JOHNNY DEPP on what it was like to play The MAD HATTER

Yesterday we posted some new photos and concept art from Tim Burton's upcoming film Alice In Wonderland. The movie will take place ten years after Alice was first in the magical world of Wonderland, but she'll have no memory of ever being there before. So the film will be a continuation of, rather than a retelling. Which I find much more appealing considering Burton's track record with remakes.



But what may be the deal breaker for most people out there is Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. On a film like this, where Burton can run wild and throw everything he can at us visually, it's nice to know we'll also have an actor who can match Burton's eccentrics. It's always nice to see Depp get to let loose. And it's more often than not, that Burton is the man who let's him do it. At a news conference in Beverly Hills, Depp explained what it was like going from playing real life criminal John Dillinger in his upcoming Michael Mann film Public Enemies, straight into the Mad Hatter.

The Hatter was awfully fun. After doing something like John Dillinger, a performance where it's somewhat restrained because of the responsibility you have to that guy and his memory, that Mad Hatter was like being fired out of a cannon. The Hatter was great fun, and, again, it's one of those things that you're just amazed you weren't fired. I truly am.

So it's surprising to hear that even though this is the seventh film the duo have worked together on, Depp still felt he was in risk of being fired. Of course that would never happen! I'm assuming he means that he was allowed to take so much more liberty with the role, that he felt it couldn't be what they intended for the character. A sentiment that isn't so far off, considering his portrayal of Jack Sparrow in Pirates of The Caribbean was originally disagreed upon by the studio. But it seems the final look of the Mad Hatter was EXACTLY how Depp imagined he should be.

All I've seen, I've just seen the little bits and pieces of it, but, yeah, what I ended up looking like is how I thought he was going to look, how I thought he should look, which was one of the first reasons why I'm surprised I didn't get fired

As breathtaking as Depp looks as the Mad Hatter, the take is just as alarming. With the white make up, those curly orange locks,and the wide eyed Elijah Wood looking expression, it's definitely not the Hatter we grew up with. But it's got Burton written all over it, as will the rest of the movie. And I couldn't be more excited. Alice in Wonderland is due in theaters March 5, 2010. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and newcomer Mia Wasikowska as Alice.

Source: SciFi Wire