Tim Burton Talks DARK SHADOWS

 

2012 seems to be the year of Tim Burton, with three projects carrying his name. He is directing two films - Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie - and producing one, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. His first film of the year, Dark Shadows, is coming out May 11th (so far with no poster, no trailer, few photos and little publicity other than the names of Tim Burton and star Johnny Depp). Burton was interviewed by horror magazine HorrorHound and discussed the film.

On why he took the film, Burton said, "The reason I liked Dark Shadows was that it was a weird family story. It just happened to have supernatural qualities to it." When asked if the film will be marketed as a comedy (similarly to Burton's Beetlejuice), Burton responded with confusion, "It's news to me... I always start things with the most serious of intentions. I sometimes find humour in things that aren't funny and vice versa."

One of the notable things about Dark Shadows is the look of Johnny Depp's character, Barnabas Collins. Depp is known for his strange characters in Burton's films from Edward Scissorhands to Alice in Wonderland. When asked about Barnabas' appearance, Burton said, "We wound up with a nod to [original actor] Jonathan Frid's Barnabas. Because of the sensitive nature of the character, I liked the idea of his fingernails being long, a bit more tactile."

Burton came under fire after the release of Alice in Wonderland for overuse of visual effects, and he has apparently been listening to his critics, saying Dark Shadows uses effects only when it needs to. "I want to rely on the characters... We were trying to keep it as human and personal as possible. Every effect should not seem like an effect." Will Burton and Depp rise from the Dark again or will they be lost in the Shadows?