drew you to work on a classic such as Alice in The Wonderland?
A: Suzanne Todd – The Alice story is very present in modern day and appears in so many ways in movies, TV, and video games. We loved the idea of updating a classic with all the finest modern technologies.
Q: Jennifer, Both Johnny Depp & Helen Bonham are both strong, creative actors, it must have been fun working with them. Can you tell us what they both bring to the set in creativity?
A: Jennifer Todd – They are both so dedicated and fearless. They also are both so imaginative to create in the real world what worked for Wonderland. Both of them had so much input in their hair and make-up, wardrobe, props, etc..
Q: Jennifer, You worked on ‘Across The Universe’. Do you envisage a career peppered with interesting semi-animated projects and what is it you like most about semi-animated films?
A: Jennifer Todd – I love creating worlds and still being real. If I can find more movies to do this with I’ll be thrilled. They’re hard to find.
Q: Suzanne, With Helena Bonham Carter screaming so much she seems to have lost her voice a lot. Did you need a Scream Double?
A: Suzanne Todd – She did not have a scream double – but she did have to do some dialogue replacement after shooting was completed. She took on each day with total conviction – never tiring out from such an exhaustive role.
Q: Jennifer, Do you think this version that Tim Burton did of Alice enrich the classic? Did it respect all the guidelines of the book of Lewis Carroll?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think it is respectful. We used characters and plot from both books but only to enrich the plot of the film. I think the whim and the magic are in step with Lewis Carroll’s work.
Q: Suzanne, You’ve produced 18 movies in 18 years–what are you currently working on and do you ever take a vacation?
A: Suzanne Todd – We are currently working on a new film entitled “Celeste and Jesse Forever” starring Rashida Jones and Justin Timberlake. For vacations, I like to go to Disney World or on the Disney cruise – I am a huge fan of all things Disney!
Q: Jennifer, What made you go with Tim B. as Director of this?
A: Jennifer Todd – He was our first choice – he has the vision and the tone we thought perfectly suited the material.
Q: Suzanne, What has been the most rewarding experience you’ve learned or taken from making this movie?
A: Suzanne Todd – It was wonderful to take my ten-year old to the Royal Premiere in London! As a working mom, my children are so understanding about my sometimes hectic schedule and it was fantastic to share that amazing evening with my son.
Q: Jennifer, When working with such a talented director like Tim Burton, is the worry factor less or more pressure because of his quirkiness as an artist?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think there’s less pressure as Tim is such a known artist, and has had great success in his films prior to Alice.
Q: Jennifer, Tim Burton’s visions are always lush and I guess you would say extravagant (in all the right ways!). Were there any times when Tim’s vision had to be altered, either from a budget point of view or a creative one (to achieve a more ‘mainstream’ appeal, for example)?
A: Jennifer Todd – Not really. Tim self edits rather beautifully, and I think what’s great is that his unique vision appeals to audiences.
Q: Suzanne, What was the most enjoyable aspect of bringing to life this darker interpretation of a much loved classic?
A: Suzanne Todd – The response to the female empowerment at the core of the film has been very rewarding. We have heard from so many fans that the film has inspired them to think outside the box, and find courage in adversity – and that is immensely rewarding.
Q: Jennifer, Was it daunting to take such a well-loved classic tale and take forward into a new story line?
A: Jennifer Todd – Yes. The book is terrific but doesn’t lend itself well to a movie plot, so we were forced to reinvision it a bit without losing its magic.
Q: Jennifer, The original Alice story drew political parallels and satire wrapped up in a children’s story. What were some of the core messages and themes intended to be conveyed in this modern interpretation? Is it just a story about a girl lost in her own world and inner conflict, or do you see something much deeper?
A: Jennifer Todd – Our film is about a young girl at a crossroads in her life and finding the strength within her. It’s her “muchness”, her spirit, which she must tap into to find her way.
Q: Suzanne, Is there a tug of war between producer and director when it comes to creativity?
A: Suzanne Todd – Not when you are working with Tim Burton! He is a true genius and a visionary director.
Q: Jennifer, Is there a tug of war between producer and director when it comes to creativity?
A: Jennifer Todd – Not on a film like this, that was dependent on Tim’s vision. We really gave him the script and waited to see what he would come up with.
Q: Jennifer, Do you always look to work together as producers on projects, and are there times when the demands and stress of producing impact on your relationship?
A: Jennifer Todd – We do mostly produce together and I think it is actually quite easy having each other. It’s nice to have a real ally in the film making process as it’s so hard.
Q: Suzanne, Do you always look to work together as producers on projects, and are there times when the demands and stress of producing impact on your relationship?
A: Suzanne Todd – In the many movies we have made together, we have never disagreed about an important creative decision. We have had trying times, like all sisters do, but never based on the work – usually based on some unreturned shoes that had been borrowed or something like
that.
Q: Suzanne, Do you futterwack? I’m a poor futterwacker, do you have any tips?
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes! We all love to futterwacken! Who doesn’t? The best tips are to watch the video on you tube – and enter our contest! You could be a champion futterwacker! Check out www.Disney.com/Alicedance
Q: Jennifer, This is going to be a hard movie to top, will your next couple of projects be deliberately small scale?
A: Jennifer Todd – We really make whatever we can when we can but it just so turns out that our next film is quite small, THE ROMANTICS, which premiered at Sundance.
Q: Suzanne, As a producer, does Home video give you a safety net or a catch-all in terms of additional story points?
A: Suzanne Todd – In the case of Alice, we were looking more to the home video as an exciting way to give people a peek behind the curtain of the movie making magic. We were not focused on adding additional story points to the Blu-ray/DVD.
Q: Jennifer, With so many different avenues of entertainment available, is it getting more difficult for producers and filmmakers to green light big budget productions? Is the overwhelming box office success of films like Alice, Avatar, etc. helping build confidence in studios/investors/etc.?
A: Jennifer Todd – It seems right now you are either getting films made at a big level like ALICE or AVATAR or very small like our next film THE ROMANTICS. The middle seems to be very difficult these days.
Q: Suzanne, This ‘Alice’ has been mentioned as a sequel to the younger ‘Alice’ yet it comes over as a darker version even to the point of having Mia dressed in armor in her fight against the Red Queen. Was that your original intention to paint the older ‘Alice’ in this way?
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes, in some ways. Our intention was to present an updated Alice that drew from the bones of what Alice was like in the original stories. We take her empowerment to the extreme, like in the instance of wearing armor to attempt to slay the Jabberwocky.
Q: Jennifer, Is it harder to reinvent classic tales than new scripts?
A: Jennifer Todd – Yes and no. It’s great to start with characters that are already known and loved but daunting that you don’t mess it up and upset your audience. Studios like classic tales as it gives them a pre-awareness for an audience.
Q: Jennifer, Any final thoughts on Alice In Wonderland?
A: Jennifer Todd – Thank you all so much for your interest and time today. We are thrilled with the success of the film and hope you all enjoyed it.
Q: Suzanne, Any final thoughts on Alice In Wonderland?
A: Suzanne Todd – Alice has been a true joy to work on! We are thrilled at the response and feel very grateful to be able to make movies like this one!
Q: Suzanne, Are you planning to bring another other classical novel to the cinema in the near future?
A: Suzanne Todd – We do have a number of projects currently in development that are based on literary works – we are big fans of classic literature and have always been avid readers.
Q: Suzanne, Can you tell us about how you entered the project with Tim Burton?
A: Suzanne Todd – We had developed the project with the writer, Linda Woolverton, and had sent it to Tim to consider after the script had been written. Tim was a first choice, a dream choice, and we were thrilled when he decided to sign on for the project.
Q: Suzanne, I would like to know if the character that emerges from the film, that is an Alice/Jeanne d’Arc was the intention of the director or developed along the way…?
A: Suzanne Todd – Many people responded to the Joan of Arc style costume and liked the comparison.
Q: Jennifer, I would like to know if the character that emerges from the film, that is an Alice/Jeanne d’Arc was in the intentions of the director or developed along the way…
A: Jennifer Todd – Only in homage to her armor, not from a character point of view.
Q: Jennifer, Having both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp (along with other talented cast and crew members) involved in the film, you literally struck gold. How was the experience working for both of you working with Burton and Depp?
A: Jennifer Todd – It was amazing – they are both ridiculously talented and watching their creativity – and their friendship- was very special.
Q: Jennifer, what would you say was the biggest challenge in producing this movie?
A: Jennifer Todd – The special effects were incredibly difficult. Combining Motion Capture, CG characters, animation, and 3D made this the most challenging film we’ve done.
Q: Suzanne, How did you manage the green screen-scenes? Did you give the actors something by the hand that they can act to something?
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes! We had green everything! Green props, tables, walls, teacups, platforms – so much green everywhere all over everything!
Q: Jennifer. .. Please talk about the decision to make the film in 3D and also your thoughts on the post-production conversion process versus shooting in 3D, from both a budgetary standpoint and an end-user standpoint.
A: Jennifer Todd – We chose not to shoot in 3D because of the difficulty of all the special effects we were doing. It was also more cost-effective for us to convert later.
Q: Suzanne, By any chance, did the both of you have to immerse yourself in the Lewis Carroll classic prior to working on the film?
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes, we all re-read the novels and we also reviewed all the many ways that works of Carroll have been seen in other movies, art, music videos and all forms of pop culture.
Q: Jennifer, How was the experience of working with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp?
A: Jennifer Todd – It was incredible. Their friendship is so unique and special and I think really adds so much to the creative process.
Q: Suzanne, How was it to work with Tim Burton? Did you ever have to force one point that differed from Burton’s vision?
A: Suzanne Todd – Working with Tim was literally a dream come true! He is truly a visionary, artist and genius! Plus, a really nice and funny guy.
Q: Jennifer, Team Todd has produced a good number of box office hits. But with “Alice in Wonderland”, it’s your first film that utilized special effects in such a grand scale, what was the most challenging part for each of you in producing the film?
A: Jennifer Todd – Definitely the special effects. We have worked with effects before but never at a scale like this. The combination of CG, animation, and motion capture – along with Alice’s character shrinking and growing made the filming very difficult and intense.
Q: Jennifer, How do you manage to work with relatives, sisters, in particular? Is it fun? Is it hard to separate family and the job?
A: Jennifer Todd – It’s a real gift to work with my sister. We obviously have such a shorthand communicating with each other, that it makes the process easier. And from growing up together and watching so many films together, we ended up with pretty similar taste.
Q: Suzanne… Please talk about the decision to make the film in 3D and also your thoughts on the post-production conversion process versus shooting in 3D, from both a budgetary standpoint and an end-user standpoint.
A: Suzanne Todd – Tim had the genius idea to make the movie in 3D and it’s been interesting to see how 3D has become so incredibly popular in the years it took us to make this movie. We did not have the time or money to actually shoot in 3D, but our film was planned for 3D release so there were lots of things built in along the way to make that movie going experience satisfying. From an end user standpoint, I think the planned shots in 3D movies like Avatar and ours will continue to be better received than 2D films that make a last minute decision to convert.
Q: Jennifer, Everybody knows what Burton can add to Alice’s history. But, what did Alice add to Burton’s filmography that we didn’t find before?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think Alice added a real female empowerment film to his filmography. I can’t think of another film he’s done with this great of a female hero, and with the theme of the film so strong. And Alice gave him his biggest hit ever!
Q: Suzanne, Why did Tim Burton adapt both Alice-stories, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Through the Looking-Glass’?
A: Suzanne Todd – The writer, Linda Woolverton, had decided to use material from both books when she first came up with the pitch. The Carroll novels did not put forth a simple movie adaption and she found material in both books that would be helpful in crafting a linear three-act structure for the movie.
Q: Jennifer, At which point of the creation-process did you make the decision that the whole movie is going to be cgi-driven such as it is right now?
A: Jennifer Todd – Very early on. I believe it was in our first meeting with Tim, he talked about creating a world from scratch using today’s technology.
Q: Suzanne, What do you think Lewis Carroll would think if he saw the movie?
A: Suzanne Todd – I hope he would be entertained! He seems to have been an out-of-the-box thinker and this version pushes the Alice mythology to a new level of both technology and storytelling. In my fantasy mind, he would leap from his chair and Futterwacken!
Q: Jennifer, What do you think Lewis Carroll would think if he saw the movie?
A: Jennifer Todd – I would hope he would appreciate our interpretation of his work – and I would think the effects would be amazing for him to see! There has been so much art inspired by his work I think he would be touched by the world’s affection for his stories.
Q: Jennifer, What do you think this version of Alice in Wonderland bring new as compared to other productions?
A: Jennifer Todd – Obviously this version takes advantage of the most cutting edge technology that none of the other versions were privy to. Tim was able to create a world like none other. We also took creative license with the characters, making Alice older, and incorporating elements from both books.
Q: Suzanne – Do you see any reflection in your own sister-sister relationship and the one between the White and Red Queens?
A: Suzanne Todd – Absolutely! Anyone that has a sister knows the agony and ecstasy of that relationship. Anne had really looked to get in touch with the family roots of her character – and the darkness and light that both sisters share – as a means of portraying her character with depth and realism.
Q: Jennifer, same question, Do you see any reflection in your own sister-sister relationship and the one between the White and Red Queens?
A: Jennifer Todd – Jokingly yes. But thankfully no, I didn’t other than that I understand how beautiful and complicated the relationship of sisters can be.
Q: Suzanne, What is your favourite character in the movie? which was more fun to draw out?
A: Suzanne Todd – I love so many of the characters! I feel like a mother in the way you have love for all your children. But if I have to pick one, it would be Alice – for her strength and curiosity and bravery and compassion. The idea that a movie with a female teenage lead character could be this successful at the world wide box office is a testament to Alice and her muchness.
Q: Jennifer, Why write a different story of Alice?
A: Jennifer Todd – We wrote a different story to modernize it and to make it more universal. What’s wonderful about the book is that it magically wanders, and that’s what makes it hard as a film. It was also necessary to make her older, so she would have graver complications in her life.
Q: Jennifer, How do you choose your movie projects, do you prefer a movie because of the script, the actors, or the director?
A: Jennifer Todd – We get involved so early that it is usually the idea and the material that gets us excited. On Alice, Linda brought us a pitch that we thought was a very exciting way in which to tell the story. Then after we all worked on the script it was incredibly exciting to get Tim and Johnny involved.
Q: Suzanne, What is the international expectation that you have for this DVD and Blu Ray launch?
A: Suzanne Todd – We expect that the public will continue to respond to the film in the way we have seen thus far – with enthusiastic response! Anyone that has seen and enjoyed the film will be further entranced at a look behind the scenes into the magic of Tim Burton’s Alice and the quality
on Blu-ray. The shorter home entertainment release window should also ensure a healthy public appetite – we will see!
Q: Jennifer, In the past you produced ‘Austin Powers’, ‘Across The Universe’ and now ‘Alice In Wonderland’. Did you yourself push the colorful look of these films?
A: Jennifer Todd – Not really, the directors are most responsible for the color of the films. I will say we are drawn to creating material that allows directors to create worlds, or push the palate of reality.
Q: Jennifer, what is it like to work with your sister?
A: Jennifer Todd – It’s great. We have been so lucky and I think it’s partly because we truly support each other. It’s very hard to get movies made, so it’s nice knowing we are each here for the other.
Q: Suzanne, If we look to use High Definition, does it mean the production has to be changed as every detail is now visible?
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes, as the technology advances there is more attention paid during the filmmaking process and the high-level of detail that becomes available to the viewing audience. Even something like the texture of the white pancaked skin of the Red Queen becomes subject for discussion, because you can see everything in so much greater detail now.
Q: Jennifer, What is your favourite character in the movie? which was more fun to draw out?
A: Jennifer Todd – I really love the Red Queen – I love the reason she’s so mean is that she’s just a scorned woman. She says “is it better to be feared than loved” and even though she is so awful you understand that it’s because she feels unloved.
Q: Suzanne, What other projects do you have coming up?
A: Suzanne Todd – Our next release is a very small film entitled, “The Romantics” starring Katie Holmes, Josh Duhamel, and Anna Pacquin. It will come out in Fall of 2010 and is the charming story of a group of close friends, ten years after their college graduation.
Q: Suzanne, What kinds of discussions have you had about a sequel at this time, seeing how successful this film was?
A: Suzanne Todd – When a movie is this successful, there is always talk of a sequel! If Tim and Johnny both want to venture down the rabbit hole again – I’m sure it will happen. We have had some preliminary story conversations – but I’m not sure anyone realizes just how hard Tim worked on this film.
Q: Suzanne, How long did the process of the postproduction last?
A: Suzanne Todd – We finished shooting the movie at the end of 2008, with our scheduled release date of March 2010 but it was a scramble to get it done in that time frame. That was a long post for a regular film but a tight post for a film with this many complicated effects.
Q: Suzanne, You knew John Foreman, what did you learned from this great producer?
A: Suzanne Todd – I learned a lot about what a producer does from John Foreman and that “the idea” is key when taking on a movie project. He was someone that loved the process and loved watching movies as much as making them.
Q: Jennifer, “Alice” is a much bigger feature than all the other both of you have been into. What changed in the way you work to accomplish this one?
A: Jennifer Todd – Alice took over two years to make and took a great deal of planning, obviously much more than usual. We spent so much more time prepping the film, and that was unique for us.
Q: Suzanne, Where there any accidents because the actors had to walk on stilts?
A: Suzanne Todd – The actors actually became very proficient on the stilts – almost to the point where they hardly noticed they were wearing them. I became very used to thinking of Crispin as really, really tall.
Q: Suzanne, Are you fans of the original Lewis Carroll books? Have you read them to your children?
A: Suzanne Todd – Recently I had the pleasure of going through the very fun Alice for the iPad short version of the book. It’s interactive and imaginative and entertaining and made me think how different the entire experience of even reading is for children today.
Q: Jennifer, How would you say this movie has influenced you two, as producers and sisters?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think we are both so proud that we got to make a “female empowerment” movie on a scale like this. The movie has so many wonderful themes but Alice’s strength is so wonderful to put out in the world to young girls.
Q: Suzanne, What do you think of Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter? Could you imagine him in another role?
A: Suzanne Todd – Johnny was incredible and brought so much to the role, long before he began the acting part. The watercolors he painted of the characters, his ideas about the mercury poisoning from the hat glue – and so much more! Johnny is one of the most talented actors of our time and could play any role he wanted! There was an internet rumor that he was going to play EVERY part and I thought I would like to see that version of the movie!
Q: Jennifer, Is there anything in Alice in Wonderland that you can point us to and say “That is a Team Todd contribution?”
A: Jennifer Todd – Absolutely, Suzanne and I worked very hard with Linda on Alice’s character arc and working on her “muchness”. We also were proud to have developed a script strong enough to appeal to Tim Burton and all the talent attracted to the project.
Q: Jennifer, What do you think of Johnny Depp as Mad Hatter? Could you imagine him in another role?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think Johnny Depp could play just about any role – I’d love to see what he would do with the Red Queen!
Q: Jennifer, What do you think about the current hype of 3D?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think it’s great for the film business and I’m very grateful that it helped our box office tremendously.
Q: Suzanne, As children, did you wonder in awe even at the ’simpler,’ animated version of Disney’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’?
A: Suzanne Todd – We had seen the animated version as children and I remember being both in awe of the creativity and sort of confused about the story. I loved the character of Alice and had actually dressed up as Alice for more than one Halloween.
Q: Suzanne, How involved are producers in the development of DVD /Blu-Ray features?
A: Suzanne Todd – Producers are very involved in the creation of additional bonus materials, putting together the featurettes that you see, and adding insight to the behind-the-scenes process.
Q: Suzanne, How often do you come across a script that you love but as producers – you know won’t work in the mass market? And are you free to make it thru the indie route?
A: Suzanne Todd – There have been a few occasions when we found material we truly loved that could not be financed and released through the traditional studio model. Memento was the first indie movie we had made, and even though we had to work for free, we were very happy with the result!
Q: Suzanne, This interpretation of Alice has a definite darker, adult twist – was this the vision from the outset or did that evolve? How much did Tim Burton’s unique style and interpretation affect this?
A: Suzanne Todd – Linda’s script had some already “dark” elements – the notion of the oversized body parts and the floating severed heads, for instance, but it naturally followed the course of Tim’s taste and sensibility after he came on board.
Q: Jennifer, As women in a male-dominated industry, what are qualities needed to survive Hollywood?
A: Jennifer Todd – Good question! I think you have to have a tough will and a very strong spirit. Movies are so hard to get made. I do think women make great producers though; we are good multi-taskers and caretakers.
Q: Jennifer, What did you learn working alongside, director, Tim Burton, for Alice in Wonderland?
A: Jennifer Todd – I learned from Tim that you can never aim too high. He really reached on this film from his own comfort zone and the results were magical. I learned you can never stop pushing the envelope.
Q: Suzanne, What attracted you to Alice in Wonderland? Especially since it had been done many times before.
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes, it’s true that Alice had been done many times before, but we felt that Linda’s take on the story took a fresh look at the time honored tale, and that the coupling of modern technology with Tim’s genius vision would make for fascinating entertainment.
Q: Suzanne, Can you tell us what it is like to work with Johnny Depp?
A: Suzanne Todd – There just aren’t the proper adjectives to describe the magnificence of Johnny Depp. He is the most incredibly talented actor yet also kind, down to earth, and hard-working.
Q: Jennifer, Can you tell us what it is like to work with Johnny Depp?
A: Jennifer Todd – Johnny’s such a sweet, likeable guy and a tremendous talent. He’s so affable; he makes you forget what a giant movie star he is.
Q: Suzanne, Where does your creative inspiration come from?
A: Suzanne Todd – My creative inspiration comes from so many aspects of my life – art, music, literature, pop culture, my children, my friends, and lots of travel and adventure!
Q: Jennifer, As I understand it, Alice is the first time Tim Burton has filmed on a green screen. With so much of the film shot against green screen, combined with demanding VFX, how much pre-production time was involved and what were some of the challenges foreseen?
A: Jennifer Todd – We prepped the film for about 6 months; it was a long prep to get everything organized for the shoot. Even then we still came across a lot of difficulties on set, with Alice shrinking and growing and taking into account the Queen’s head and all the fake characters, it felt like a complicated math puzzle every day.
Q: Jennifer, As children, did you wonder in awe even at the ’simpler,’ animated version of Disney’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’?
A: Jennifer Todd – Absolutely – I loved the original and I always loved the Disney ride! It’s amazing how far filmmaking has come since I was a child.
Q: Jennifer, Where does your creative inspiration come from?
A: Jennifer Todd – It comes from all over – films and books I’ve loved as well as the artists in my life. Now it also comes from my children.
Q: Jennifer, What were the biggest problems as a producer with getting the final product?
A: Jennifer Todd – One of the biggest problems was getting the film done in time. We had our release date locked very early, and we could not change it. So the last few months were very stressful waiting for the final FX to come in.
Q: Suzanne, What were the biggest problems as a producer with getting the final product?
A: Suzanne Todd – Like almost all movies, and certainly big tent pole movies, it always comes down to time and money. Luckily for us, with Tim directing, we never lacked for creative vision, so the task for everyone involved was to work their hardest to bring Tim’s vision to the screen – within the schedule and resources that we had available.
Q: Jennifer, What do you feel 3-D did for Alice in Wonderland in a new generation?
A: Jennifer Todd – I’m happy that 3D has excited a great deal of people to go to the movie theater. And I think that being one of the first big 3D films out in the US after Avatar helped our film tremendously.
Q: Jennifer, Were you surprised with the overwhelming success of ‘Alice’ at the box office?
A: Jennifer Todd – I was – although I expected the film would do well as I knew how good it was. But no one can predict the kind of numbers the film did. I wish I could!
Q: Suzanne, At what point in the process did Mia Wasikowska become involved? Was she always first choice for the role, did she audition etc.
A: Suzanne Todd – Tim had a very specific vision for the role of Alice and met with and read with a number of actresses. Although there were many famous actresses who wanted to play Alice, Tim wanted someone that would bring a timeless quality to the film. Mia demonstrated the perfect blend of strength and fragility, bewilderment and wonder, and is beautiful yet accessible.
Q: Jennifer, Did you find it more or less difficult to oversee production on a film with Burton’s whimsical touches? On a film that was mostly digitally created?
A: Jennifer Todd – I actually felt it was easier as Tim still had the freedom to make changes after we filmed the movie. That’s one of the upsides of a mostly digital film. He could make changes you could never make in a traditional live-action film.
Q: Jennifer, You’ve spent a significant time working in independent film – a far cry from Disney and blockbusters like Alice in Wonderland. Can you tell us what the transition was like for you, and whether or not your indie sensibilities informed the production of Alice at all?
A: Jennifer Todd – They are such different film making experiences, but yet I like them both. Obviously you always want to tell a great story, no matter how big or small. I love the intimacy of small films and I love the reach of big films like ALICE.
Q: Jennifer, Alice has such a long history on the big and small screen, was it daunting to create this new version?
A: Jennifer Todd – It was – it’s a bit scary to take on such a famous piece of literature. But at the same time we re-imagined it in a way that we thought would feel fresh to an audience.
Q: Suzanne, Were you surprised with the overwhelming success of ‘Alice’ at the box office?
A: Suzanne Todd – We could tell that there was a pretty voracious appetite for the film from the time the online campaign had launched. The facebook fan page was burning up and people were hungry for anything and everything about the film. Although we did have a sense that it would be well-received, no one dared to dream that we would approach a billion dollars worldwide!
Q: Jennifer, If you could go back to the beginning now, is there anything you’d want to do differently?
A: Jennifer Todd – I can’t say there is. Because of the success of the film, I’m just thrilled with it all.
Q: Suzanne, If you could go back to the beginning now, is there anything you’d want to do differently?
A: Suzanne Todd – There isn’t really much I would change about the production – I’m beyond thrilled with how everything turned out! I guess I would add time in the schedule if that was possible so Tim wouldn’t have had to work literally round the clock to finish the movie on time.
Q: Jennifer, What turned out to be favorite scene in the film, and is it surprising?
A: Jennifer Todd – Hmmm…that’s so hard. I love the introduction to the Red Queen when she’s playing croquet, I also love the end with Alice and the Mad Hatter.
Q: Suzanne, What turned out to be favorite scene in the film, and is it surprising?
A: Suzanne Todd – I have too many favorites!!! I love the resolution to the wedding proposal, the goodbye scene with the Hatter, and I am always surprised by how affected I am when she says “Lost my muchness, have I?”
Q: Suzanne, Did you read Alice in Wonderland as a child? Did the storyline have the same affect on you now, as an adult?
A: Suzanne Todd – I did read it as a children and when I re-read it as an adult, it seemed very different than what I had remembered! The movie story is obviously inspired by the Carroll novels but Linda created a structure for the movie that did not exist in the books.
Q: Jennifer, Can you discuss the way in which Tim Burton works on a set, compared to say Chris Nolan or Julie Taymor?
A: Jennifer Todd – Every director is so different, but these three are clearly so talented. Chris is a writer/director so I think he’s very confident in his material when he directs. All three of them are perfectionists – which I think one must be to deliver films on the level they do.
Q: Suzanne, Can you discuss the way in which Tim Burton works on a set, compared to say Chris Nolan or Julie Taymor?
A: Suzanne Todd – All three of those directors share a high-level of vision and commitment and we have been fortunate to work with such amazing talent. Tim is unique in many ways – one of which is that his process is SO visual – he starts by drawing and painting and sketching and moves forward in the process from there.
Q: Suzanne, The movie looks amazing, what was it like to be able to bring this classic story to a whole new audience?
A: Suzanne Todd – It has been very exciting to re-interpret a classic story! From the moment Tim signed on, I have felt a bit like I’ve needed to pinch myself to wake up from my own dream, just like our young Alice in the film.
Q: Jennifer, How did you map out the different sides of The Mad Hatter’s personality both in visuals and voice?
A: Jennifer Todd – Well the decision to make his eyes big was Tim’s and is just an amazing effect. Johnny decided the Hatter was a bit of a split personality – his Scottish accent comes out when he’s angry and remembering his past.
Q: Jennifer, You’ve assembled an amazing cast, many of whom are unrecognizable in their roles, was there anybody who turned you down though?
A: Jennifer Todd – No! That’s one of the great gifts of working with Tim – actors are dying to work with him.
Q: Jennifer, Given the relationship between Tim and Johnny, how difficult or challenging was it to collaborate?
A: Jennifer Todd – Once they decided to work together it was very easy. Their friendship and ease with each other made the filmmaking process really nice. It also set a nice tone on the set for the other actors.
Q: Jennifer, How does the experience compare between working on such a behemoth as Alice and a smaller scale movie like Memento?
A: Jennifer Todd – The time commitment is much greater on a big film. ALICE was about three years in the process and that’s even quick for a movie of its size. Also it takes so many more people to complete a film like this – Memento was such a small, intimate experience, the two feel like very different processes.
Q: Suzanne, The casting of the film was fascinating – not simply because of the little-known Mia Wasikowska. Can you tell us how Crispin Glover became involved?
A: Suzanne Todd – The casting was very unusual because on most films you go through a process of making offers, having actors pass on the project, and then working your way down the list. When you have Tim Burton directing, everyone is dying to work with him so he just picks who he likes and everyone says yes!
Q: Jennifer, We often hear stories of Johnny Deep staying in character throughout a shoot, was he like that for Alice, was he in Hatter mode a lot of the time?
A: Jennifer Todd – He was, although at the end of the day when he was cleaned up and not in make-up anymore he seemed to just be himself.
Q: Suzanne, Did the two of you “produce” anything in your younger days? (Backyard plays are acceptable)
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes! Story telling was always a big deal in our house from a very young age, and I was always an avid reader. We liked to act out scenes from The Phantom Tollbooth, which was one of my all-time favorites from childhood.
Q: Jennifer, Did the two of you “produce” anything in your younger days? (Backyard plays are acceptable)
A: Jennifer Todd – No, but my sister killed me off in a couple of her student films at USC. I was always her main actress, pity for her.
Q: Suzanne, Have you, for one reason or another, passed on any scripts that you later saw turned into great films?
A: Suzanne Todd – No, but the first project I ever did with Linda Woolverton was a great script that I have always still wanted to make – the movie adaptation of the book “Wicked”, which Linda adapted for me in 1996.
Q: Jennifer, Ken Ralston has done an amazing job of VFX. How did Ken get involved in the project – was he a first choice? – and what were some of the challenges cast/crew faced in delivering such convincing performances with so many VFX considerations to work around, such as oversized heads and the varying height of Alice?
A: Jennifer Todd – Ken was the first choice for the film – he’s such an amazing talent and really at the forefront of VFX. The challenges were enormous – every day was like a giant geometry equation of where Alice would stand and be the right size, where the eye lines for the CG characters were, where people could stand and not interfere with the Queen’s head. Thank goodness Ken could figure it all out.
Q: Suzanne, You’ve been involved in the production of notable visual spectacles in the past, particularly Across The Universe, how was this production different to those other effect-heavy films?
A: Suzanne Todd – This was different in that there were SO many effects that there was hardly a scene or a shot to be found that had no effects. Alice also represents every type of effect and some mixed effects that hadn’t been done before: motion capture, cgi, hybrid characters, and the idea that no matter what her size that Alice always remains “normal” looking in any environment.
Q: Jennifer, The visual effects are quite in-depth, is it hard to visualize the end computerized result when working with the actors?
A: Jennifer Todd – Yes – I give the actors great credit for acting to a green screen and making it so convincing. One day on the set Mia was running on a treadmill and an AD was yelling out “tree branch” for every time she was supposed to duck – it looked very difficult to me!
Q: Suzanne, I’ve read that motion capture was originally filmed but later discarded in favor of live action and animation – if this is correct, why this decision was made?
A: Suzanne Todd – It wasn’t so much that anything was discarded, but it was a process of discovery to figure out which technologies could best service each of the very different characters.
Q: Jennifer, What attracted you to Alice in Wonderland? Especially since it had been done many times before.
A: Jennifer Todd – I loved this take on Alice – I had never pictured her as a young woman before, and one who would become a symbol for female empowerment.
Q: Suzanne, why a remake of a classic?
A: Suzanne Todd – I don’t think our film is a “remake” on any other Alice film, I think it’s a reinterpretation of a classic tale. But the Alice mythology is resonant around the world and people have shown great interest in modern re-telling.
Q: Jennifer, There’s an interesting quote in the special features we’re seeing, which says of the Red Queen that she is played like a petulant child pretending at being queen, does that describe the theory at the outset, or did that evolve dynamically during the shooting?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think Helena brought a lot of that to the character. She’s written as a woman who is cruel because she is unloved, but I think Helena brought a great petulant quality.
Q: Jennifer, How much creativity did Johnny Depp bring to The Mad Hatter character?
A: Jennifer Todd – Johnny brought so much to the character. We re-wrote quite a bit of the Hatter when Johnny came in, we fleshed out his back story of his family being killed, which explained his motivation and state of mind. Also all the lovely nuances of the character – his accent, wardrobe, etc were all created by Johnny with Tim.
Q: Suzanne, How did you find the right balance to remake Alice, but not isolate the audience with the tragedy within some characters?
A: Suzanne Todd – The characters in Alice, much like in any great literary work, and filled with both good and evil and struggling to find balance. It is that very struggle that we find fascinating and worth taking on this classic story.
Q: Jennifer, Did you get to keep any of the props from Alice in Wonderland?
A: Jennifer Todd – Sadly no, there weren’t many props to pinch! The Hatter’s tea was so beautiful but it went on tour after we finished filming.
Q: Suzanne, How hard was it to find the right Alice?
A: Suzanne Todd – I wouldn’t say it was difficult but it was a thoughtful and time-consuming process. Tim’s taste is exquisite and he knew exactly what he was looking for and found it plus more in our amazing Mia.
Q: Jennifer, Have you, for one reason or another, passed on any scripts that you later saw turned into great films?
A: Jennifer Todd – I can’t think of any I have – although it’s bound to happen. As a producer you have to accept your own taste and know that you won’t catch everything. I’m sure I would miss a great horror film if it came my way as I’m not good at those.
Q: Jennifer, At what stage of production did you decide to make the film 3D?
A: Jennifer Todd – At the beginning when Tim signed on. He was very keen on making this his first 3D film as the technology had just improved so much.
Q: Suzanne, What drew you to work on a classic such as Alice in The Wonderland?
A: Suzanne Todd – The Alice story is very present in modern day and appears in so many ways in movies, TV, and video games. We loved the idea of updating a classic with all the finest modern technologies.
Q: Jennifer, Both Johnny Depp & Helen Bonham are both strong, creative actors, it must have been fun working with them. Can you tell us what they both bring to the set in creativity?
A: Jennifer Todd – They are both so dedicated and fearless. They also are both so imaginative to create in the real world what worked for Wonderland. Both of them had so much input in their hair and make-up, wardrobe, props, etc..
Q: Jennifer, You worked on ‘Across The Universe’. Do you envisage a career peppered with interesting semi-animated projects and what is it you like most about semi-animated films?
A: Jennifer Todd – I love creating worlds and still being real. If I can find more movies to do this with I’ll be thrilled. They’re hard to find.
Q: Suzanne, With Helena Bonham Carter screaming so much she seems to have lost her voice a lot. Did you need a Scream Double?
A: Suzanne Todd – She did not have a scream double – but she did have to do some dialogue replacement after shooting was completed. She took on each day with total conviction – never tiring out from such an exhaustive role.
Q: Jennifer, Do you think this version that Tim Burton did of Alice enrich the classic? Did it respect all the guidelines of the book of Lewis Carroll?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think it is respectful. We used characters and plot from both books but only to enrich the plot of the film. I think the whim and the magic are in step with Lewis Carroll’s work.
Q: Suzanne, You’ve produced 18 movies in 18 years–what are you currently working on and do you ever take a vacation?
A: Suzanne Todd – We are currently working on a new film entitled “Celeste and Jesse Forever” starring Rashida Jones and Justin Timberlake. For vacations, I like to go to Disney World or on the Disney cruise – I am a huge fan of all things Disney!
Q: Jennifer, What made you go with Tim B. as Director of this?
A: Jennifer Todd – He was our first choice – he has the vision and the tone we thought perfectly suited the material.
Q: Suzanne, What has been the most rewarding experience you’ve learned or taken from making this movie?
A: Suzanne Todd – It was wonderful to take my ten-year old to the Royal Premiere in London! As a working mom, my children are so understanding about my sometimes hectic schedule and it was fantastic to share that amazing evening with my son.
Q: Jennifer, When working with such a talented director like Tim Burton, is the worry factor less or more pressure because of his quirkiness as an artist?
A: Jennifer Todd – I think there’s less pressure as Tim is such a known artist, and has had great success in his films prior to Alice.
Q: Jennifer, Tim Burton’s visions are always lush and I guess you would say extravagant (in all the right ways!). Were there any times when Tim’s vision had to be altered, either from a budget point of view or a creative one (to achieve a more ‘mainstream’ appeal, for example)?
A: Jennifer Todd – Not really. Tim self edits rather beautifully, and I think what’s great is that his unique vision appeals to audiences.
Q: Suzanne, What was the most enjoyable aspect of bringing to life this darker interpretation of a much loved classic?
A: Suzanne Todd – The response to the female empowerment at the core of the film has been very rewarding. We have heard from so many fans that the film has inspired them to think outside the box, and find courage in adversity – and that is immensely rewarding.
Q: Jennifer, Was it daunting to take such a well-loved classic tale and take forward into a new story line?
A: Jennifer Todd – Yes. The book is terrific but doesn’t lend itself well to a movie plot, so we were forced to reinvision it a bit without losing its magic.
Q: Jennifer, The original Alice story drew political parallels and satire wrapped up in a children’s story. What were some of the core messages and themes intended to be conveyed in this modern interpretation? Is it just a story about a girl lost in her own world and inner conflict, or do you see something much deeper?
A: Jennifer Todd – Our film is about a young girl at a crossroads in her life and finding the strength within her. It’s her “muchness”, her spirit, which she must tap into to find her way.
Q: Suzanne, Is there a tug of war between producer and director when it comes to creativity?
A: Suzanne Todd – Not when you are working with Tim Burton! He is a true genius and a visionary director.
Q: Jennifer, Is there a tug of war between producer and director when it comes to creativity?
A: Jennifer Todd – Not on a film like this, that was dependent on Tim’s vision. We really gave him the script and waited to see what he would come up with.
Q: Jennifer, Do you always look to work together as producers on projects, and are there times when the demands and stress of producing impact on your relationship?
A: Jennifer Todd – We do mostly produce together and I think it is actually quite easy having each other. It’s nice to have a real ally in the film making process as it’s so hard.
Q: Suzanne, Do you always look to work together as producers on projects, and are there times when the demands and stress of producing impact on your relationship?
A: Suzanne Todd – In the many movies we have made together, we have never disagreed about an important creative decision. We have had trying times, like all sisters do, but never based on the work – usually based on some unreturned shoes that had been borrowed or something like
that.
Q: Suzanne, Do you futterwack? I’m a poor futterwacker, do you have any tips?
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes! We all love to futterwacken! Who doesn’t? The best tips are to watch the video on you tube – and enter our contest! You could be a champion futterwacker! Check out www.Disney.com/Alicedance
Q: Jennifer, This is going to be a hard movie to top, will your next couple of projects be deliberately small scale?
A: Jennifer Todd – We really make whatever we can when we can but it just so turns out that our next film is quite small, THE ROMANTICS, which premiered at Sundance.
Q: Suzanne, As a producer, does Home video give you a safety net or a catch-all in terms of additional story points?
A: Suzanne Todd – In the case of Alice, we were looking more to the home video as an exciting way to give people a peek behind the curtain of the movie making magic. We were not focused on adding additional story points to the Blu-ray/DVD.
Q: Jennifer, With so many different avenues of entertainment available, is it getting more difficult for producers and filmmakers to green light big budget productions? Is the overwhelming box office success of films like Alice, Avatar, etc. helping build confidence in studios/investors/etc.?
A: Jennifer Todd – It seems right now you are either getting films made at a big level like ALICE or AVATAR or very small like our next film THE ROMANTICS. The middle seems to be very difficult these days.
Q: Suzanne, This ‘Alice’ has been mentioned as a sequel to the younger ‘Alice’ yet it comes over as a darker version even to the point of having Mia dressed in armor in her fight against the Red Queen. Was that your original intention to paint the older ‘Alice’ in this way?
A: Suzanne Todd – Yes, in some ways. Our intention was to present an updated Alice that drew from the bones of what Alice was like in the original stories. We take her empowerment to the extreme, like in the instance of wearing armor to attempt to slay the Jabberwocky.
Q: Jennifer, Is it harder to reinvent classic tales than new scripts?
A: Jennifer Todd – Yes and no. It’s great to start with characters that are already known and loved but daunting that you don’t mess it up and upset your audience. Studios like classic tales as it gives them a pre-awareness for an audience.
Q: Jennifer, Any final thoughts on Alice In Wonderland?
A: Jennifer Todd – Thank you all so much for your interest and time today. We are thrilled with the success of the film and hope you all enjoyed it.
Q: Suzanne, Any final thoughts on Alice In Wonderland?
A: Suzanne Todd – Alice has been a true joy to work on! We are thrilled at the response and feel very grateful to be able to make movies like this one!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Woolverton to Script "Maleficent"
The Hollywood Reporter has said that Linda Woolverton -- who wrote the screenplay for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland -- is attached as the screenwriter for Maleficent, an upcoming fantasy film from Disney that intends to tell the classic "Sleeping Beauty" story from the villain's perspective.
Linda Woolverton
The studio has attached Tim Burton as a potential director of the project, but the hiring of Woolverton is only the first concrete step in making this project a reality. Burton is circling numerous forthcoming projects, and there has been no word on his involvement with Maleficent since the idea first spread online in January.
Disney has not made an official comment on this development yet.
Friday, March 05, 2010
D23 Interview with Tim Burton
Disney's D23 website has a very indepth interview with Tim Burton, talking about Alice in Wonderland. The director discusses working on the technology-heavy film, working with various actors, the appeal of the strange characters and world created by Lewis Carroll, and much more. Here's the entire interview:
What appeals to you about this story?
In any fairy tale land there is good and bad. What I liked about Underland is that everything is slightly off, even the good people. That, to me, is something different. It's so much a part of the culture. So whether you've read the story or not, you'll know certain images or have certain ideas about it. It's such a popular story. The reason we did something with it is that it's captured the imagination of people for a very long time.
Why do you think Alice in Wonderland is still popular, more than 140 years after its publication?
It somehow taps a subconscious thing. That's why all those great stories stay around because they tap into the things that people probably aren't even aware of on a conscious level. There's definitely something about those images. That's why there have been so many versions of it. As a movie, it's always been about a passive little girl wandering around a series of adventures with weird characters. There's never any kind of gravity to it. The attempt with this was to take the idea of those stories and shape them into something that's not literal from the book but keeps the spirit of it.
How old were you when you first read the books?
I was in school, maybe like 8 or 10 years old. I have a weird connection with the books. The house where I live in London was owned by Arthur Rackham [famous English book illustrator who created the iconic color plates for the 1907 edition of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland]. I live and work out of the studio where he did some amazing versions of Alice in Wonderland. So I felt there was a connection to the material and me. And that always helps, somehow.
When you were first approached to direct, what was your reaction?
They gave me a script and they said 3D. And even before I read it, I thought, that's intriguing, and what I liked about Linda's script was she made it a story, gave it a shape for a movie that's not necessarily the book. So all those elements seemed exciting to me. What I liked about this take on the story is Alice is at an age where you're between a kid and an adult, when you're crossing over as a person. A lot of young people with old souls aren't so popular in their own culture and their own time. Alice is somebody who doesn't quite fit into that Victorian structure and society. She's more internal.
Why did you decide to make this particular version of the story?
Well, there are so many stories. It's not like it's a new story. If you read the books, there are all of these weird little adventures. So I think the goal of Linda Woolverton, the writer, was just to have the story and use the characters. Look, there are so many things — there is always going to be a character that is somebody's favorite. Someone will miss the Lobster, or whatever. You have the Red Queen and the White Queen, the March Hare and the White Rabbit — there were iconic ones that we knew we had to have in there. But then, we thought, let's just let the story play and see.
Which characters in Alice appealed to you more?
I like them all. And that's the thing with these. I think this material suffered in the past because all of the characters are just weird. Okay, Hatter's weird. Cat's weird. Rabbit's weird. We tried to give each one their own particular quirks, so that they each have their own character.
Growing up, did you have a favorite children's book?
I was a Dr. Seuss fan. It was easy to read. I liked his drawings. But, the reason I wanted to do Alice is that it was a really interesting challenge. I didn't feel personally, like I might on another project, like, oh, there is one great version out there, so to try and do another one, might be a problem. But with Alice, there are some interesting ones, but I don't know if any are completely successful.
What was your approach to the film?
I was much more fascinated by the iconic images — I think people are always surprised when they go back and read the stories, because they don't have that Lord of the Rings sweeping narrative. They're absurdist, surreal. But those characters are in our dreams, our tales. Those things that stay in your brain. Why do all these musicians write songs about it? Illustrators are recalling it all the time. You see it in other imagery. It was key to try to make that world. The things that I felt were unique to Alice, they're unique because they're so different. Like the bizarre size changes? And where you have some animals that talk, some don't. It seems quite random in what Carroll did. But, at the same time, it's not. There's something very deep. Things that seem random maybe aren't? The goal is just to try and capture that.
What do you like about this version of the story?
What I like about this is that it's more of a personal journey. These are the things that are actually the most important in life. That moment where you make that important choice. Maybe it happens to everybody. Maybe it doesn't. Maybe it does a couple of different times in your life, where you learn something, you grow. You know, it's like you've got two sides of yourself in conflict. Emotionally conflicted. And then, when you make that personal growth, it's quite an amazing thing. Quite a strong thing. It's reconciling within yourself who you are, becoming the person you're going to be, a human being. It sounds light, but it's important.
Why couldn't you do a re-telling of the books?
The thing that fascinated me about Alice is that its iconic images have been absorbed by our culture. I probably knew more about Alice from listening to bands and songs — so much of the story's imagery comes into play. So, that's the thing that was always strong about Alice. It was never the plot points of the story, because they were absurdist tales — they didn't really have a certain narrative dynamic. I think that's why those other versions, to me, were always lacking, because there was this little girl observing things and saying, oh, that's weird. There was one weird character after another, without much of a context to it. So, we tried to ground each of the Alice in Wonderland characters. We tried to give them it a bit more depth, and to give her a story. There's such a mystique about Alice in Wonderland. I just felt that it would be more appropriate if we tried to be true to the spirit of what those characters were, and then, just give it all a bit more of a foundation.
Why did you make Alice 19?
That age just seems to me to be a crossroads. There, I think you're entering a culture where you're pressured into society, or getting married, or some other thing. And she just seems to me to be at that point where you're at an emotional crossroads. I just felt like Alice is an interesting character, because she's at that age, and she's got both a young person's and an old person's soul. There's a dynamic — at odds feeling both the young and the old, and then reconciling those two things. It just seemed like the classic structure of fantasy — go back to The Wizard of Oz. Or any of a number of fairy or folk tales — these adventures are always to work out the character's emotional problems. That's why I've always been intrigued by the poetry and the purpose of such stories — myths and things. They mean something. And, so, her adventures are her coming to terms with who she is and gaining her personal strength. Those are the journeys that are made in these stories, but they're quite private, too. It seemed like the right age to explore that dynamic of somebody, at a moment of change.
What is Johnny Depp's approach to playing such a vivid character as The Mad Hatter?
It is an iconic character and it's been portrayed in animation, in live-action. I think Johnny tried to find grounding with the character, something you can feel, as opposed to him just being 'mad.' With a lot of versions, it's just a one-note character, and his goal was to bring out a human side to the strangeness of the character. I've worked with him for many years, and he always tries to do something like that, and this time was no exception.
Do you consider Johnny Depp as a muse?
Nah, he's just a piece of meat [LAUGHS]. All these actors were great, because they weren't dealing with a lot of stuff — sets, props, other actors. So, a lot of it had to be inside of each person's mind. You can't really work with method actors too much on a movie like this. You need people to go out on a limb and just go for it, without a lot of material. So, yeah, Johnny's good at that. And I was lucky with these other actors, that they kind of went for it, too. And, you know, for me, too, I think it was really hard, because I'd never really done a movie like this. And it's quite eye-opening. It's a whole different process. I would think for an actor, it's really challenging.
How close do you work with Johnny in creating his characters?
Well, I'll do a little sketch, he'll do a little sketch. We'll talk. It always is different. With him, we use references, but they're never specific references. Because he never wants to feel like he's doing just one thing. So, we use a lot of abstract references. But I'm always excited to see what's gonna come out it.
Do you let him go as far as he can and then reel him back in?
Yeah, but he's pretty good. You never wanna go so far that you're missing some emotional beats. So, we've tried to make the Hatter mad, of course, but also give him a certain emotional quality under the surface. Johnny's pretty good about trying to find the reality of something unreal.
Can you talk about why you chose Mia Wasikowska for Alice?
She has both a young quality and an old quality. Very grounded — some people are just all over the place. But some people, they have that old soul quality. And that's what we felt was important for this Alice. But, at the same time, to be young — there are people with old souls who are also naïve at the same time. There's a certain slight passiveness to Alice that's always in the material. So we wanted to give her more of a quiet strength, which Mia has herself — just as a person. I just liked her quality. I always like it when I sense people have that old-soul quality to them. Because you're witnessing this whole thing through her eyes, it needed somebody who can subtly portray that.
How did Mia, as a relatively new actress, handle the role?
Well, she's great. This'll probably be the most abstract movie that she will ever do, let's hope. Like I said, it was new for me. In dealing with all the green screen and obstacles she had to deal with, she took it all in stride. She always was trying to remember the character and just go back to that place within herself. That was helpful, because it could be a nightmarish process. It goes against all of your instincts, I would imagine, as an actor — you have nothing to work with. The guy standing there with a green stick is not really that inspiring, you know.
You go way back with Crispin Glover [who plays the Knave of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland], right?
I first met him in the early '80s. He's a very unique individual. He's a real Renaissance man. There are not many people who do movies and then do their own films and do their own art and live their own lives in the way that he does. But he's great. He's got such a pleasant visual presence.
Your cast is full of British character actors, performers who can disappear into the character.
I love working with people like Matt Lucas, who do characters, because I think they're great actors. They're fun to watch. Matt did one character then slipped into another; that to me is the sign of a good actor, and it was really great to work with him. Also, it was important to me to have a real, heavy British flavor. There are lots of people I've always admired. I wanted to try and make the animated voices not overly animated, so they all felt like they were in the same world. I didn't want them to feel like live-action characters in a completely animated world, so I tried to make the live-action a bit more extreme, and then with the animation, I tried to bring it back. I was lucky enough to get really great actors who — if they had done it as humans would have been great — brought the animated characters up to the level of the live-action.
How did you get your actors into character?
Well, it's difficult when you don't have a lot of sets and you are dealing with a lot of technology. I tried to keep it as lively as possible and as fast as possible, so that they could interact with each other as much as possible. So speed and energy were important. You just try to keep moving and grooving.
How did the actors in Alice in Wonderland approach the dialogue?
The kind of actors I like to work with bring something to it — like if there was a line or something from the book that they want to be in the script. If an actor connects to something or feels passionate about something, that's always nice, and you might get something better from them — it's something meaningful that they can grasp.
Is it Underland or Wonderland? What does it look like in this film?
It is Underland and has always been Underland, but according to the film version, when Alice visited as a child, she misheard the name and called it Wonderland. Everybody's got an image of Underland. I think in people's minds, it's always a very bright, cartoony place. We thought if Alice had had this adventure as a little girl and now she's going back, perhaps it's been a little bit depressed since she's left. It's got a slightly haunted quality to it.
Are you taking a unique approach to technology with this film?
Well, [senior visual effects supervisor] Ken Ralston's done this. I haven't done this before. It's a puzzle, and the movie doesn't materialize until the end. What's been the most difficult thing is, after production ends, you usually have a movie — you see the shots and then you spend six months to a year cutting it. This doesn't work that way. It's a very Alice in Wonderland-like process. It's a little backwards.
How did you incorporate available technology into this film?
Our approach to this was a bit more organic, in the sense that Ken Ralston and I discussed what we liked and didn't like about animation, live-action and other technologies. We had that conversation. We decided on a mix — we'll have real people, but also animate characters, and then manipulate them. So, we just tried to pick and choose what we used with each situation. That's the thing about technology. There are so many ways to use it.
How did you come up with the concept for the design of this world?
We looked at a lot of great artists on this one. In some ways, it ended up being more like an animated movie, in terms of the structure and how it got done. We had lots of designers. Everybody chipped in. It's been a really organic building process.
What inspired you most in terms of the visuals?
We didn't choose just one thing — there are so many different things. We looked at pictures of trees. We'd get some good concept work that we liked and then latch onto that. The goal at the end of it all was to be true to the essence of the story and make it feel new. Make it feel like it's a different thing. But yet, there's a reason why I like the Cheshire Cat or the Caterpillar or the Mad Hatter — those characters are in people's consciousness because they're strong images. It was key to do that justice.
Why did you choose to make the film in 3D?
Well, 3D is not a fad. It's here to stay. It doesn't mean that every movie's going to be made in 3D. But at the same time, Alice in 3D, just because of the material, it seemed to fit. So, instead of it just being a given, we tried to treat it as though it was a part of Wonderland. Matching the medium with the material.
Did you shoot in 3D or was it part of the process after filming had finished?
We didn't do it with the 3D cable. With the techniques we were using — the pure animation, live-action and manipulating that — shooting it traditionally gave us more freedom to get into the depth, the layers, that we wanted in the time that we were dealing with. And also, I can't really see the difference. I'm sure that there are people who say 'it's more pure this way or that way…' But this seemed like the right approach. After seeing the conversion job that was done on The Nightmare Before Christmas, I found no reason to do it any other way. We were trying to do it faster and at the end of the day, I didn't see any difference in quality.
Does using 3D affect the story?
In the old days you'd put the glasses on and walk out of the theatre with a splitting headache. And that's no longer the case, it's a much more pleasant experience. And I'm personally not out to make a gimmick, so I believe that it enhances the film. It puts you into that world. And with the Alice material — the growing and shrinking of characters for instance — and the special spaces and places that you're in, it just helps with the experience. Obviously, these films not only have to work in 3D, but they have to look good as a movie that you'd want to see. I think the gimmick element of 3D is falling by the wayside, and it's more about an experience that puts you into the film. When Nightmare was converted to 3D, I felt it was the way it should have been. You felt the texture of the puppets more, you actually felt like you were on the set. And I think that enhances the experience. This seemed like the right kind of story to do in 3D. I always try to say, 'Is it the right medium for this?' and not just do it because it's a gimmick or it's fashionable now, and it did feel like it was the right kind of material. So seeing it come to life in 3D supports the material. It gives you that kind of 'out-there' feeling that was a very crucial element to the film.
Where do you see the future of movies going, now that you have this mixture of 3D and live-action?
I was in animation several years ago. It was pronounced dead, and then they stopped doing hand drawn. So, the good news is that there are more forms for everything, which is great. There should be 3D, drawn animation, computer animation, stop-motion. It's all valid. It's all great. And it's better now than it's ever been. I was struggling for 10 years to get a stop-motion movie made. Now, you can do it — no problem.
Are you fascinated with special effects?
I'm not a special-effects-just-for-special-effects kind of filmmaker. I try not to treat it like that. Even with all the stuff in this movie, we always tried to go back to the simplicity of it being one person's journey. It's Alice's journey. And that's it. It's a very simple thing — and that's what we always tried to keep it.
What appeals to you about this story?
In any fairy tale land there is good and bad. What I liked about Underland is that everything is slightly off, even the good people. That, to me, is something different. It's so much a part of the culture. So whether you've read the story or not, you'll know certain images or have certain ideas about it. It's such a popular story. The reason we did something with it is that it's captured the imagination of people for a very long time.
Why do you think Alice in Wonderland is still popular, more than 140 years after its publication?
It somehow taps a subconscious thing. That's why all those great stories stay around because they tap into the things that people probably aren't even aware of on a conscious level. There's definitely something about those images. That's why there have been so many versions of it. As a movie, it's always been about a passive little girl wandering around a series of adventures with weird characters. There's never any kind of gravity to it. The attempt with this was to take the idea of those stories and shape them into something that's not literal from the book but keeps the spirit of it.
How old were you when you first read the books?
I was in school, maybe like 8 or 10 years old. I have a weird connection with the books. The house where I live in London was owned by Arthur Rackham [famous English book illustrator who created the iconic color plates for the 1907 edition of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland]. I live and work out of the studio where he did some amazing versions of Alice in Wonderland. So I felt there was a connection to the material and me. And that always helps, somehow.
When you were first approached to direct, what was your reaction?
They gave me a script and they said 3D. And even before I read it, I thought, that's intriguing, and what I liked about Linda's script was she made it a story, gave it a shape for a movie that's not necessarily the book. So all those elements seemed exciting to me. What I liked about this take on the story is Alice is at an age where you're between a kid and an adult, when you're crossing over as a person. A lot of young people with old souls aren't so popular in their own culture and their own time. Alice is somebody who doesn't quite fit into that Victorian structure and society. She's more internal.
Why did you decide to make this particular version of the story?
Well, there are so many stories. It's not like it's a new story. If you read the books, there are all of these weird little adventures. So I think the goal of Linda Woolverton, the writer, was just to have the story and use the characters. Look, there are so many things — there is always going to be a character that is somebody's favorite. Someone will miss the Lobster, or whatever. You have the Red Queen and the White Queen, the March Hare and the White Rabbit — there were iconic ones that we knew we had to have in there. But then, we thought, let's just let the story play and see.
Which characters in Alice appealed to you more?
I like them all. And that's the thing with these. I think this material suffered in the past because all of the characters are just weird. Okay, Hatter's weird. Cat's weird. Rabbit's weird. We tried to give each one their own particular quirks, so that they each have their own character.
Growing up, did you have a favorite children's book?
I was a Dr. Seuss fan. It was easy to read. I liked his drawings. But, the reason I wanted to do Alice is that it was a really interesting challenge. I didn't feel personally, like I might on another project, like, oh, there is one great version out there, so to try and do another one, might be a problem. But with Alice, there are some interesting ones, but I don't know if any are completely successful.
What was your approach to the film?
I was much more fascinated by the iconic images — I think people are always surprised when they go back and read the stories, because they don't have that Lord of the Rings sweeping narrative. They're absurdist, surreal. But those characters are in our dreams, our tales. Those things that stay in your brain. Why do all these musicians write songs about it? Illustrators are recalling it all the time. You see it in other imagery. It was key to try to make that world. The things that I felt were unique to Alice, they're unique because they're so different. Like the bizarre size changes? And where you have some animals that talk, some don't. It seems quite random in what Carroll did. But, at the same time, it's not. There's something very deep. Things that seem random maybe aren't? The goal is just to try and capture that.
What do you like about this version of the story?
What I like about this is that it's more of a personal journey. These are the things that are actually the most important in life. That moment where you make that important choice. Maybe it happens to everybody. Maybe it doesn't. Maybe it does a couple of different times in your life, where you learn something, you grow. You know, it's like you've got two sides of yourself in conflict. Emotionally conflicted. And then, when you make that personal growth, it's quite an amazing thing. Quite a strong thing. It's reconciling within yourself who you are, becoming the person you're going to be, a human being. It sounds light, but it's important.
Why couldn't you do a re-telling of the books?
The thing that fascinated me about Alice is that its iconic images have been absorbed by our culture. I probably knew more about Alice from listening to bands and songs — so much of the story's imagery comes into play. So, that's the thing that was always strong about Alice. It was never the plot points of the story, because they were absurdist tales — they didn't really have a certain narrative dynamic. I think that's why those other versions, to me, were always lacking, because there was this little girl observing things and saying, oh, that's weird. There was one weird character after another, without much of a context to it. So, we tried to ground each of the Alice in Wonderland characters. We tried to give them it a bit more depth, and to give her a story. There's such a mystique about Alice in Wonderland. I just felt that it would be more appropriate if we tried to be true to the spirit of what those characters were, and then, just give it all a bit more of a foundation.
Why did you make Alice 19?
That age just seems to me to be a crossroads. There, I think you're entering a culture where you're pressured into society, or getting married, or some other thing. And she just seems to me to be at that point where you're at an emotional crossroads. I just felt like Alice is an interesting character, because she's at that age, and she's got both a young person's and an old person's soul. There's a dynamic — at odds feeling both the young and the old, and then reconciling those two things. It just seemed like the classic structure of fantasy — go back to The Wizard of Oz. Or any of a number of fairy or folk tales — these adventures are always to work out the character's emotional problems. That's why I've always been intrigued by the poetry and the purpose of such stories — myths and things. They mean something. And, so, her adventures are her coming to terms with who she is and gaining her personal strength. Those are the journeys that are made in these stories, but they're quite private, too. It seemed like the right age to explore that dynamic of somebody, at a moment of change.
What is Johnny Depp's approach to playing such a vivid character as The Mad Hatter?
It is an iconic character and it's been portrayed in animation, in live-action. I think Johnny tried to find grounding with the character, something you can feel, as opposed to him just being 'mad.' With a lot of versions, it's just a one-note character, and his goal was to bring out a human side to the strangeness of the character. I've worked with him for many years, and he always tries to do something like that, and this time was no exception.
Do you consider Johnny Depp as a muse?
Nah, he's just a piece of meat [LAUGHS]. All these actors were great, because they weren't dealing with a lot of stuff — sets, props, other actors. So, a lot of it had to be inside of each person's mind. You can't really work with method actors too much on a movie like this. You need people to go out on a limb and just go for it, without a lot of material. So, yeah, Johnny's good at that. And I was lucky with these other actors, that they kind of went for it, too. And, you know, for me, too, I think it was really hard, because I'd never really done a movie like this. And it's quite eye-opening. It's a whole different process. I would think for an actor, it's really challenging.
How close do you work with Johnny in creating his characters?
Well, I'll do a little sketch, he'll do a little sketch. We'll talk. It always is different. With him, we use references, but they're never specific references. Because he never wants to feel like he's doing just one thing. So, we use a lot of abstract references. But I'm always excited to see what's gonna come out it.
Do you let him go as far as he can and then reel him back in?
Yeah, but he's pretty good. You never wanna go so far that you're missing some emotional beats. So, we've tried to make the Hatter mad, of course, but also give him a certain emotional quality under the surface. Johnny's pretty good about trying to find the reality of something unreal.
Can you talk about why you chose Mia Wasikowska for Alice?
She has both a young quality and an old quality. Very grounded — some people are just all over the place. But some people, they have that old soul quality. And that's what we felt was important for this Alice. But, at the same time, to be young — there are people with old souls who are also naïve at the same time. There's a certain slight passiveness to Alice that's always in the material. So we wanted to give her more of a quiet strength, which Mia has herself — just as a person. I just liked her quality. I always like it when I sense people have that old-soul quality to them. Because you're witnessing this whole thing through her eyes, it needed somebody who can subtly portray that.
How did Mia, as a relatively new actress, handle the role?
Well, she's great. This'll probably be the most abstract movie that she will ever do, let's hope. Like I said, it was new for me. In dealing with all the green screen and obstacles she had to deal with, she took it all in stride. She always was trying to remember the character and just go back to that place within herself. That was helpful, because it could be a nightmarish process. It goes against all of your instincts, I would imagine, as an actor — you have nothing to work with. The guy standing there with a green stick is not really that inspiring, you know.
You go way back with Crispin Glover [who plays the Knave of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland], right?
I first met him in the early '80s. He's a very unique individual. He's a real Renaissance man. There are not many people who do movies and then do their own films and do their own art and live their own lives in the way that he does. But he's great. He's got such a pleasant visual presence.
Your cast is full of British character actors, performers who can disappear into the character.
I love working with people like Matt Lucas, who do characters, because I think they're great actors. They're fun to watch. Matt did one character then slipped into another; that to me is the sign of a good actor, and it was really great to work with him. Also, it was important to me to have a real, heavy British flavor. There are lots of people I've always admired. I wanted to try and make the animated voices not overly animated, so they all felt like they were in the same world. I didn't want them to feel like live-action characters in a completely animated world, so I tried to make the live-action a bit more extreme, and then with the animation, I tried to bring it back. I was lucky enough to get really great actors who — if they had done it as humans would have been great — brought the animated characters up to the level of the live-action.
How did you get your actors into character?
Well, it's difficult when you don't have a lot of sets and you are dealing with a lot of technology. I tried to keep it as lively as possible and as fast as possible, so that they could interact with each other as much as possible. So speed and energy were important. You just try to keep moving and grooving.
How did the actors in Alice in Wonderland approach the dialogue?
The kind of actors I like to work with bring something to it — like if there was a line or something from the book that they want to be in the script. If an actor connects to something or feels passionate about something, that's always nice, and you might get something better from them — it's something meaningful that they can grasp.
Is it Underland or Wonderland? What does it look like in this film?
It is Underland and has always been Underland, but according to the film version, when Alice visited as a child, she misheard the name and called it Wonderland. Everybody's got an image of Underland. I think in people's minds, it's always a very bright, cartoony place. We thought if Alice had had this adventure as a little girl and now she's going back, perhaps it's been a little bit depressed since she's left. It's got a slightly haunted quality to it.
Are you taking a unique approach to technology with this film?
Well, [senior visual effects supervisor] Ken Ralston's done this. I haven't done this before. It's a puzzle, and the movie doesn't materialize until the end. What's been the most difficult thing is, after production ends, you usually have a movie — you see the shots and then you spend six months to a year cutting it. This doesn't work that way. It's a very Alice in Wonderland-like process. It's a little backwards.
How did you incorporate available technology into this film?
Our approach to this was a bit more organic, in the sense that Ken Ralston and I discussed what we liked and didn't like about animation, live-action and other technologies. We had that conversation. We decided on a mix — we'll have real people, but also animate characters, and then manipulate them. So, we just tried to pick and choose what we used with each situation. That's the thing about technology. There are so many ways to use it.
How did you come up with the concept for the design of this world?
We looked at a lot of great artists on this one. In some ways, it ended up being more like an animated movie, in terms of the structure and how it got done. We had lots of designers. Everybody chipped in. It's been a really organic building process.
What inspired you most in terms of the visuals?
We didn't choose just one thing — there are so many different things. We looked at pictures of trees. We'd get some good concept work that we liked and then latch onto that. The goal at the end of it all was to be true to the essence of the story and make it feel new. Make it feel like it's a different thing. But yet, there's a reason why I like the Cheshire Cat or the Caterpillar or the Mad Hatter — those characters are in people's consciousness because they're strong images. It was key to do that justice.
Why did you choose to make the film in 3D?
Well, 3D is not a fad. It's here to stay. It doesn't mean that every movie's going to be made in 3D. But at the same time, Alice in 3D, just because of the material, it seemed to fit. So, instead of it just being a given, we tried to treat it as though it was a part of Wonderland. Matching the medium with the material.
Did you shoot in 3D or was it part of the process after filming had finished?
We didn't do it with the 3D cable. With the techniques we were using — the pure animation, live-action and manipulating that — shooting it traditionally gave us more freedom to get into the depth, the layers, that we wanted in the time that we were dealing with. And also, I can't really see the difference. I'm sure that there are people who say 'it's more pure this way or that way…' But this seemed like the right approach. After seeing the conversion job that was done on The Nightmare Before Christmas, I found no reason to do it any other way. We were trying to do it faster and at the end of the day, I didn't see any difference in quality.
Does using 3D affect the story?
In the old days you'd put the glasses on and walk out of the theatre with a splitting headache. And that's no longer the case, it's a much more pleasant experience. And I'm personally not out to make a gimmick, so I believe that it enhances the film. It puts you into that world. And with the Alice material — the growing and shrinking of characters for instance — and the special spaces and places that you're in, it just helps with the experience. Obviously, these films not only have to work in 3D, but they have to look good as a movie that you'd want to see. I think the gimmick element of 3D is falling by the wayside, and it's more about an experience that puts you into the film. When Nightmare was converted to 3D, I felt it was the way it should have been. You felt the texture of the puppets more, you actually felt like you were on the set. And I think that enhances the experience. This seemed like the right kind of story to do in 3D. I always try to say, 'Is it the right medium for this?' and not just do it because it's a gimmick or it's fashionable now, and it did feel like it was the right kind of material. So seeing it come to life in 3D supports the material. It gives you that kind of 'out-there' feeling that was a very crucial element to the film.
Where do you see the future of movies going, now that you have this mixture of 3D and live-action?
I was in animation several years ago. It was pronounced dead, and then they stopped doing hand drawn. So, the good news is that there are more forms for everything, which is great. There should be 3D, drawn animation, computer animation, stop-motion. It's all valid. It's all great. And it's better now than it's ever been. I was struggling for 10 years to get a stop-motion movie made. Now, you can do it — no problem.
Are you fascinated with special effects?
I'm not a special-effects-just-for-special-effects kind of filmmaker. I try not to treat it like that. Even with all the stuff in this movie, we always tried to go back to the simplicity of it being one person's journey. It's Alice's journey. And that's it. It's a very simple thing — and that's what we always tried to keep it.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Being the Red Queen
Helena Bonham Carter recalled how her partner Tim Burton proposed the role of the Red Queen to her.
"He was so polite about it, and there were so many hesitations," Bonham Carter said. "He said, 'Would you consider, um, possibly, perhaps -- but only if you want to -- um, anyway, would you play the Red Queen?'"
"It was like a proposal of marriage," said the 43-year-old actress. Bonham is routinely misidentified as Burton's wife. They have two children and have had a nine-year romance together.
"I was doing 'Terminator Salvation' at the time, and when he asked me, I was really flattered. It was a complete surprise! I know people think it's disingenuous when I say that, but it's true. They won't understand this, but each time [he has a film], I truly don't expect Tim to ever want to work with me again."
"I personally find it especially flattering that he tends to deform me in every movie," Bonham Carter said. "But my mother and everyone asks me, 'What is it with you and him?' But that's the point of acting isn't it? It's all dress-up."
For the record, though, Burton didn't tell Bonham Carter what her deformity would be in Alice in Wonderland. "I learned that when I read it in the script," Bonham Carter said with mock distress. "Oh, a huge head? I see, lovely."
The Red Queen's gigantic head was not a small detail while making the film. "The queen's head was something we had to be careful to account for all the time," visual-effects supervisor Ken Ralston said. "We had to remind people to back away from Helena in their scenes to give her head enough room."
Linda Woolverton, the screenwriter for "Alice," says the Red Queen grew up with a tumor in her head, which, in Wonderland's version of physiology, made her head vast. "Linda told me it also made the queen emotionally volatile and arrested in her development," Bonham Carter said with something close to sympathy. "We have a 2-year-old daughter, Nell. There are some similarities."
There have been numerous incarnations of Lewis Carroll's stories to film, and Bonham Carter suggested to viewers that they shouldn't expect a strict adaptation. "Tim has changed things, and some purists will just slit their wrists when they see it," she said, chuckling at her own gruesome imagery. "It's all very invented, very new with this film and with good reason. The original Carroll stories are in fact very episodic -- there isn't a lot of huge narrative or dramatic drive. The story that Linda Woolverton invented is a mixture, it's stolen from both [books by Carroll] but given a real context and a story and a purpose for the whole dream to occur."
Bonham Carter didn't remember exactly when she was introduced to Alice and her world. "She's so been around," Bonham Carter said. "She's definitely mythic. I can't really remember how I first came to the story. I've always just had random impressions of it, the symbols and imagery, they're just stuck with me. They've always entranced me -- like the door and the keyhole and the 'drink me' potion and the 'eat me' cake.
"What is it about Alice? Why do we respond to it, and why does it still captivate us?"
The actress explained gave her opinions. "She knows she's in a dream, and we all know that feeling," the actress said. "And the changing of size, there's something in that too, the way children feel in an adult world or the way they fantasize about growing large and visible or to shrink away and be away from it."
Helena Bonham Carter has worked in myriad of different kinds of films, but this is her first venture into 3D. The actress stated how she hopes that the new stereoscopic technology stays as an enhancement for story-telling, and not a flashy, superficial alternative to it.
"I haven't seen too many 3D movies, for instance, and I don't think they all work that well, but I think with this one, with 'Alice,' it's a perfect marriage of 3D and subject matter. I think with a lot of the 3D films, it's a bit gratuitous. But with this story, you have all the shrinking and changing of size so there's an opportunity to use the technology in an interesting way."
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The White Queen = Cooking Star Nigella Lawson?
Tim Burton explained some of his real-world inspiration for the White Queen character in Alice in Wonderland:
There's this very beautiful cooking show host in England named Nigella Lawson and I quietly had her as my image for this character," Burton said, referring to the comely author and television personality sometimes referred to as the "queen of food porn."
Burton said that as lovely as Lawson is, her cooking routine has an eerie edge to it at times. "She's really beautiful and she does all this cooking, but then there's this glint in her eye and when you see it you go, 'Oh, whoa, she's like really ... nuts.' I mean in a good way. Well, maybe. I don't know."
British cuisine star Nigella Lawson.
The White Queen is played by Anne Hathaway in Burton's film.
Burton also discussed the tense relationship between the Red Queen and the White Queen.
"With a lot of people I've known, when it comes to sisters, there's this perception that there's the nice one and the bad one," Burton said. "But then, that nice one, there's also undercurrents there and things going back and forth between the two. She can stay up sharpening knives all night, but she's still the nice one."
The director said that Linda Woolverton's adaptation of Lewis Carroll's original stories bent the perception of good and evil beyond cliched archetypes.
"The interesting thing I think was to have them connected, and neither is quite what you expect," Burton said. "What Linda did with that was great. It helps with the thing that really sets Alice apart from so many other types of kids literature, which is the fact that everybody is a little bit off. Even if somebody is good, there's something wrong with them. Everyone is a bit twisted somehow. The White Queen is no exception."
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Burton on Spall, the Bloodhound
While the title is familiar, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland is aiming to be quite different from previous cinematic adaptations. One example of this is the presence of a character that never appeared in the two "Alice" books by Lewis Carroll: the Bloodhound.
The canine character is voiced by Timothy Spall, who previously worked with Burton on his last feature, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, playing the Beadle Bamford. Spall is no stranger to fantastical films, having acted in Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Enchanted.
"Timothy Spall is amazing," Burton said. "I love him. He's exciting because he's always doing something different, he's always working and doing some interesting project. He does all sorts of cool things."
The bloodhound's presence may be "a reaction against the Cheshire Cat" in the film, says Burton, who is no fan of felines. "The film felt a bit feline- and rodent-heavy, perhaps, and I think the Bloodhound adds a certain little gravity to it. When you see all of the characters, the animal ones, together, he added a little balance to it."
Screenwriter Linda Woolverton explains her creation of the bloodhound character in this Los Angeles Times article, which does include a few SPOILERS.
Although much of the film is animated, Burton, a notorious dog-lover, really wanted to go for realism for the bloodhound character -- aside from the obvious talking bit.
"We were trying to find with this character and the other talking-animal characters the right kind of animation and the goal was to keep it naturalistic and to fit into that world in the background," Burton said. "The movement of the animals is really what I'm referring to, in some animation the characters don't move the way animals do and we wanted to go the direction of being naturalistic."
Monday, February 15, 2010
Mark Salisbury on the making of "Wonderland"
Mark Salisbury, who has written extensively about the art and films of Tim Burton, has a detailed article written for the Telegraph on the making of Alice in Wonderland. Here is the entire article.
BEWARE OF SPOILERS!!:
In a cavernous soundstage at Culver City Studios in Los Angeles in November 2008, Johnny Depp stands before a massive green backdrop wearing a frizzy orange wig, turquoise frock-coat over a red waistcoat, and a chequered kilt complete with sporran. On his legs he has striped socks, one blue and turquoise, the other red and cream. On his head is a top hat, with hatpins and price tag tucked into a silk ribbon. In his hands he wields a huge broadsword that is almost as tall as he is. With his white-painted face, rouged cheeks and fluorescent green contact lenses, Depp is almost unrecognisable. But as Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter, he is suitably freaky. No surprise really, given that the man behind the camera is Tim Burton and together he and Depp have, over the past two decades, created a memorable series of onscreen oddballs, including Edward Scissorhands and Willy Wonka.
Next to Depp is Alice herself, played by the Australian newcomer Mia Wasikowska, but looking quite unlike any Alice you have ever seen. In a Joan of Arc suit of armour, tight blond curls cascading past her shoulders, a steely-eyed Wasikowska sits atop a green animal-shaped box on poles, being carried by men dressed entirely in green, brandishing her own sword to the imaginary hordes of the Red Queen’s army; playing-cards loyal to Helena Bonham Carter’s monstrous-headed monarch that will be added to the scene via computer-generated imagery (CGI) in the coming months. 'There’s definitely not a whole lot to draw from in terms of your environment,’ Wasikowska admits during a break in filming. 'It’s good that it leaves a lot of room for your own imagination, but it is kind of hard to jump into a moment. You have to imagine you’re sitting on a beast, it’s all dark and gloomy and there’s one army here, the Red Army, and another army here, the White Army.’
To create his 3D version of Lewis Carroll’s hallucinatory classic Burton is shooting his actors in front of green screens rather than on real sets, then using the latest digital technology to insert sets, props, backgrounds and even some characters into the frame in post-production – the colour green chosen as it is so far removed from skin tone. He dabbled with this technique for several sequences on his previous film – a very bloody adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s horror musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which also starred Depp – and was intrigued enough to commit fully to the process for this. And so, apart from those scenes featuring Alice in the real world – which he filmed in Cornwall for two weeks before the production relocated to Los Angeles – Burton has spent the past few weeks in this sterile, all-green environment and has several more to go.
Outside, the Californian air is heavy with ash, raining down from several wildfires raging around Los Angeles. Inside, conditions are not much better. The green itself is a bilious shade, bordering on the fluorescent. The film’s Oscar-winning producer, Richard Zanuck, says that sickness and lethargy have been a constant problem among cast and crew. Burton has even had special lavender lenses fitted into his glasses to combat the effect.
'The novelty of the green wears off very quickly,’ Depp says in his trailer later, the Hatter’s make-up now gone. 'It’s exhausting, actually. I mean, I like an obstacle – I don’t mind having to spew dialogue while having to step over dolly track while some guy is holding a card and I’m talking to a piece of tape. But the green beats you up. You’re kind of befuddled at the end of the day.’
Many of Carroll’s creations will be fully animated characters, including the Dormouse, the White Rabbit, the March Hare and the Cheshire Cat, and Burton has amassed an eclectic group of British actors to voice them, among them Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse and Barbara Windsor. On set, these characters are represented either by green cardboard cutouts, full-size models or actors dressed in green. The tubby twins Tweedledum and Tweedledee are being played by Little Britain star Matt Lucas, but only his rubbery features will make the finished film, although all his movements are being recorded to provide the basis for the digital Tweedles.
As Burton readies a close-up of Depp and Wasikowska, he has a 4ft-long model of the finished set brought out for his actors to look at. One of his monitors has an image of the set with a temporary digital background. 'It’s really helpful to go and see the screen, the composite one, and think, “OK, that’s where we are”,’ Bonham Carter says. 'You’ve always got a hell of a lot of imagining anyway. You just do a bit more.’
Tall and rangy, his mass of unruly black hair peppered grey, and wearing black shirt, black jeans and scuffed black boots, Burton wastes little time between set-ups. With his actors in place, he heads back to his monitors, settles in his chair, and picks up a microphone. 'Come on, kids,’ he shouts, his cheerful voice booming around the soundstage, 'let’s put on a show.’
Written by the Rev Charles Dodgson, a mathematics lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford, under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland first appeared in 1865, and was followed six years later by Through the Looking-Glass And What Alice Found There. The books, now published together under the more familiar title of Alice in Wonderland, told of a little girl’s journey into an alternate land populated by bizarre characters, and changed the landscape of children’s literature. A century and a half later, they continue to delight. 'It’s still new. It’s still fresh,’ Depp says. 'If it were written yesterday and released on shelves today, people would still be as amazed by it as they were then.
It’s a monumental achievement.’ Cinema was quick to latch on to Alice’s appeal, the first film appearing in 1903. And while there have been frequent attempts to adapt the story since, notably Walt Disney’s 1951 cartoon, none has truly managed to capture the anarchic spirit and surreal, nonsensical, fever-dream logic of Carroll’s writing. But if anyone can, Burton can.
The American screenwriter Linda Woolverton, whose credits include Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, had been considering doing something with Carroll’s world for some time, but couldn’t find a way into the story. 'I wrote this at a very dark time in my life,’ she says. 'A lot of bad things had happened –death, divorce, moving across the country – so I was kind of down the rabbit hole myself at the time.’ It was only when she thought of making Alice older and bringing her back to Wonderland that it all came into focus. 'I got an image of her standing at a very crucial moment in her life, looking over and seeing this rabbit leaning against the tree, looking at her, knowing she had to put a pin in this crucial decision and follow this rabbit, because that was her destiny.’
Burton’s film takes place a decade after the events of Carroll’s book and incorporates a lot of the themes and characters from the original. 'But it’s an entirely different story, a different Alice,’ Wasikowska says. 'She’s grieving from the loss of her father and feels very isolated and alone and awkward in her skin. She doesn’t fit into the society she’s a part of, and she doesn’t like what’s expected of her, which is to get married and be a good wife.’ Finding herself being proposed to at garden party, Alice spots a familiar-looking white rabbit, and consequently follows him down a hole and into Wonderland. What she finds is, according to Burton, 'a place in decline, overgrown, a little bit depressed, with a slightly haunted quality to it.’ His vision of Wonderland – devoid of colour and life under the oppressive rule of the Red Queen – was inspired by the work of Arthur Rackham, who illustrated the 1907 edition of Alice in Wonderland, as well as a black-and-white photograph of a family having tea during the Second World War with London, dishevelled, in the background.
After being reacquainted with the Mad Hatter, Alice is taken to see the wise, old, hookah-smoking Caterpillar (Alan Rickman), who informs her that her presence in Wonderland is no accident. Rather, according to ancient prophecy, she has returned to slay the Red Queen’s dreaded Jabberwocky and bring about the end of her reign. Wasikowska found her character easy to relate to. 'Returning to Wonderland is Alice rediscovering who she is and having the strength to be more self-assured when she comes back,’ she says. 'Alice is such an iconic character. I wasn’t sure at first how much they wanted to play with that, or how different they wanted to make her. Tim decided it was important to keep some of the iconic nature. So, for me, the challenge was finding Alice the teenage girl, and bringing that to the story. I wanted to make her real to teenagers and young adults.’
Burton had been determined to cast an unknown as Alice. 'She had that emotional toughness; standing her ground in a way which makes her kind of an older person but with a younger person’s mentality,’ he says. Anne Hathaway, who plays the White Queen, says, 'I love watching her work because it’s very quiet what she’s doing but it goes so deep, and every time she says a line it’s as though she’s saying it for the first time.’
Despite having only 40 days to complete the green screen section – roughly 90 per cent of the film – the atmosphere on set is fun and familial. Burton favours working with many of the same key creative personnel time and time again. Between takes, he and Depp laugh and joke constantly, their current obsession orange-haired characters in cinema and television. On a shelf beneath his monitors Burton has a collection of toy dart guns of varying calibre; he selects one as he waits for another shot to be readied, firing it into the ceiling.
Alice marks the seventh time Burton and Depp have worked together since Edward Scissorhands in 1989, and for Depp it is always a joy. 'He leaves you such room to play, to mess around. That’s the opportunity you dream of as an actor, to say, “Look I’d like to try something. It might be absolute crap, but I’d like to see if it works.” If you don’t try to push a little harder or go a little bit outside, what’s the point? And if it doesn’t work, he’ll just say, “All right, you tried it, now try this.” But when it pays off, and I hear that cackle off screen, that’s when I know I’ve hit something on the nose, for Tim.’
Depp was in Chicago filming Public Enemies when Burton called to discuss the Mad Hatter. 'The funny thing is, I had just re-read the book, so it was still pretty fresh in my mind,’ Depp says. He was keen to incorporate into the film a number of lines from the book that he thought were key to the character. 'He says, “I’m investigating things that begin with the letter M.” When you dig a little deeper you find out why. It’s because of the mercury.’ Depp’s research revealed the term 'mad as a hatter’ had an unfortunate basis in fact. Hatters suffered from mercury poisoning, a side effect of the millinery process, which would affect the mind.
In creating the Hatter’s look, Depp felt his entire body would have been affected by the mercury and he worked closely with Patty Duke, who has been his make-up artist for 18 years, and the costume designer Colleen Atwood, whom he also met on Edward Scissorhands, to bring him to life. 'He’s a little bit punked out, but he has a lot of accoutrements on his costume that are the tools of a hatmaker’s trade,’ Atwood says. 'He has a bandolier of thread, he has ribbons tied on – all things he can make a hat with at any moment. At the first fitting I found all these crazy thimbles and showed them to Johnny. He stuck them on his fingers and started playing music on them. We had a lot of fun with all those bits that add to the character and he can use when he’s doing the part.’
The following day Burton is directing a scene in which Hathaway’s White Queen banishes her older sister, Bonham Carter’s Red Queen, from Wonderland. Hathaway wears a small green box on her head that, in post-production, will be digitally transformed into a crown, and she seems to glide across the stage floor, her hands raised like Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. 'It’s like she’s on wheels, and her hands begin talking before she does,’ says Depp, who admits to being a little envious of Hathaway’s performance. 'In a way, her hands have their own personality. There is a part of it that’s really subtle and a part of it that’s really out there. It’s like Glinda the Good Witch on some sort of hallucinogen.’
Although on the film for only nine days, Hathaway has immersed herself in her role. 'I wanted the White Queen to have the punk spirit of Debbie Harry, the etherealness of [the American artist] Dan Flavin, and the glamour and grace and emotion of Greta Garbo,’ she says, pointing to a postcard on her trailer’s fridge door featuring one of Flavin’s signature fluorescent tube light sculptures. 'That kind of reminded me of their relationship, the way the red’s pushing down on the white. It’s actually three red tubes for every white one, and the white one is still the more dominant.’
Bonham Carter met Burton in 2000 when he cast her as a chimpanzee in his remake of Planet of the Apes. The pair became romantically involved when Burton moved to London the following year after his break-up with the model and actress Lisa Marie. Since then they have worked together on six films and have two children, Billy, six, and Nell, two. 'I didn’t know, as ever, if I was going to be in it,’ Bonham Carter says. 'I assumed not. Then everybody else seemed to know before me, and Tim said, “Obviously it’s you,” and showed me the first drawing he’d done of the Red Queen, and there’s this doodle of a really angry woman with a big head.’ Her transformation into the Red Queen requires three hours in make-up each day. The result, physically inspired by Bette Davis’s Elizabeth I, is startling, especially for her son who, along with his younger sister, is visiting mum and dad at work today. 'Billy doesn’t want to look at me,’ she shrugs. 'I don’t know if he’s scared or embarrassed. Nell – not a problem. Nothing fazes that girl.’
Alice in Wonderland requires somewhere in the region of 2,000 visual effect shots, a considerable number, particularly given the film’s relatively tight production schedule. When I meet Burton in November 2009, a year later, the pressure to complete the effects in time for the film’s March release date is clear. For an artist used to controlling every detail, micro-managing each CGI shot has been arduous and time-consuming. 'There’s never a shot where I just go, “Great!” ’ he sighs. 'There are comments on everything. There may be 20 comments per shot. Maybe more. And you’re talking 2,000 shots, so there’s lots of dealing with stuff. You make a comment and you may not see the results of that for a month or two.’
Despite the frustrations, Depp believes Burton’s vision will, ultimately, prove worth it. 'Alice in Wonderland – if you’re not walking on a tightrope, juggling super-sharp knives, there’s really no reason to do it,’ he says. 'Because if you’re not willing to get into the same arena or take the same chances as Charles Dodgson did, what’s the point? Tim is that guy who will get up on that high wire and juggle double-edged daggers to amaze and astound us all. He couldn’t have bitten off anything bigger to chew. This is almost lunatic time. To choose to grab Alice in Wonderland, that in itself is one thing, and then to do it to the Tim Burton level is madness. It’s so huge because, whether it’s the CGI or the green screen or the 3D or the live action, he’s done it all here. It’s the greatest undertaking I’ve heard of.’
BEWARE OF SPOILERS!!:
In a cavernous soundstage at Culver City Studios in Los Angeles in November 2008, Johnny Depp stands before a massive green backdrop wearing a frizzy orange wig, turquoise frock-coat over a red waistcoat, and a chequered kilt complete with sporran. On his legs he has striped socks, one blue and turquoise, the other red and cream. On his head is a top hat, with hatpins and price tag tucked into a silk ribbon. In his hands he wields a huge broadsword that is almost as tall as he is. With his white-painted face, rouged cheeks and fluorescent green contact lenses, Depp is almost unrecognisable. But as Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter, he is suitably freaky. No surprise really, given that the man behind the camera is Tim Burton and together he and Depp have, over the past two decades, created a memorable series of onscreen oddballs, including Edward Scissorhands and Willy Wonka.
Next to Depp is Alice herself, played by the Australian newcomer Mia Wasikowska, but looking quite unlike any Alice you have ever seen. In a Joan of Arc suit of armour, tight blond curls cascading past her shoulders, a steely-eyed Wasikowska sits atop a green animal-shaped box on poles, being carried by men dressed entirely in green, brandishing her own sword to the imaginary hordes of the Red Queen’s army; playing-cards loyal to Helena Bonham Carter’s monstrous-headed monarch that will be added to the scene via computer-generated imagery (CGI) in the coming months. 'There’s definitely not a whole lot to draw from in terms of your environment,’ Wasikowska admits during a break in filming. 'It’s good that it leaves a lot of room for your own imagination, but it is kind of hard to jump into a moment. You have to imagine you’re sitting on a beast, it’s all dark and gloomy and there’s one army here, the Red Army, and another army here, the White Army.’
To create his 3D version of Lewis Carroll’s hallucinatory classic Burton is shooting his actors in front of green screens rather than on real sets, then using the latest digital technology to insert sets, props, backgrounds and even some characters into the frame in post-production – the colour green chosen as it is so far removed from skin tone. He dabbled with this technique for several sequences on his previous film – a very bloody adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s horror musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which also starred Depp – and was intrigued enough to commit fully to the process for this. And so, apart from those scenes featuring Alice in the real world – which he filmed in Cornwall for two weeks before the production relocated to Los Angeles – Burton has spent the past few weeks in this sterile, all-green environment and has several more to go.
Outside, the Californian air is heavy with ash, raining down from several wildfires raging around Los Angeles. Inside, conditions are not much better. The green itself is a bilious shade, bordering on the fluorescent. The film’s Oscar-winning producer, Richard Zanuck, says that sickness and lethargy have been a constant problem among cast and crew. Burton has even had special lavender lenses fitted into his glasses to combat the effect.
'The novelty of the green wears off very quickly,’ Depp says in his trailer later, the Hatter’s make-up now gone. 'It’s exhausting, actually. I mean, I like an obstacle – I don’t mind having to spew dialogue while having to step over dolly track while some guy is holding a card and I’m talking to a piece of tape. But the green beats you up. You’re kind of befuddled at the end of the day.’
Many of Carroll’s creations will be fully animated characters, including the Dormouse, the White Rabbit, the March Hare and the Cheshire Cat, and Burton has amassed an eclectic group of British actors to voice them, among them Michael Sheen, Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse and Barbara Windsor. On set, these characters are represented either by green cardboard cutouts, full-size models or actors dressed in green. The tubby twins Tweedledum and Tweedledee are being played by Little Britain star Matt Lucas, but only his rubbery features will make the finished film, although all his movements are being recorded to provide the basis for the digital Tweedles.
As Burton readies a close-up of Depp and Wasikowska, he has a 4ft-long model of the finished set brought out for his actors to look at. One of his monitors has an image of the set with a temporary digital background. 'It’s really helpful to go and see the screen, the composite one, and think, “OK, that’s where we are”,’ Bonham Carter says. 'You’ve always got a hell of a lot of imagining anyway. You just do a bit more.’
Tall and rangy, his mass of unruly black hair peppered grey, and wearing black shirt, black jeans and scuffed black boots, Burton wastes little time between set-ups. With his actors in place, he heads back to his monitors, settles in his chair, and picks up a microphone. 'Come on, kids,’ he shouts, his cheerful voice booming around the soundstage, 'let’s put on a show.’
Written by the Rev Charles Dodgson, a mathematics lecturer at Christ Church, Oxford, under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland first appeared in 1865, and was followed six years later by Through the Looking-Glass And What Alice Found There. The books, now published together under the more familiar title of Alice in Wonderland, told of a little girl’s journey into an alternate land populated by bizarre characters, and changed the landscape of children’s literature. A century and a half later, they continue to delight. 'It’s still new. It’s still fresh,’ Depp says. 'If it were written yesterday and released on shelves today, people would still be as amazed by it as they were then.
It’s a monumental achievement.’ Cinema was quick to latch on to Alice’s appeal, the first film appearing in 1903. And while there have been frequent attempts to adapt the story since, notably Walt Disney’s 1951 cartoon, none has truly managed to capture the anarchic spirit and surreal, nonsensical, fever-dream logic of Carroll’s writing. But if anyone can, Burton can.
The American screenwriter Linda Woolverton, whose credits include Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, had been considering doing something with Carroll’s world for some time, but couldn’t find a way into the story. 'I wrote this at a very dark time in my life,’ she says. 'A lot of bad things had happened –death, divorce, moving across the country – so I was kind of down the rabbit hole myself at the time.’ It was only when she thought of making Alice older and bringing her back to Wonderland that it all came into focus. 'I got an image of her standing at a very crucial moment in her life, looking over and seeing this rabbit leaning against the tree, looking at her, knowing she had to put a pin in this crucial decision and follow this rabbit, because that was her destiny.’
Burton’s film takes place a decade after the events of Carroll’s book and incorporates a lot of the themes and characters from the original. 'But it’s an entirely different story, a different Alice,’ Wasikowska says. 'She’s grieving from the loss of her father and feels very isolated and alone and awkward in her skin. She doesn’t fit into the society she’s a part of, and she doesn’t like what’s expected of her, which is to get married and be a good wife.’ Finding herself being proposed to at garden party, Alice spots a familiar-looking white rabbit, and consequently follows him down a hole and into Wonderland. What she finds is, according to Burton, 'a place in decline, overgrown, a little bit depressed, with a slightly haunted quality to it.’ His vision of Wonderland – devoid of colour and life under the oppressive rule of the Red Queen – was inspired by the work of Arthur Rackham, who illustrated the 1907 edition of Alice in Wonderland, as well as a black-and-white photograph of a family having tea during the Second World War with London, dishevelled, in the background.
After being reacquainted with the Mad Hatter, Alice is taken to see the wise, old, hookah-smoking Caterpillar (Alan Rickman), who informs her that her presence in Wonderland is no accident. Rather, according to ancient prophecy, she has returned to slay the Red Queen’s dreaded Jabberwocky and bring about the end of her reign. Wasikowska found her character easy to relate to. 'Returning to Wonderland is Alice rediscovering who she is and having the strength to be more self-assured when she comes back,’ she says. 'Alice is such an iconic character. I wasn’t sure at first how much they wanted to play with that, or how different they wanted to make her. Tim decided it was important to keep some of the iconic nature. So, for me, the challenge was finding Alice the teenage girl, and bringing that to the story. I wanted to make her real to teenagers and young adults.’
Burton had been determined to cast an unknown as Alice. 'She had that emotional toughness; standing her ground in a way which makes her kind of an older person but with a younger person’s mentality,’ he says. Anne Hathaway, who plays the White Queen, says, 'I love watching her work because it’s very quiet what she’s doing but it goes so deep, and every time she says a line it’s as though she’s saying it for the first time.’
Despite having only 40 days to complete the green screen section – roughly 90 per cent of the film – the atmosphere on set is fun and familial. Burton favours working with many of the same key creative personnel time and time again. Between takes, he and Depp laugh and joke constantly, their current obsession orange-haired characters in cinema and television. On a shelf beneath his monitors Burton has a collection of toy dart guns of varying calibre; he selects one as he waits for another shot to be readied, firing it into the ceiling.
Alice marks the seventh time Burton and Depp have worked together since Edward Scissorhands in 1989, and for Depp it is always a joy. 'He leaves you such room to play, to mess around. That’s the opportunity you dream of as an actor, to say, “Look I’d like to try something. It might be absolute crap, but I’d like to see if it works.” If you don’t try to push a little harder or go a little bit outside, what’s the point? And if it doesn’t work, he’ll just say, “All right, you tried it, now try this.” But when it pays off, and I hear that cackle off screen, that’s when I know I’ve hit something on the nose, for Tim.’
Depp was in Chicago filming Public Enemies when Burton called to discuss the Mad Hatter. 'The funny thing is, I had just re-read the book, so it was still pretty fresh in my mind,’ Depp says. He was keen to incorporate into the film a number of lines from the book that he thought were key to the character. 'He says, “I’m investigating things that begin with the letter M.” When you dig a little deeper you find out why. It’s because of the mercury.’ Depp’s research revealed the term 'mad as a hatter’ had an unfortunate basis in fact. Hatters suffered from mercury poisoning, a side effect of the millinery process, which would affect the mind.
In creating the Hatter’s look, Depp felt his entire body would have been affected by the mercury and he worked closely with Patty Duke, who has been his make-up artist for 18 years, and the costume designer Colleen Atwood, whom he also met on Edward Scissorhands, to bring him to life. 'He’s a little bit punked out, but he has a lot of accoutrements on his costume that are the tools of a hatmaker’s trade,’ Atwood says. 'He has a bandolier of thread, he has ribbons tied on – all things he can make a hat with at any moment. At the first fitting I found all these crazy thimbles and showed them to Johnny. He stuck them on his fingers and started playing music on them. We had a lot of fun with all those bits that add to the character and he can use when he’s doing the part.’
The following day Burton is directing a scene in which Hathaway’s White Queen banishes her older sister, Bonham Carter’s Red Queen, from Wonderland. Hathaway wears a small green box on her head that, in post-production, will be digitally transformed into a crown, and she seems to glide across the stage floor, her hands raised like Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. 'It’s like she’s on wheels, and her hands begin talking before she does,’ says Depp, who admits to being a little envious of Hathaway’s performance. 'In a way, her hands have their own personality. There is a part of it that’s really subtle and a part of it that’s really out there. It’s like Glinda the Good Witch on some sort of hallucinogen.’
Although on the film for only nine days, Hathaway has immersed herself in her role. 'I wanted the White Queen to have the punk spirit of Debbie Harry, the etherealness of [the American artist] Dan Flavin, and the glamour and grace and emotion of Greta Garbo,’ she says, pointing to a postcard on her trailer’s fridge door featuring one of Flavin’s signature fluorescent tube light sculptures. 'That kind of reminded me of their relationship, the way the red’s pushing down on the white. It’s actually three red tubes for every white one, and the white one is still the more dominant.’
Bonham Carter met Burton in 2000 when he cast her as a chimpanzee in his remake of Planet of the Apes. The pair became romantically involved when Burton moved to London the following year after his break-up with the model and actress Lisa Marie. Since then they have worked together on six films and have two children, Billy, six, and Nell, two. 'I didn’t know, as ever, if I was going to be in it,’ Bonham Carter says. 'I assumed not. Then everybody else seemed to know before me, and Tim said, “Obviously it’s you,” and showed me the first drawing he’d done of the Red Queen, and there’s this doodle of a really angry woman with a big head.’ Her transformation into the Red Queen requires three hours in make-up each day. The result, physically inspired by Bette Davis’s Elizabeth I, is startling, especially for her son who, along with his younger sister, is visiting mum and dad at work today. 'Billy doesn’t want to look at me,’ she shrugs. 'I don’t know if he’s scared or embarrassed. Nell – not a problem. Nothing fazes that girl.’
Alice in Wonderland requires somewhere in the region of 2,000 visual effect shots, a considerable number, particularly given the film’s relatively tight production schedule. When I meet Burton in November 2009, a year later, the pressure to complete the effects in time for the film’s March release date is clear. For an artist used to controlling every detail, micro-managing each CGI shot has been arduous and time-consuming. 'There’s never a shot where I just go, “Great!” ’ he sighs. 'There are comments on everything. There may be 20 comments per shot. Maybe more. And you’re talking 2,000 shots, so there’s lots of dealing with stuff. You make a comment and you may not see the results of that for a month or two.’
Despite the frustrations, Depp believes Burton’s vision will, ultimately, prove worth it. 'Alice in Wonderland – if you’re not walking on a tightrope, juggling super-sharp knives, there’s really no reason to do it,’ he says. 'Because if you’re not willing to get into the same arena or take the same chances as Charles Dodgson did, what’s the point? Tim is that guy who will get up on that high wire and juggle double-edged daggers to amaze and astound us all. He couldn’t have bitten off anything bigger to chew. This is almost lunatic time. To choose to grab Alice in Wonderland, that in itself is one thing, and then to do it to the Tim Burton level is madness. It’s so huge because, whether it’s the CGI or the green screen or the 3D or the live action, he’s done it all here. It’s the greatest undertaking I’ve heard of.’
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)