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."

Third Times Online Sneak Peek of "Alice in Wonderland"

The third and final exclusive sneak peek of Alice in Wonderland has made its debut on Times Online.

Click here for the video. This short clip includes words from Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, and Mia Wasikowska.

Some of the images featured in the slideshow. (Captions from the website, which contains SPOILERS.):


Bandersnatch illustration by Bobby Chiu.




Bayard illustration by Bobby Chiu.


Baynard the Bloodhound is voiced by Timothy Spall.


The Tweedles sketch by Tim Burton.


"I imagine them as naughty Victorian children, with their hand in the honey jar," says Matt Lucas, the British comedian and actor who plays them both. "And so I have made them quite child-like, which does come naturally to me, because I’m a big kid anyway."


Dodo illustration by Michael Kutsche.


Michael Gough lends his voice for the Dodo.


All images from Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Interview with Timothy Spall

The Times of India have interviewed Timothy Spall, who played the twisted Beadle Bamford in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. In the interview, Spall explains his love of playing despicable characters, working with Johnny Depp and Burton, and more:

Your role in Sweeney Todd... has been much-appreciated. Congrats!
Thank you. I’m very happy with the kind of response the film has garnered. Roles like these are quite interesting and it’s not everyday that one gets to work with such a fabulous team — a superb director and such brilliant co-actors.

You are playing quite a wicked man in Sweeney Todd...
Oh yes. You’d love to hate me. I play a lonely parish, who thinks he’s the most irresistible sexual object, and in an amusing way thinks he’s very beautiful. Whereas, the truth is that he’s a despicable person. He’s a bully and a sexual pervert.

How was it being directed by Tim Burton?
I have been a huge fan of Burton’s work and hoped to be directed by him someday. It’s a pleasure working with him and working with Johnny is yet another thing I was looking forward to.

And how was it finally working with Depp?
It was a fantastic experience. He really enjoys what he’s brought to do. He’s a delightful and pleasant man and I have been a huge admirer. Every woman is in love with Depp, but he’s a very down-to-earth guy.

What was the most challenging thing about doing a musical?
Musicals by terms of their sheer design and magnitude are altogether a different world to be explored. They tend to transform the world and that is a huge challenge. But the way Tim has handled it, he’s using the music and songs to take the action forward. He’s got some great screen actors, but he doesn’t over do it. It’s a fascinating melange of ‘Singlish’ that’s singing in English. And acting while dancing and singing doesn’t come easy.

Timothy Spall and Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd

How do you manage to be so convincingly despicable on screen?
Now that’s a trade secret I can’t share (laughs).

What do you look for in a role?
I look for roles that stimulate my appetite for good work and stir the actor within. But more than anything else, I absolutely love playing evil and disgusting characters. They evoke a stronger reaction than good characters and to bring about a certain meanness is more challenging for an actor. I love being hated and look forward to people coming up to me and telling me what an evil man I am (laughs).

Like your character Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter series?
Yes, very much like that. That was again one role I’m going to cherish forever. Though my grandchildren hoped that I’d not betrayed the Potters (laughs). But I am proud of that role and my grandchildren are proud that their grand-dad’s a part of the Potter family.

But what is Timothy Spall like off the screen?
Oh, I’m a very easy-going person. A normal guy, living a very normal life. I have kids and grand kids. Life’s been good to me and I am enjoy everything it has to offer me.

You’ve watched quite a few Bollywood films...
Yes and I loved the experience. I mean they are so much fun. And they are all so good at singing and dancing. Wow! I have even tried Indian cuisine and simply loved it.

So any plans of coming to India?
I would love to. In fact, I have been to Pakistan, but missed India. That’s high on my list of hot travel destinations. And once there, I’d certainly look forward to meeting all you guys.

Yet Another "Todd" Interview

Yup, another Sweeney Todd related interview from the UK. Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Timothy Spall discuss musicals and the violence in the movie.

"Sweeney Todd" London Press Conference Video

You can now watch the London Press Conference of Sweeney Todd online. Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, and Timothy Spall take questions and poke fun at one another a bit. Beware of SPOILERS!

Part One:



Part Two:

Timothy Spall on Johnny Depp

Actor Timothy Spall recently discussed why he wanted to be in the Tim Burton adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. One notable reason, Spall said, was because his daughter wanted him to be in a film with Johnny Depp.

"I really wanted this one - I knew Tim was directing and that Johnny Depp was going to be in it. My daughter, my youngest daughter, really wanted me to do it for that reason - Johnny Depp was in it. [She came on set to meet Depp] and he was really delightful to her, she had a great time. Then, I took her to the junket - and [Johnny] greeted her like an old pal when he saw her. I've got plenty of brownie points at the moment," said Spall.

The actor also recalls how down-to-earth and good-natured Johnny Depp was. "[Depp's] a lovely lad actually - considering he's one of the biggest film stars at the moment, if not the biggest, he's totally down-to-earth; there's no attitude or weirdness about him. I know they can get like that - living in isolation and all. It's not like he's just some guy off the street, so it was nice to see he functions normally, but more so, he's a really nice guy and a lot of fun."

Timothy Spall plays the sinister Beadle Bamford in the movie musical.

Coverage of UK Premiere of "Sweeney Todd"

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street had its United Kingdom premiere in Leicester Square last night on Thursday, January 10th, 2008. Director Tim Burton and much of the cast (including Alan Rickman, Jayne Wisener, and Timothy Spall) were present for fans from all over, some from as far away as Russia and Japan. Star Johnny Depp spoke of his experience tackling the difficult singing in the musical horror film, based on the staged musical by Stephen Sondheim. "It was a challenge to see if I could do it. You've got to try something once and I gave it a shot," he said. Depp spent over an hour talking with fans from far and wide (the actor has been called the "best autograph giver", who likes to get to know his fans while signing for them).

Johnny Depp signing autographs.

While singing is one aspect of the film that has generated a lot of talk, the amount of blood and violence is another ever-present feature of the movie. Tim Burton defended that hyper-stylized gore effects in the movie. "By having more blood, it actually made it a bit less graphic, because sometimes when you don't show stuff it has a tendency to be more real and disturbing," he said. Burton has also said that it befits the film to be bloody, since it's been violent ever since the story began as an urban legend during the 1840s.

Helena Bonham Carter

Burton's partner Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Mrs. Lovett in the film, had no issue with the gore, and she was ecstatic to be a part of the movie. "It's one of the best written roles for women ever. I loved it from the age of 13. I think I've always wanted to be Mrs. Lovett," the actress said.

Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman, who plays the sinister Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd, also shared a large group of fans as well as concerns about singing. "It was less singing and more careering from one note to another," he claimed. But Burton and Sondheim both had a preference for casting actors who could sing instead of casting singers who could act.

19-year-old Jayne Wisener plays Johanna in Sweeney Todd

Sweeney Todd will be released in cinemas throughout the United Kingdom on January 25th, 2008.

From left to right: Alan Rickman, Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter, Johnny Depp, and Timothy Spall (who plays Turpin's right-hand man, Beadle Bamford)