Art Show Celebrates 20 Years of "Edward Scissorhands"

On April 16th, 2011, Gallery Nucleus in Los Angeles will host a 20th anniversary tribute to Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands. The art exhibition will "highlight the works of over 40 artists, including paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, etc."

You can see a wide range of examples of just some of the artwork that will be on display at /Film, but here are a few notable pieces:


"The True Story" by acclaimed animator Uli Meyer


Robert Ricci's "Scissorheart"


Lorena Alvarez's "The Blossom Clearing"


Andrea Kalfa's "Ambrosia Salad"


Here is the official press release from the Gallery Nucleus:

Edward Scissorhands 20th Anniversary Tribute
April 16, 2011 - May 9, 2011
Opening Reception / Apr 16, 7:00PM - 11:00PM

In collaboration with Sebastien Mesnard, Gallery Nucleus will be showcasing a selection of original works from the Scissorhands 20th blog. The exhibit will highlight the works of over 40 artists, including paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, etc. and unite enthusiasts and fans in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Tim Burton's classic love story and its unforgettable characters; Edward, Kim, Peg and a band of colorful suburbanites.

Opening Reception highlights include:

* Free refreshments and ambrosia served.
* 5 Free raffle tickets for those dressed in their best Scissorhands-inspired attire. (Tickets can be purchased for $2.00 each.)
* Raffle prizes includes original artwork, Anniversary Edition Edward Scissorhands DVD, Avon gifts, and Nucleus gift certificates.
* Gifts and samples provided by "Avon Lady" (Johanna Figueroa).
* This is an all ages event.
* Admission is free.
* All raffle tickets are also valid for Adventure Time merchandise. Raffle drawing at 10:30PM.


Artists Featured:

Alina Chau
Amelie Fléchais
Andrea Kalfas
Aurian Redson
Aya Miyazaki
Becky Dreistadt
Benjamin Lacombe
Bill Robinson
Bob Doucette
Brigette Barrager
Brittney Lee
Celine Loup
Chuck Groenink
Cory Godbey
Daniela Volpari
Dan Thompson
Dave Perillo
Denny Khurniawan
Drake Brodahl
Drazen Kojan
Emmanuelle Walker
Eren Blanquet
Graham Annable
Israel Sanchez
Jason Caffoe
Jérémie Fleury
Jerrod Maruyama
John Kenn Mortensen
Josh Parpan
Joyce Colson
Justin Parpan
Ken Garduno
Ken Turner
Laura Iorio
Lilidoll
Lorelay Bové
Lorena Alvarez
Luisa Uribe
Marietta Ren
Martin Hsu
Mindy Lee
Nicolas Duffaut
Nicolas Léger
Pascal Campion
Petracchi Alexandra
Robert Kondo
Roberto Ricci
Seo Kim
Uli Meyer
Vincent Ehrhart-Devay
Xander (Alex) Leighton
Xavier Collette

..and more!


For more information and artwork, visit Scissorhands20th.blogspot.com and GalleryNucleus.com.

Chloe Moretz Joins "Dark Shadows"

NME Movie News reports that Chloe Moretz (best known as "Hit Girl" from Kick-Ass) is in advanced talks with Warner Bros. to join Dark Shadows. Moretz would likely play the role of Carolyn, the daughter of Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, who will be played by Michelle Pfeiffer.

"Frankenweenie" Production Art Surfaces

New production artwork for the feature-length version of Frankenweenie has surfaced on animation artist Dennis Greco's website. You can see several examples of Greco's layouts on his official website, but here are a few examples:

Seth Grahame-Smith on "Dark Shadows," "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

Writer Seth Grahame-Smith sat down with Collider.com for an extensive interview (click here for the full interview). The novelist and screenwriter talked about numerous projects, but here is the excerpt in which he discusses the adaptation of his own novel, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, his script for Dark Shadows, and collaborating with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.

As a writer, is there a difference for you, in writing a script for something like Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, where you didn’t know who would be cast in the roles, as opposed to something like Dark Shadows, where you know Johnny Depp is playing the character and that’s who you’re writing for?

GRAHAME-SMITH: Yeah, there is a difference, sure. The challenge with Lincoln was adapting my own book. I had to cannibalize and just give up all ownership of the book, in my mind. What makes a good book and what makes a good movie are totally different things. Someone told me that the best adaptations are merely inspired by the book, they’re not dictated by the book. That took awhile to learn. It took me awhile to get to the point where I could say, “Okay, maybe this movie does need a villain,” since there’s no villain in the book. And then, it was, “Who is that villain?” It was a huge learning experience for me. At the same time, working with Tim [Burton] and Johnny [Depp], I could meet with Johnny and sit down with him and hear him say these lines and talk to him about how he’s going to perform this character. That absolutely dictates the way that you write because you have a basis in which to imagine these words being said. It actually makes it easier and it makes it a little more fun to write in that situation. You’re like, “This is a Johnny Depp movie. This is a Tim Burton movie. I know what the pallette of that is and I can draw on it.”

Was there anything specific that you wanted to bring to Dark Shadows, both from your own sensibility and so that you made it familiar to fans?

GRAHAME-SMITH: My job on Dark Shadows was to make it fun and funny, first and foremost. It can still be dark and it can still even be gory and gothic at times, but it also needed to be fun and it needed to be an experience that people would enjoy having. I came at it from, “Let’s not be afraid to be funny. Let’s make Barnabas funny. Let’s see this movie through his eyes and really see a man who is trying to come to terms with what he is, where he is and when he is.” I think we really got there with the script. We’re still making some tweaks, and there are rehearsals coming up in a couple weeks and there will be some tweaks after that, but I think everybody is really excited, me included, about where we got. They’re filming Lincoln right now, which is exciting. And, they’re going to be filming Dark Shadows in May, which is also really exciting. It’s hard to believe. For me, thinking that these movies are going to be in theaters in a year or so, it’s just astonishing.

What’s it been like to collaborate with someone like Tim Burton, who is such a visual filmmaker?

GRAHAME-SMITH: It’s just another amazing experience, and a learning experience for me. Honestly, the last couple of years have been like going to film school all over again, times 100. It’s been amazing to watch the way that his mind works, and how he collaborates with Johnny, and how Johnny’s mind works. Also, getting to work with a producer like Richard Zanuck, who did Jaws, Planet of the Apes and The Sound of Music, is just incredible. It’s having living legends, all around you. It was intimidating at first because you’re walking in with these iconic people, but that goes away pretty quickly, and you get comfortable and realize that everybody is just a normal person.

In adapting your own material for Abraham Lincoln, were there things that you added to the script that you wished you’d have thought of for the novel?

GRAHAME-SMITH: Oh yeah, absolutely. The book deals with slavery, in a very delicate way. In retrospect, I should have had an African American point of view in the book. In the book, the slaves, until the very end of the book, are just victimized. That’s something that works, in terms of a book that’s purporting itself to be historically accurate, but at the same time, in a movie, you need all points of view. But, the real thing with Lincoln was that the book didn’t really have a cohesive central villain. The villain was all vampires and it was this thousands of years old movement that led them to the Civil War. You need an embodiment in a movie, much more than you do in a book. That’s something that we realized, along the process. We kept having all these conversations about making the threat more palpable, but what we were really saying was that we needed a person. So, as I’m writing my new book, which I’m doing now, the things that I’ve learned from the experience of doing these movies has just taught me so much about writing books. Not just because I want these books to go on to be movies and I want the process of adapting them to be easier, which is also true, but it just makes the stories richer, it makes them easier to tell and more fun to tell when you have people to say the things that you’re trying to get across. That’s definitely on my mind now.

Thomas McDonnell Joins "Dark Shadows"

The Hollywood Reporter informs us that Thomas McDonnell has joined the cast of Dark Shadows. McDonnell will be playing the younger version of Johnny Depp's character, the vampire Barnabas Collins, a "self-loathing vampire living in a Maine manor who is searching for his lost love." Perhaps the film will continue the Tim Burton tradition of flashbacks of the protagonist, as seen films including Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Sleepy Hollow, and others.

Michael Sheen is also in talks to be in Dark Shadows, though it is unknown which role he will play. Sheen worked with Burton in Alice in Wonderland, supplying the voice of the White Rabbit.

Filming of Dark Shadows begins next month.

Video: Eva Green on "Dark Shadows"

Eva Green spoke with MTV News, giving us her thoughts on Tim Burton's upcoming adaptation of Dark Shadows, which begins shooting next month:

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

"I haven't seen the TV series, but from what I've seen on the Internet, it's very different. My character is very different. She's American, blonde, cool, in the '70s," Green told MTV News. "She is this sexy witch, very powerful in town, she's very cool. She has many faces." Green will be playing the role of Angelique.

"It's something that he's never done, I think," she said. "It's much more focused on the actors. It could almost be a play."


Green had a bit more to say about the film in an interview with Black Book:

Tell me about Dark Shadows, the Tim Burton film you’re shooting. Has that started yet?
No, in a month.

What can you tell me about that?
I’m not allowed to say too much about it. It’s extremely well written, very, very funny, in a Tim Burton way. It’s very focused on the actors, and the characters are really rich. My character is a full-on witch and she’s completely obsessed with Johnny Depp’s character, and she’ll do anything to get him.

Is it going to be a film children can see?
I don’t know, it’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever read. There will be blood, so I don’t know. It’s always dark and poetic with Tim Burton. It’s a mixture of Sweeney Todd and Beetlejuice—back to his old roots. But he wants to focus more on the actors this time and the relationships. It could almost be a play.

Michael Gough, 1917-2011

Legendary actor and frequent Tim Burton collaborator Michael Gough died on Thursday, March 17th. He was 94.

Michael Gough had an extensive career with roles in over 150 films. He began acting in the 1940s and became a staple of the British Hammer horror films in the 1950s and 1960s (which Burton is quite fond of).

Gough is perhaps best known as playing Alfred Pennyworth in Burton's Batman in 1989 and Batman Returns in 1992. He played the same character in the Joel Schumacher sequels, such as the Burton-produced Batman Forever (1995). Gough continued to work with Burton in other films, playing Notary Hardenbrook in Sleepy Hollow (1999) and supplying the voice of Elder Gutneckt in Corpse Bride (2005). Gough came out of retirement to provide his voice to the Dodo Bird in Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010), his final performance.

"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.

No Reznor for "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

On March 7th, Trent Reznor confirmed on the official Nine Inch Nails forum that he would be involved with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter as both the composer of the film's musical score and by playing a small role onscreen.

Reznor wrote: “I was very familiar with the book [by Seth Grahame-Smith], read the script, and it felt like an interesting challenge as a composer… The idea was a cameo-esque role that would be kept under wraps and be a surprise around opening night… So… do me a favor and act surprised, OK?”

But just three days later, Reznor provided his fans with an update, says Crawdaddy! Magazine. Reznor wrote that he will actually not be involved with the film, as he is busy with other projects:

“Don’t believe everything you read… There’s no juicy story here, it’s just that when the news mysteriously leaked out about my involvement I hadn’t made up my mind completely, because various aspects of the project were changing. I felt the need to say something earlier this week because my inbox was filling up with speculation, and at that moment I thought I would be doing it. Confused yet? Apparently I am. Bottom line, I wish them the best with the film, and I’m sure it will still be great.”

At best, Reznor was only in talks to work on the film, and was not officially involved in it.

As of now, we do not know who will score the film.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead for "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

MTV reports that Mary Elizabeth Winstead (known for Scott Pilgrim Versus the World and Death Proof) will be playing the role of May Todd Lincoln in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Winstead is replacing Robin McLeavy, who was previously assigned the role during talks. The film is currently in pre-production.

Reznor in Talks for "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

Entertainment Weekly reports that Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails fame is being approached to work on Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

20th Century Fox confirms that they not only want Reznor to compose the score for the film, but also to play Jack Barts, the vampire who kills Lincoln’s mother and sets the hero on his path of righteous vengeance.

Reznor won an Academy Award this past Sunday for his score in The Social Network.

Burton, Brolin to Make "Hunchback"?

The Hollywood Reporter states that Tim Burton and Josh Brolin may possibly make an update of Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Warner Bros. is currently developing the project.

Brolin would not only star as the titular character, but also produce the film. Burton is reportedly intrigued and may even direct. But Burton has yet to read the script, which is being written by Kieran and Michele Mulroney (scribes of the forthcoming Sherlock Holmes sequel).

If Burton does decide to direct the film, then perhaps this feature-length adaptation will be somewhat in the spirit of the 1923 classic film starring Lon Chaney, Sr. Only time will tell:



Brolin is repped by CAA. The Mulroneys are repped by CAA and Management 360. Burton is repped by WME.



Photos: Getty Images

Video: Helena Bonham Carter on "Dark Shadows"

At Sunday's 83rd Academy Awards, Helena Bonham Carter briefly spoke with MTV about the possibility of working on Dark Shadows:

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Video: Helena Bonham Carter on Dark Shadows (MTV)

Carter said she may play the role of Dr. Julia Hoffman, a doctor who specializes in blood disorders.

"I think I'm going to do it," she said, "and I think it's because, well, I've never played an alcoholic psychiatrist!"

"I thought it was a sexy part he wanted me for, and I'm saying, 'Yeah, I can play the sexy witch,'" she said. "And he said, 'No, you've done that. You're going to play the psychiatrist who's an alcoholic!'"

"It's definitely a fun part, so we'll see," she added. "And it has a great cast."

Video: Colleen Atwood on "Dark Shadows"

Colleen Atwood briefly talked about the forthcoming Dark Shadows film. The costume designer has said that she has just helped Johnny Depp into his Barnabas Collins costume for the first time. She has also read the script, saying that it is "really funny," and says that, like the soap opera it is based upon, "will still be campy, I'm sure."

"Alice" Wins Two Oscars

Alice in Wonderland won two of the three Oscars it was nominated for this Sunday at the 83rd annual Academy Awards.

The film won in the categories of Best Costume Design, with Colleen Atwood receiving her third Oscar, and Best Art Direction, given to Robert Stromberg (Production Designer) and Karen O'Hara (Set Decorator).

Here is Atwood's acceptance speech:

"Thank you to the Academy and especially to my fellow nominees who are just so much fun to sit with tonight and who have been so supportive, it's great to be part of such a great group of people. The story, "Alice in Wonderland," was described by its publisher in 1865 as a story valued for its rare imagination, priceless humor, and power to transport the reader into a world of pure fantasy, a gift to us all. The heart of any movie lies with the director and I've been incredibly lucky on this and many films to work with the singular Tim Burton. Tim's imagination along with the amazing cast Johnny's incandescent Hatter, Mia's Alice for all girls, all times, Helena's the fearless big headed Queen, and our crystalline snowflake princess, Anne Hathaway, made my job a delight. We had the support of a production team headed by Richard Zanuck and Katterli Frauenfelder. Supported by Joe Roth, Suzanne and Jen Todd, and Disney, but I couldn't have done it without my team Christine Cantella and my entire group. Thank you all very much."

This is the ninth Academy Award nomination for Colleen Atwood. She was previously nominated for:

NINE (2009) -- Nominee, Costume Design
SWEENEY TODD THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2007) -- Nominee, Costume Design
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA (2005) -- Winner, Costume Design
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (2004) -- Nominee, Costume Design
CHICAGO (2002) -- Winner, Costume Design
SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999) -- Nominee, Costume Design
BELOVED (1998) -- Nominee, Costume Design
LITTLE WOMEN (1994) -- Nominee, Costume Design

Atwood also filled out a questionnaire sheet, giving us some tidbits of her interests, inspirations, and memories from working on Alice (click the thumbnail to enlarge the image):



And here is the joined acceptnce speech from Stromberg and O'Hara:


STROMBERG: Why didn't I lose that 20 lbs? First of all, the other nominees, Guy, all you guys deserve to be up here. Everyone at Disney from Iger and Ross and Bailey, Bruce Hendricks, Art Repola, the great Joe Roth. The Art Department led by Stefan Dechant, Crissy Wilson, and Todd Cherniawsky. This great set decorator. I'm standing here because of three people, Ken Ralston, the great Richard Zanuck, and the wacky world of Tim Burton. There he is!

O'HARA: Tim, this is yours. Thank you.

STROMBERG: Meet me with a saw because half of this is yours. There's one last bit of art direction for a Tim Burton Film. There it is. Thank You Academy and to my wife and kids and I dedicate this to my Dad.

This is the third Academy Award nomination for Robert Stromberg. He was previously nominated for:

AVATAR (2009) -- Winner, Art Direction
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (2003) -- Nominee, Visual Effects

This is the second Academy Award nomination for Karen O'Hara. She was previously nominated for:

THE COLOR OF MONEY (1986) -- Nominee, Art Direction



Daniel Haim of Bloginity interviewed O'Hara and Stromberg back stage:

Q. Congratulations. What did you put on top of the Oscar? Oh, now I can see it.

A. You couldn’t see it? It’s a little Mad Hatter’s hat.

Q. Did you make that?

A. I had one of my prop makers make it, and I just thought it was a nice little punctuation to the end of the show. Could you not see it on the broadcast? You could see it.

Q. Congratulations. I just want to ask you, what was your biggest production design challenge on this film because it seemed like every scene probably would have been, but can you talk about that, but also in terms of set direction, what was your biggest challenge?

A. Well, you know, any time you work on a Tim Burton film, there’s a bar that you have to meet, and the challenge for a film like this is that we had a great deal of digital sets, but there were some challenging physical sets. And the biggest challenge was sort of making sure the director, the actors knew where they were at all times in these green environments through, having virtual versions of those sets available to them; physical models, and illustrations.

Q. The Academy made a big splash of connecting art direction, cinematography, and yet Alice’s other big below the line nomination is in visual effects. So, in an increasingly rendered age, what is the relationship between production design and the visual effects department?

A. You guys ask a set decorating question next. Well, I come from visual effects. But the difference between how we work now in these types of films is that the production designer is involved with the visual effects probably more heavily, and involved more in post production, which is actually good because the way it normally works is the production designer will sort of leave after the end of principal photography, and then you are relying on visual effects people to fill in those green screens. So, this keeps a more cohesive design coming from visual effects myself.

Q. This is your second in a row in art direction after your first nomination being in visual effects. Where do you see your art evolving from here?

A. I should probably retire (laughs). You know, I feel honestly, I feel that I’ve always done creative things, but design is design no matter what you do, no matter what form. We have lots of new technology that we’re trying and I feel like we are pioneering fusing art and machine. I am very proud of that because the next generation of kids coming up will know what they are doing.

Q. I just want to get some reaction from you, you’ve been up there before is it different the second time, and I want to hear from both of you about this?

A. Stromberg: Honestly, I was not expecting it. I was sort of following INCEPTION. I thought it had the upper hand this year, but I’m very proud that it was recognized and very happy to win, but all the nominees I take my hat off to.

A. Karen O’Hara: I think that the most difficult time that we had was when Johnny decided to walk across the table and suddenly all of our china and our tables, we had to triplicate. Other than that, though, we had a wonderful time working with Tim and this is really a nod to him and his supportive artists.
A. [Stromberg] Thank you all.

Q. Thank you, and congratulations.


Alice was also nominated for Best Visual Effects, but Inception took home that prize.

Video: "TiM," a Stop-Motion Tribute to Burton

Ken Turner's TiM:

TiM from Ken Turner on Vimeo.

Animator Ken Turner has been a fan of Tim Burton's films for many years. In an ultimate tribute to the filmmaker, Turner made TiM, a short stop-motion film in the style of Mr. Burton's own short film, Vincent, which was an homage to his own childhood idol, Vincent Price. After years in the making, Turner's TiM is gathering recognition, making the rounds online and in film festivals.

I spoke with Mr. Turner to learn more about the making of his animated tribute.




When did you first come up with this project?

In 2002, I came up with the idea when I was in my second year of college at Sheridan taking art fundamental courses and was applying to get into the animation program. Every year there would be screenings of the animation graduates final year films. So I knew that if I got in that I'd have to come up with a film idea in my final year. It was one night out of the blue when I woke up and scribbled down on a scrap piece of paper something like "boy who wants to be like tim burton.....like vincent". I probably still have the piece of paper somewhere in a box. It was to be somewhat a "re-imagining" of the story of "Vincent" but for a generation who were brought up on Tim Burton films, just as Tim grew up watching Vincent Price films. I wanted it to be a auto-biography/biography type film by pulling things that I read about Tim Burton's childhood and from my own childhood. One of the first things I read was about how he convinced the other kids in the neighborhood that aliens had landed and started a war. So I tried to build a narrative around those kind of elements.




When did you begin production?

Before actually production began, I was able to work on the film in my spare time during my years prior to getting into the animation program and after. During that time I was able to work out all the character designs, the poem, the storyboards and what equipment I was going to need to film it. From September 2006 to April 2007 was when actually production of the armatures of the characters, set/prop construction and the shooting of the animation began. I was very fortunate to have a lot of friends and colleagues who were able to come in and give their time by making sets, props, costumes or animating a scene. The production of the film was done in the basement of the house I was living in during college. It was nicknamed "The Batcave" because it was very dark and not alot of natural light got in. There were spiders and spider webs on ceilings, mice would get in sometimes but I like to think it all added to the atmosphere while making the film.




Was this your first time working in the medium of stop-motion animation?

I had never worked in stop motion before but I had visited a stop motion studio in Toronto and was very inspired by that experience. I had made a traditional animated short film prior which was called "Attack of the Giant Vegetable Monsters". I believe that film was very important to make in order to get "TiM" made because I was able to see first hand all the things that needed to be done for an animated short film to get made. During school there were not a lot of stop motion films being made. They were either traditional or 3D, and stop motion wasn't taught either. So all my education was from books or films. The behind the scenes featurettes from the films of Ray Harryhausen, Tim Burton, Henry Selick were invaluable in the production of "TiM". I think now Sheridan has alot of stop-motion films coming out every year and there is even classes/facilities for students to make films at school.




How do you think Tim Burton's work have affected your films?

I believe his work has had a very meaningful impact on my films and art. I think what I get from his films is how personal they are. So that made me think about making films very differently and how cathartic they can made. "TiM" was definitely a way for me to express my thoughts about growing up but at the same time showing how much those films mean to me.



What is the future of your short film, "TiM"?

Hopefully I can keep it on the web and let have its own life online. During February 2011 it played at the New York LES (Lower East Side) Film Festival as an opening night selection and an animation night selection. I'll keep pursuing other ways for people to see it like film festivals which can always breath new life into it and let it be seen by new audiences worldwide.



You can learn more about Ken Turner and TiM in the following links:

Ken Turner's Blog
Ken Turner's Vimeo Profile
TiM Film Production Blog

Pfeiffer Returns for "Dark Shadows"?

Michelle Pfeiffer is in negotiations to reteam with Tim Burton on Dark Shadows, says the Hollywood Reporter. The actress and the director have not worked together since Batman Returns in 1992, when she played Catwoman/Selina Kyle.

Although it is not confirmed if she will be in the film, Pfeiffer would probably play Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, "the reclusive matriarch of the Collins family which runs the Maine town."

Dark Shadows is intended to begin shooting this April.


Photo Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Christopher Lee Honored at BAFTAs

Helena Bonham Carter, Christopher Lee, and Tim Burton at the BAFTAs

The legendary Christopher Lee was honored at the BAFTA awards ceremony this year, receiving the Academy Fellowship. Tim Burton presented the award to the master thespian, and Lee accepted the honor with grace and humbleness. Lee has worked with Burton on Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, and Alice in Wonderland.

Here is a video of Burton's introduction and Lee's gracious acceptance speech:




Check out another video of Lee's reflecting on his numerous roles as playing bad guys and monsters over the years.

Official “Frankenweenie” Synopsis, Details

Walt Disney Studios has released an official synopsis and production notes of the forthcoming stop-motion film, Frankenweenie. Collider provides us with these details, which includes the majority of the voice-over cast, that the film will be shot in black and white and shown in 3D, and that the film has required the construction of over 200 puppets and sets.

Following is Disney's officially released information:

Genre: Comedy adventure
Rating: TBD
U.S. Release date: October 5, 2012
Voice Cast: Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer
Director: Tim Burton
Producers: Tim Burton, Allison Abbate
Executive Producer: Don Hahn
Screenplay by: John August
Based on an original idea by: Tim Burton
From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.
A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience.
In Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.

NOTES:
• When Tim Burton originally conceived the idea for “Frankenweenie,” he envisioned it as a full-length, stop-motion animated film. Due to budget constraints, he instead directed it as a live-action short, released in 1984.
• “Frankenweenie” follows in the footsteps of Tim Burton’s other stop-motion animated films “Corpse Bride” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”—both of which were nominated for Academy Awards.
• Over 200 puppets and sets were created for the film.
• The voice cast includes four actors who worked with Burton on previous films: Winona Ryder (“Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands”), Catherine O’Hara (“Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas”), Martin Short (“Mars Attacks!”) and Martin Landau (“Ed Wood,” Sleepy Hollow”).
• Several of the character names—Victor, Elsa Van Helsing, Edgar “E” Gore and Mr. Burgermeister— were inspired by classic horror films.

Robin McLeavy for Mary Todd

LatinoReview reveals that Robin McLeavy will be playing Mary Todd in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. She will be the wife of Benjamin Walker’s Abe Lincoln. In the script, McLeavy’s character is described as a “petite 20 year old brunette,” so the casting seems appropriate for this very stylized thriller featuring a historical character.

LatinoReview also states that Dominican Cooper will play Henry Sturges (Abe's mentor), and Anthony Mackie will play Abe's best friend Will.

Rick Heinrichs on "Dark Shadows"

Production designer Rick Heinrichs and Tim Burton go way, way back. Although you're certainly familiar with their collaborations on The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow, and Planet of the Apes (to name a few), the two began working together as film students in the 1980s, and projects such as Hansel and Gretel and Vincent. Now, they're teaming up again for Dark Shadows.

Heinrichs spoke with Blog of Dark Shadows recently:

BLOG OF DARK SHADOWS: What are your overall feelings about becoming a part of the project; what made you say yes?

RICK HEINRICHS: I’m a fan of Tim’s movies as well a colleague and I’m delighted to be working with him again. I also love the genre of this film.

BLOG OF DARK SHADOWS: Were you a fan of the original series or the ’91 revival?

RICK HEINRICHS: I was aware of Dark Shadows growing up for the fact that a lot of kids were running home from school to watch the series in the afternoon. It seemed an odd subject to me for a soap opera. Now of course I realize the brilliance of showcasing it as a soap: the interplay of extreme emotions pouring from the different characters brought about by this courtly vampire in their midst. I also noticed that a majority of the fans seemed to be female and I wondered what was up with that. Obviously this was before I realized that the opposite sex could be romantically attracted to the doomed bad boy. Or was it bat-boy? At that time, I was looking at horror comics like Creepy and Eerie and the work of Jim Steranko and others. That’s where I first experienced the pleasure of stories that recognized the fine line between humor and horror.

BLOG OF DARK SHADOWS: Does the experience of Sleepy Hollow serve as a kind of stepping stone for this film? Of all of Tim Burton’s films, it is the one that most closely hits on the whole Dark Shadows feeling, I think.

RICK HEINRICHS: Sleepy Hollow was the story of a rational man’s journey into the irrational. We intentionally wanted Ichabod Crane’s investigation in upstate New York to have a progressively dreamlike quality ultimately leading to a nightmare. While the two movies do share certain genre aspects as well as the male lead, it’s certainly going to be a different feeling film.

BLOG OF DARK SHADOWS: Do you envision it being a challenge capturing visual elements of that show, yet updating it for the modern audience, or is it a completely different kettle of fish?

RICK HEINRICHS: It’s not a completely different kettle of fish. The reason [we're] doing Dark Shadows to a degree is to explore and relish what was great about that series and the character of Barnabas Collins, and we intend to make it a world the series’ many fans will enjoy.

Eva Green for "Dark Shadows"

Eva Green

Casting is underway for Burton's forthcoming Dark Shadows adaptation. Deadline reveals that Eva Green, well-known for her role as the "Bond girl" Vesper Lynd in 2006's Casino Royale, is negotiating to play the role of Angelique, the female lead. Angelique is the love interest of Barnabas Collins, the vampire who will be played by Johnny Depp.

In related news, Jackie Earle Haley and Bella Heathcoate are also in talks to play prominent roles in the fantasy drama. Haley will likely play Willie Loomis, and Heathcoate will likely be Victoria Winters, the young governess of the Collins estate.

Dark Shadows is intended to finally begin production this Spring.



Bella Heathcoate


Jackie Earle Haley

Benjamin Walker for "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter"

The Hollywood Reporter informs us that actor Benjamin Walker will be playing Honest Abe in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The alternate history thriller will be produced by Tim Burton and directed by Timur Bekmambetov.

Walker has recently been working on Broadway. He has also appeared in such films as Flags of our Fathers and Kinsey.

"Alice" Gets Three Oscar Nods

Alice in Wonderland has received three nominations for the Academy Awards this year:

-Best Art Direction:
Robert Stromberg (Production Design); Karen O'Hara (Set Decoration)

"This is the third Academy Award nomination for Robert Stromberg. He was previously nominated for:

AVATAR (2009) -- Winner, Art Direction
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (2003) -- Nominee, Visual Effects

This is the second Academy Award nomination for Karen O'Hara. She was previously nominated for:

THE COLOR OF MONEY (1986) -- Nominee, Art Direction"


-Best Costume Design:
Colleen Atwood

"This is the ninth Academy Award nomination for Colleen Atwood. She was previously nominated for:

NINE (2009) -- Nominee, Costume Design
SWEENEY TODD THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2007) -- Nominee, Costume Design
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA (2005) -- Winner, Costume Design
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS (2004) -- Nominee, Costume Design
CHICAGO (2002) -- Winner, Costume Design
SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999) -- Nominee, Costume Design
BELOVED (1998) -- Nominee, Costume Design
LITTLE WOMEN (1994) -- Nominee, Costume Design"


-Best Visual Effects:
Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips

This is the eighth Academy Award nomination for Ken Ralston. He was previously nominated for:
FORREST GUMP (1994) Winner, Visual Effects
DEATH BECOMES HER (1992) Winner, Visual Effects
BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (1989) Nominee, Visual Effects
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988) Winner, Visual Effects
COCOON (1985) Winner, Visual Effects
RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) Winner, Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects)
DRAGONSLAYER (1981) Nominee, Visual Effects

These are the first Academy Award nominations for David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips.


In related news, Helena Bonham Carter has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in The King's Speech, one of the most acclaimed films of 2010.

You can see the televised 83rd Academy Awards on Sunday, February 27th, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time on CBS.

Update: "Frankenweenie" Due Oct. 2012

The release date of the stop-motion update of Frankenweenie has been postponed. Originally, the film was to be released on March 9th, 2012. But Disney has now moved the theatrical release date of the animated feature to October 5th, 2012.

While this means waiting a few more months to see Burton's long-awaited update, it might be for the better in terms of Frankenweenie's box office success. Releasing it closer to Halloween might be better for ticket sales, especially for a stop-motion film that might even be shot in black and white.

Frankenweenie is currently in production and will be released in Disney Digital 3D.

Burton in Jerry Rees' 'Basement'

Animator and director Jerry Rees has posted some intriguing archival material onto his official website. In his "Basement" section, Rees has posted some of his collaborations with Tim Burton from the late 1970s and early 1980s in California.

Here are three photos Rees shot with Burton as his subject:






Rees also posted two live-action shorts that he co-directed with Burton.

Doctor of Doom (1979), a parody of Mexican horror films, overdubbed by Brad Bird (director of The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille).




Luau (1982), featuring animation artists Joe Ranft, John Musker, Sue Kroyer, and many others.

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:

Video: "Superman Lives" Costume Test Footage

Special effects artist Steve Johnson has posted a video on YouTube of some costume tests for Superman Lives:

Video Interview: Danny Elfman

ARTISTdirect has an exclusive interview with Danny Elfman. There's also a special video from Elfman in which the composer talks about his earliest film music influences (especially Bernard Herrmann), stories behind making some of his most iconic music for Tim Burton's films, some of his favorite Burton characters, and much more. Click here to watch the video!

Here is the interview:

Is your music more inspired by a film's characters or the script? What exerts a heavier influence on your musical choices?

Well, I only tried working off the script once with Beetlejuice because I had some extra time and I thought I'd get a head start. Not one note I'd written from the script survived into the movie so I learned, especially with Tim Burton's films, never to anticipate what the movie's actually going to be like. The script is always one part of what's going to make a Tim Burton movie. I wait until I have a movie to look at, and I try to look at it with as blank of a mind as I possibly can—no expectations and no preconceived notions of what it's going to be.

Do you feel like you get especially close to each character, whether it's Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas or Batman?

Yeah, in the same manner that Tim clearly gets close to certain characters in his movies, I end up gravitating exactly the same way. There's no way not to—whether it's The Penguin or Catwoman. It doesn't matter who it is! It could be The Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow. You just gravitate towards a certain thing, and you find that's what pulling you along. Sometimes, you don't know what it's going to be. In Big Fish, clearly I was trying to follow the trajectory of the story and the main character but thematically I kept falling back to this mermaid character that we meet in this early fantasy that becomes a theme for Helena Bonham Carter's character later. I don't know why, but I just kept getting drawn to that as a common theme which carried me through. I never know where it's going to come from. It just does what it does.

On the box set, there's a fantastic piece called "Herrmann-esque Thing," it's a worktape from Batman. Is Bernard Herrmann someone you've always looked up to?

Well, he's the reason that I got into film music. When I met Tim on Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, I was in a band. It never occurred to me to become a film composer, but I was a fan of film music since about age eleven. I owe that strictly to Bernard Herrmann. I loved his scores. I think I was about eleven-years-old when I heard the score to The Day the Earth Stood Still, and it's the first time I noticed film music and a name. I realized, "This isn't just there. Somebody actually did it." Herrmann was always my god in terms of my love of film music.

It's interesting how everything culminated on his score for Taxi Driver.

More than interesting, it's incredible. I'll never be Herrmann in my life time, but he's the model I would strive for just in terms of the use of being inventive, melody and emotional content.

Do you have particular memories about the Sleepy Hollow score?

Yeah, it was just really fun. I didn't really know exactly what I was going to do with it. Once again, the main theme of "The Headless Horseman" wasn't The Horseman's first theme that I wrote. It became "Ichabod Crane's Childhood Theme." I ended up with this theme for him as a child and it started just following him. I just learned somewhere along the way never to argue with those impulses because they're doesn't have to be rhyme or reason. Nothing has to make sense. In fact, sometimes it's better that it doesn't. I'll look back later and go, "Well, I could see psychologically how this would've fit with this." At the time, I'm not thinking that way at all. It just kept coming back. I loved The Headless Horseman. I was incredibly proud of Tim because it's the first time he did a villain that was really a villain. He had no redeeming qualities. Normally, we love Tim's villains. They're usually the characters we associate with. The Headless Horsemen just cut off heads. There was no sense like, "Oh the poor guy, look at him stumbling around his house knocking everything over because he can't see anything while he's trying to make his cereal in the morning." [Laughs] He was a monster. When he killed that family and pulled up that little kid from under the planks, I was so proud of Tim [Laughs].

Music's the perfect way to get close to those emotions. It's the language of emotion.

Well, I guess! I'm never sure what I'm exactly tapping into when I'm doing it. I think that's for other people to judge better than me. I just go with it. With Tim's movies in particular, wherever he goes, I try to go.

How similar are orchestral music and rock 'n' roll?

They may complement each other, but not writing the music. They couldn't be farther apart. The years I had being in the band, I had to unlearn everything I'd done with them and move backwards in time to when I used to be in this musical theater group. Your sense with a band is always verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus—like that. When you're writing orchestral music, you have to get that out of your head really quick. There are so many places to go. You don't really a verse and a chorus. You have themes. There are limitless ways to present those themes. It doesn't really help. In a weird way, I think it's almost detrimental. I was able to figure it out, mostly due to my early studying of film scores. Although I wasn't actually studying, I was in my mind studying the scores of Herrmann, Max Steiner, Franz Waxman and, of course, Nino Rota who was also a huge influence on me and really inspired the score to Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

Is there a score that really sticks out for you?

It's a hard to pick a favorite. Listening back to everything, which was a very weird experience, there were bits of different scores where I was like, "Oh, I really like that moment." If I had to pick an overall score, it might be Edward Scissorhands. Probably, if nothing else, because it was following the intensity of Batman and we were totally left to our own in this weird world. I had no model, as I never seem to have, of what type of music will fit his films. It's just a score that I still have very fond memories. It was a very simple experience working on that film with him.

"Alice" Nominated for 3 Golden Globes

Alice in Wonderland has been nominated for three Golden Globe awards:

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical: Johnny Depp

Best Original Score - Motion Picture: Danny Elfman


The 68th Annual Golden Globes will be broadcast on Sunday, January 16, 2011 live on NBC Television at 5 PM PST and 8 PM EST.

Video: Tim Burton on "The Hour"

Tim Burton was on "The Hour" with George Stroumboulopoulos on CBC. You can watch the full interview on the official website of the CBC program.

Here are two excerpts, in which Burton discusses his love of monster movies, moving in with his right-wing grandma at age 10, and his return to Frankenweenie:

Depp on "Dark Shadows" Progress

In his recent interview with Vanity Fair, Johnny Depp briefly mentioned the current state of his upcoming collaboration with Tim Burton, Dark Shadows:

"That's something I want to do. The script is close now, really close, and, you know, it's just a question of myself and Tim and the writer [Seth Grahame-Smith], basically the three of us, getting together and signing off on various scenarios. But it's really gotten good. In the last three weeks, it's gotten fuckin' good."


Photograph by Annie Leibovitz. Styled by Jessica Diehl.

Twitter-Made Stainboy Story Complete

Tim Burton's recent Stainboy story experiment -- in which fans contributed to the writing of the short story via Twitter -- is now complete. Check out the entire story on the official website.

More "Superman Lives" Artwork, Costume Tests

Special effects artist Steve Johnson has posted more photos and artwork from Tim Burton's ill-fated Superman Lives project on his Facebook profile. Here are a few samples:

"Alice in Wonderland" 3D Four-Disc Combo Pack

Alice in Wonderland will be released in a four-disc combo pack on Tuesday, December 7th. The set will include the film on Blu-ray, a copy on Blu-ray 3D (in case you have a 3D television), DVD, and a digital copy on the fourth disc, with 1080p video, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, and all of the same previously released supplements (although the Blu-ray 3D disc will be a bare-bones). The suggested retail price for the Alice in Wonderland combo pack will be $49.99.

Here's a sample of one of the special features, Scoring Wonderland, in which Tim Burton and Danny Elfman discuss the making of the film's music:



Here is a list of the special features, courtesy of HighDefDigest.com. Those special features shared with the DVD release include:

Finding Alice – It’s all things Alice. This featurette includes Tim Burton’s vision for the characters, differences from the book and Disney’s version of Alice and how she evolves as both a character and actor as she takes an adventure through Wonderland.

The Mad Hatter – Audiences are provided with a deeper look into the world of the Mad Hatter. Check out Johnny Depp’s early sketches, make-up, costumes and how they digitally enhanced his eyes.

Effecting Wonderland – A behind-the-scenes piece on the different technologies used to create some of the most beloved characters in the film – Stayne, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Bandersnatch and the Red Queen.

Blu-ray exclusives will include:

The Futterwacken Dance – Futterwhat? Check out the making of the timeless dance called the Futterwacken.

The Red Queen – The creation of the Red Queen from start to finish, including early Tim Burton sketches showcasing costume designs, make-up and digital effects.

Time-Lapse: Sculpting the Red Queen – A short time-lapse piece showing Helena Bonham Carter as she gets her make-up done. A three-hour process can be watched in just a few short minutes.

The White Queen – An interview with Anne Hathaway, who plays Wonderland’s good queen, about her character’s journey throughout the process of the film.

Scoring Wonderland – Composer Danny Elfman and Tim Burton discuss the music for the movie.

Stunts of Wonderland – A featurette highlighting some of the biggest stunts in the film.

Making the Proper Size – An inside look at the visual effects process of growing and shrinking Alice. See how filmmakers used different techniques to stay true to the storyline.

Cakes of Wonderland – Take a trip to “Cake Divas” where the creators of the EAT ME cakes provide viewers with details about how they made the smallest crumb to the largest cake in scale.

Tea Party Props – Tea cups, saucers, cakes and more. Prop master Doug Harlocker gives an overview of all the props used to bring the famous tea party scene together visually.