Live Video Q&A with Danny Elfman Tonight!

LiveStream.com will be hosting a live Q&A with composer Danny Elfman tonight at 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time / 6:00 PM Pacific Time. Elfman will be discussing several projects, including Dark Shadows. Click this link to tune in tonight!

Videos: Coverage of "Dark Shadows" World Premiere

(Matt Sayles / Associated Press / May 7, 2012)

Dark Shadows had its world premiere in Hollywood on Monday evening. The Los Angeles Times has some coverage of the event, including interviews and comments from the cast and crew.

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp appeared on the black carpet. Cast members remarked on just how in sync the duo were on set.



"You can kind of tell that they seem to have a shorthand," Depp's costar Jackie Earle Haley said. "It's fun watching them clown around late at night when they kind of get tired and a little bit giddy. They start cracking up and telling stupid little jokes, and pretty soon the entire crew is doing it."



So what does one of the most famous men in the business find funny? Fart jokes, apparently.

"[Johnny and Tim] are like best schoolyard chums in a way. They bring out this very excitable, boyish quality in each other," explained Seth Grahame-Smith, who wrote the screenplay for the film, based on the 1960s soap opera of the same name. "They become 10-year-old boys and laugh and make fart jokes."

Famed rock musician Alice Cooper was also on the black carpet. Cooper has a cameo in the film, playing himself in 1972.

"They decided that they were going to do a computerized thing where they make me [look like I'm from] 1972," the musician said. "And I said, 'Well, don't make me look younger. In '72, I was a mess. I looked 20 years older in '72 than I do now.'"

Burton, Depp on "Dark Shadows"

Collider recently spoke with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. In this interview, the two discussed numerous topics relating to Dark Shadows, including how they decided to make this project, Depp's role as a producer, whether or not they might do a sequel, playing a vampire and Depp's influences in taking the part, and much more:

Question: Tim, can you talk about Johnny Depp bringing this to your attention and getting this project going?

TIM BURTON: We’ve talked about it for many years, but this was the first project that I ever remember Johnny saying that he’d wanted to play this ever since he was a little boy.

JOHNNY DEPP: Just a wee tike.

BURTON: He knew Barnabas Collins before he knew his own father.

DEPP: Pretty much.

BURTON: It was one of those things where the show had a lot of impact for some of us. Johnny, Michelle [Pfeiffer] and I were there at the time it came out, and we just recall it being a very strong, interesting property. This was something that Johnny had had for a long time.

Johnny, as a producer, what did you want to make sure you got across with this film?

DEPP: It’s impossible to consider myself a producer. I can barely produce an English muffin, in the morning. That’s the producer [in me]. But, just as a fan of the show, our initial conversation about the thing was during Sweeney Todd, where I just blurted out, in mid-conversation, “God, we should do a vampire movie together, where you have a vampire that looks like a vampire.” Dark Shadows was looming on the periphery, and then Tim and I started talking about it. When we got together, Tim and I started figuring out how it should be shaped. And then, (screenwriter) Seth [Grahame-Smith] came on board and the three of us just riffed. One thing led to another, and it basically dictated to us what it wanted to be, in a sense, certainly with Tim at the forefront, leading the troops.

What were the key elements from the original series that you wanted to carry over to this film?

BURTON: It’s a tricky tone and we all recognize that. When we talked about Dark Shadows, part of its appeal was the weird nature of all the elements that went into it. It was very serious, but it was on in the afternoon, on a daily basis. There were certain reasons why we loved the show, but you couldn’t necessarily adopt to a film. It was the weirdest challenge to get the acting tone and the soap opera nature of the tone. That’s a weird thing to go for in a Hollywood movie. It’s not like you can go to a studio and go, “We want to do weird soap opera acting.” They go, “Oh, great! Whatever that means.” That’s why I was so grateful to all of the cast. Even the ones that didn’t know the show, got into the spirit of it. What made it Dark Shadows was trying to capture the spirit of what the show was.

Johnny, what was the key to playing Barnabas Collins?

DEPP: There is some kind of thread throughout all these characters. The idea of this very elegant, upper-echelon, well-schooled gentleman, who was cursed in the 18th Century and is brought back to the most surreal era of our time – the 1970s, with 1972 – and how he would react to things and how radically different things were, not just with regard to technology and automobiles, but actual items of enjoyment for people, like pet rocks, fake flowers, plastic fruit, troll dolls, lava lamps and macrame owls. Those were my favorite.

What do you think people find so tempting about vampires?

DEPP: It’s a strange thing because, as a child, I certainly had a fascination with monsters and vampires, as did Tim. There’s this darkness, this mystery, this intrigue. And then, as you get older, you recognize the erotic nature of the vampire and the idea of the undead. What was most interesting, in terms of Barnabas, was the combination. It was a real challenge, probably more for Tim than me, to make that vampire, who is clearly a vampire, fit back into this odd society and this dysfunctional family, and I think he did it rather seamlessly.

Tim, what was it like to re-team with Michelle Pfeiffer, for the first time in 20 years, since Batman Returns?

BURTON: It was weird because it reminded me how much I loved working with Michelle. It was a long time ago, but it just flooded back. I never really watch the movies again, but how impressed I remember being with Michelle just flooded back. She learned how to use a whip and jump around on roofs in high-heeled shoes, let live birds fly out of her mouth, and let cats eat her. It was very impressive stuff. So, it was a real joy to get a call from Michelle [before there was even a script] and find out that she was a closet Dark Shadows fan. I knew she was weird, but that confirmed the whole situation. It was great. Michelle and Johnny and I, we were the only ones of the cast that knew Dark Shadows. You can’t really show Dark Shadows to anybody else that doesn’t know it ‘cause they’d probably run screaming out of the room. It was nice that Michelle, playing the head of the family, was a fan. It just made me realize how much I enjoyed working with her. But, she did have trouble walking down the stairs in this movie. Some people’s powers diminish, at some point.

Johnny, what was it like, the first time you had to bite someone in the film?

BURTON: Yeah, how was your bite on that big construction worker? Did you enjoy that?

DEPP: Well, going back to the erotic nature of vampires, I felt as though I was biting one of the Village People.

BURTON: And then, he went on to the biker and the cowboy.

DEPP: And the cop. No. When I had the fangs in, I wanted to be a little bit careful that I didn’t actually pierce the jugular. It was kind of like my experience shaving Alan Rickman (in Sweeney Todd), which, by the way, neither of us want to do again, especially Alan.

Johnny, actor Chris Sarandon said that he felt sorry for you for having to wear the vampire nails because he had such a hard time with it when he did Fright Night. How was it for you to have to wear them?

DEPP: There are many more reasons to feel sorry for me. We can go through them now, or we can just cuddle after. We can have a big group cuddle, and all get greasy and weird. In every film that I’ve been lucky enough to do with Tim, there’s always some form of torture. The nails were Tim’s idea. They were the length of the fingers. But, it was okay because I had a troupe of people who would help me go to the bathroom. They had to have treatment afterwards, but they’re okay now. That is true.

How much of your physicality for Barnabas came from watching Jonathan Frid, and was there also some Nosferatu influence?

DEPP: Approaching Barnabas, even in the early days of trying to explore the possibilities of the character, no matter where you went in your head, if you tried to veer away from the original Jonathan Frid character, it was apparent to both Tim and myself that it had to be rooted in Jonathan Frid’s character of Barnabas. It just had to be. It was so classic, in the classic monster, Fangoria magazine way. In terms of that, when Jonathan was playing Barnabas, there was a rigidity to him, like he had a pole of the back and this elegance that was always there. Tim and I talked early on that a vampire should look like a vampire. It was a rebellion against vampires that look like underwear models. There was a bit of Nosferatu in there, too.

What was it like to use a cane for this character?

DEPP: The cane was one of the left-over things from the series. It’s pretty much the same design. It’s slightly altered. It’s not a silver-tipped cane because my hand would have burst into flame.

How was it to have the original cast on the set?

DEPP: Well, it was great! It was great of Tim to bring them into the fold. It was our way of saluting them, and Jonathan was terrific. He had written me a letter, a couple of years before, and signed a photograph to me, passing the baton to Barnabas, which I thought was very sweet. He had his original Barnabas cane with him and I wasn’t sure, when he actually saw me, if he was going to attack me with it, but he didn’t.

BURTON: It’s like having the Pope come visit. For us, part of the reason we were there was because those people inspired us, so it was nice to see them back in their early ‘70s clothing.

Tim, with such a big cast, what deleted scenes might be on the DVD?

BURTON: There’s stuff that we cut out. Each actor will have all of their best scenes that I’ve cut out of the film in there. No. I think there will be some stuff on it because, with the nature of it being a soap opera, we cut out stuff, but all the actors were great, so I think I’m going to look at having scenes that aren’t in the film. Because the actors did such a great job and because of the soap opera nature of it, we’ll probably have some stuff on there.

Johnny, after working on Dark Shadows, was the influence of Dan Curtis what led you to want to do The Night Stalker?

DEPP: From Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker appeared, and it was a show that I really loved. Again, there’s this weird tone to it. This reporter becomes a detective in these really odd situations. Yeah, Dan Curtis was a great, great influence.

Since this is not material that current movie audiences are familiar with, did you worry about whether the interest would be there?

BURTON: Going into this movie, you don’t go into it going, “Oh, Dark Shadows, what an easy peasy idea.” It’s not like you go into it thinking that. It’s actually a much more strange challenge.

There’s always a lot of pressure for summer movies to perform. Do you hope this film reaches beyond its specific niche audience and is seen by a larger group of people?

BURTON: There are Dark Shadows fans, and then there’s everybody else. You can’t really make it with projecting what you think it’s going to be. First of all, we made a movie that we wanted to see, and then you just hope for the best.

The ending of this lends itself to a possible sequel. Did you always think that this could be a possible start to a franchise?

BURTON: No. Because of the nature of it being like a soap opera, that was the structure. It wasn’t a conscious decision. First of all, it’s a bit presumptuous to think that. If something works out, that’s one thing, but you can’t ever predict that. That had more to do with the soap opera structure of it.

Johnny, people have said that you’re in this Marlon Brando phase of your career, making these very eccentric characters come to life. Having directed and worked with Marlon Brando, do you see that as a valid comparison?

DEPP: I couldn’t imagine my name and Marlon’s in the same sentence, in terms of the work. He was a great friend of mine, and certainly a great inspiration and a great mentor. I don’t know.

If you had to stay one of your characters for the rest of your life, who would it be?

DEPP: Probably the Earl of Rochester (from The Libertine).

"Dark Shadows" Soundtrack Now Available

The Dark Shadows soundtrack featuring the original score by Danny Elfman is now available for purchase. Click the link, but watch out for SPOILERS in the track listing.

Video: Interviews with Burton, "Dark Shadows" Cast

Kevin McCarthy from NerdTears.com sat down with director Tim Burton and actors Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Moretz, Bella Heathcoate, Jonny Lee Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, and Eva Green to discuss Dark Shadows:

Video: Burton, Depp Joke About "Beetlejuice 2"

MTV News recently caught up with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. In this video, the interviewer asked the longtime collaborators about the possibility of Depp appearing in the potential Beetlejuice sequel.

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Seth Grahame-Smith on "Night of the Living," "Beetlejuice" Sequel

Shock Till You Drop spoke with writer Seth Grahame-Smith. The ever-busy screenwriter/author/executive producer gave a few brief words on two Tim Burton projects in development: the possible Beetlejuice sequel and a new stop-motion animated film, Night of the Living.

On the Beetlejuice sequel: "Everyone is waiting for me to get my ass in gear," Grahame-Smith said. "I just finished a script called Night of the Living, and I'm giving it to Tim this weekend. And I'm moving now into adapting Unholy Night [his latest book], which I have to deliver to Warner Bros. I've got to do this, then I'm going around the world for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, so I'll be writing Unholy Night on the plane and in hotel rooms."

On Night of the Living, which is about humans terrorizing undead creatures, a reversal of Night of the Living Dead: "[It's] not just zombies. Let me put it this way, Tim and I are big fans of classic movie monsters. The title pretty much where you're going to be at. Plus, it's a Tim Burton stop motion-animated movie. That movie for me is my love letter to all of the movies I grew up on."

Video: New "Dark Shadows" Featurette on Tim Burton

A new Dark Shadows featurette, "Man Behind the Shadows," focuses on director Tim Burton:

Video: New "Dark Shadows" TV Spot

A new Dark Shadows TV spot has been released:

Producer Richard D. Zanuck on Burton, "Dark Shadows"

Richard D. Zanuck on the set of Dark Shadows with Tim Burton.


Legendary film producer Richard D. Zanuck has been in the business for decades, having started producing in 1959. He has been behind such films as Jaws, The Sound of Music, and Driving Miss Daisy, to name a few. In an interview with Variety's Christy Grosz, Zanuck talked about working with Tim Burton, including their most recent of their six collaborations, Dark Shadows. You can read the interview in its entirety here, but here are some noteworthy excerpts:

CG: Do you think there are misconceptions about what a producer does?

RZ: I think there's been a devaluation of the concept. Maybe too many people have used the term "producer" when they weren't qualified. That's what the Producers Guild has been fighting for years. I was the chairman of the producers' branch of the Academy for about 10 years, and we were constantly trying to find ways to prevent this proliferation of credits. A producer should contribute from the very beginning until the very end, in all aspects. I'm there at the set every day, on every shot. Not that the director, particularly Tim (Burton), needs me, but just in case. There are producers who don't even watch the dailies, who have some contact with the project and get their name slapped on there. That's what we've been trying to get rid of.

...

CG: Is there any way you can predict something like "Alice in Wonderland" making a billion dollars?

RZ: If anybody could predict those things, they wouldn't be working. They'd be enjoying life by the pool. "Alice" had wonderful ingredients, but a billion dollars is a big number to hit. As it was growing and we were releasing in more territories and we were getting these unbelievable numbers, we'd ask ourselves, "Why?" It's one of those things you don't understand. But it was a story that had been around for 160 years. It was so well known, but you still can't really figure it.

...

CG: "Dark Shadows" puts you together with Tim Burton for the sixth film in a row. What about that collaboration works so well?

RZ: This would be a dream come true for any producer. I've worked with so many top directors -- William Wyler and George Cukor and Franklin Schaffner and Vincente Minnelli -- and each one is brilliant in their own right. But Tim is the only real artist, literally an artist, of the group. His creative genius is to combine the physical image with some emotional values, and people don't give him enough credit. Working with Tim, it's like I was in the early days with (Steven) Spielberg. I try to free them up as much as I can. I want that mind to be uncluttered, so it can work on the picture.

Studios think a director just walks on set and things happen, but (directors) have to do endless weeks, months of homework if they're any good. Most agents and studios know that they have to go through me if they want something answered. I'll only bring the important things to Tim.

Between set-ups, Tim will pick out a spot about 50 feet long and pace. I've never seen him sit down. One time we put one of those pedometers (on him) at the beginning of the picture, and it was amazing how many miles (it registered) -- he could have walked around the world. (Sometimes) I'll walk and pace along with him. I'll say, "I know you're doing your laundry list, but we have to have an answer on this or that." I think it's part of his way of thinking, but also keeping people at bay.

But it's an amazing collaboration for me at this point of my life. Not that I wouldn't have gone on (producing) without meeting Tim, but it's made it so much more fascinating. It's really been a wonderful part to a long, long career.

Burton on "Big Eyes," "Pinocchio," "Beetlejuice" Sequel

Shock Till You Drop recently spoke with Tim Burton. The ever-busy filmmaker was asked about three projects that are either in development or pre-production. Nothing particularly groundbreaking was learned, but it does show that these projects are on Burton's radar:

On the possible Beetlejuice sequel: “Seth [Grahame-Smith] is writing something. I just told him because I liked the character, I just thought I’d have a better response if he has ideas about it to just let him [work on it]." He continued: "I don’t know if I’d ever know a good script if it bit me in the face, but I know what I like."

On an adaptation of Pinocchio that Burton is attached to direct at Warner Bros., from a script by Bryan Fuller, and which might have Robert Downey, Jr. in the lead: "I’m very busy aren’t I? It’s kind of embarrassing. I’ve got three movies [coming out this year]. I’m sick of me already. So, we’ll let these come out, then I’ll go away and you guys can deal with other people."

On Big Eyes, a biographical film about artists Margaret and Walter Keane starring Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds that Burton is producing, and is currently in pre-production: "Oh, I don’t know. There are a lot of projects in the works, but as you can see when something is 10 years in the making, you’re never quite sure when it’s happening."

Photos: New High-Res "Frankenweenie" Images

Stitch Kingdom has posted several new high-resolution images from Frankenweenie, both from the film and showing the making of the stop-motion movie. Click the images below to enlarge them:

Director Tim Burton on set.

Production designer Rick Heinrichs on set.

Artwork and notes by Tim Burton.

Producer Allison Abbate inspects some puppets.

Videos: Behind-the-Scenes Footage of "Dark Shadows"

Trailer Addict has posted two unique videos showing over 12 minutes of exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the making of Dark Shadows. Watch out for potential SPOILERS:

Bonham Carter on Working with Burton, "Dark Shadows"

Actor Daniel Radcliffe recently interviewed Helena Bonham Carter for Interview Magazine. You can read the interview in its entirety here, but here are some relevant excerpts from the conversation about working with her director/partner Tim Burton on Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Dark Shadows:

RADCLIFFE: ...What's your relationship with musicals? Did you listen to them growing up?

BONHAM CARTER: I love musicals. Honestly, I'd always wanted to be in a musical, and I'd always wanted to be Mrs. Lovett [her role in Sweeney Todd], so when Tim said, "I'm going to make it, but you can audition if you want, you know . . .

RADCLIFFE: I remember you practicing singing.

BONHAM CARTER: Yes, again, you were there!

RADCLIFFE On the fifth [Harry Potter] film. I remember thinking, What is going to happen to Tim if she doesn't get this part? I think it's important to say you were also auditioning for [Stephen] Sondheim [a co-author of the original musical who was consulted for Burton's film]. And that's incredibly tough. What was that experience like?

BONHAM CARTER: It was one of the worst humps in our marriage. Not that we're married, but it's really hard—

RADCLIFFE: That's so brilliant. So can you talk about Dark Shadows? 'Cause I don't know the series really—

BONHAM CARTER: I didn't know it. I knew that Tim used to race home when he was a school kid and watch Dark Shadows, which was this really crappy soap opera-sort of Gothic soap opera, but it's all set around 1970. It's basically about Barnabus Collins, an unhappy vampire—a reluctant vampire.

It’s Tim Burton. He’s a genius. You can’t turn him down just because you go out with him and have two children together.

RADCLIFFE: Oh, cool! And you play Dr. Julia Hoffman?

BONHAM CARTER: I play the resident psychiatrist, who's an alcoholic. There's this sort of odd family . . . Barnabus Collins is resurrected from his coffin, and he comes back to his family. He's been away for 200 years. And Michelle Pfeiffer is, I guess, his great-niece by seven times.

RADCLIFFE: Excellent.

BONHAM CARTER: It was kind of worrying when I read it, because there's a sexy witch part. At the beginning of the film, before casting, Tim said, "I think we should take a break, because you get to work with all these other directors and I never get to work with other actors." I said, "Fine, absolutely understand it. Let's just be grown-up about it." And then [producer] Dick Zanuck—he's the most amazing man. He's 77, he's Daryl Zanuck's son, and he has produced flops, sensations—Jaws, The Sound of Music. I mean, he's a legend. So I'm on the Golden Globe red carpet, unfortunately dressed as usual, and Dick comes up to me—

RADCLIFFE: Oh, was this the different shoes?

BONHAM CARTER: Yeah. But you know, it was good because how do you do the carpet for an hour and half? So I thought, [forget] it. I looked at the dress and I thought, It's not gonna be well received, so let's just distract. At least you've got some control, you know?

RADCLIFFE: That's, frankly, inspired.

BONHAM CARTER: So Dick comes up to me and says, "Have you read it?" And I said, "Yeah, but he doesn't want me to be in it." He said, "No, no. You're the doctor . . . " I said, "Angélique, the sexy witch, right?" He said, "No, not Angélique. You're Dr. Hoffman." Doctor Hoffman! An alcoholic psychiatrist.

RADCLIFFE: Right, so you had pictured other actresses?

BONHAM CARTER: Well, I had, but I also thought, What is it about an alcoholic psychiatrist that makes you naturally think Helena?

Burton on "Batman" Movies, Michelle Pfeiffer

With Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated The Dark Knight Rises coming to theaters this summer, Tim Burton was asked to compare his two Batman movies with this new generation of films.

"I always get told that my material is dark," the filmmaker said, "but nowadays my version of Batman looks like a lighthearted romp in comparison to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight."

Burton also talked about collaborating with Michelle Pfeiffer on Batman Returns in 1992, with much praise. "For me, her version of Catwoman was one of my favorite performances on any movie I had worked on," Burton stated. "I remember how she impressed me by letting a live bird fly out of her mouth, learning how to use a whip and dancing around on rooftops with high-heeled shoes on. She did all that stuff for real."

Burton and Pfeiffer are working together for the first time in two decades with their latest project, Dark Shadows. "I hadn't really talked to her for about 20 years, and she called before I had started working on Dark Shadows, and she told me how much she loved the old TV series and she wanted to be involved."

Video: New "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" Featurette

A new Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter featurette is online, with new footage and a discussion between Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, and Seth Grahame-Smith:

Video: Behind-the-Scenes Look at "Dark Shadows"

Entertainment Tonight shared some unique footage from the set of Dark Shadows, offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new film:

Art of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" Book to Be Published

ComicBookResources.com has posted an official press release announcing the publication of a book that will showcase the artwork of the motion picture, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter:

In connection with the summer release of the 20th Century Fox motion picture Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, renowned director Timur Bekmambetov, in association with Aspen Comics, will be releasing The Art of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter deluxe edition hardcover book. The film, directed by Bekmambetov and produced by him along with Tim Burton and Jim Lemley, will be released domestically on June 22nd.

The Art of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter will contain 128 pages of never-before-seen storyboards, conceptual art, and production illustrations. Bekmambetov discusses the film and the accompanying art book's release:

"Our visual team, led by Bazelevs's storyboard artist Indar Dzhendubaev, created a rich and exciting world for the movie. In revisiting their art, we tried to craft a book that pushes the envelope of visual design and does justice to their great work. I am very happy that fans will finally get to enjoy the expanded world of Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter."

Bekmambetov's production company Bazelevs has teamed up with Aspen MLT, Inc. to produce The Art of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. David Wohl, who is overseeing the project as editor, divulged more about the behind-the-scenes book:

"Timur's attention to detail and vision for the project, combined with the exquisite artwork for the film in the hands of Aspen's designers, has created an "art-of" book that is truly unique and visually spectacular. It's been a pleasure to be part of this one-of-a-kind project."

The Art of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter will be in stores in June.

Video: New "Dark Shadows" Featurette, "Strange Family"

Yahoo! Movies has posted a second Dark Shadows featurette, "Strange Family." Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Bella Heathcoate, Chloe Moretz, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter, and Michelle Pfieffer all offer their insights into the Collins family. There is plenty of new footage and also plenty of potential SPOILERS:

Videos: See 9 Clips from "Dark Shadows"

Nine clips from Dark Shadows have appeared online. Needless to say, there may be some SPOILERS in these short excerpts from the film:

"Why Have You Done This to Me?":



"What is Your Age?":



"Welcome Home, Barnabas Collins":



"There's Always Been Something Pulling Me Here":



"Stay Away From That Man":



"People Don't Throw Balls Anymore":



"Look Into My Eyes":



"A Vampire!":



"Locked in a Box for 200 Years":