Dark Shadows (2012)

Dark Shadows is a 2012 American horror-comedy-drama film based on the 1966-71 supernatural soap opera of the same name. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, marking the 8th film collaboration between the two. Barnabas, a 200-year-old imprisoned vampire, is unearthed and makes his way back to his mansion, now inhabited by his dysfunctional descendants. He soon runs into trouble revitalising the family's canned fish business, as his jealous ex-flame and imprisoner Angelique Bouchard, played by Eva Green, runs the rival company. Michelle Pfeiffer also stars as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, the reclusive matriarch of the Collins family.
The film had a limited release on May 10, 2012, before opening fully the following day, May 11, in the United States and most major territories worldwide. It was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the U.S. on Tuesday, October 2, 2012.
== Synopsis ==
: It is said that blood is thicker than water. It is what defines us, binds us, curses us. For some blood means a life of wealth and privilege, for others a life of servitude. When I was but a boy my father took us to the new world to expand the Collins family empire. We brought English industry to the wilds of Maine and built a fishing business, the likes of which America had never seen. As our business grew the town of grew with it, and we decided to put down permanent roots. We spent the next 15 years building our beloved home, Collinwood. But not everyone shared in our family's success. Convinced my parents death was no accident, I became obsessed with dark magic and ancient curses. But even then in the depths of my grief not all was darkness, for I had found my one true love. Of all the servants I could have spurned, of all the hearts I could have broken, I got one with a secret. I got the witch. Caught in Angelique's spell my beloved Josette wandered helplessly towards Widows' Hill, where many a despondent soul had leapt to their death. Angelique had cursed me to be a vampire so that my suffering would never end. Resolved that I would never belong to her, Angelique turned the townspeople against me and condemned me to suffer my anguish alone in the dark for all time.
In the year 1760, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas (Thomas McDonell), set sail from Liverpool, England to start a new life in America. But even an ocean was not enough to escape the mysterious curse that has plagued their family. Two decades pass and a grown-up Barnabas (Johnny Depp) has the world at his feet—or at least the town of Collinsport, Maine. The master of Collinwood Manor, Barnabas is rich, powerful and care-free... until he makes the grave mistake (literally) of breaking the heart of Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique uses her powers to cause the death of Barnabas' parents and then, when she learns he has fallen completely in love with the beautiful Josette DuPres (Bella Heathcote), she bewitches Josette into falling to her death from Widows' Hill and, when Barnabas leaps after her to join her in death, dooming him to a fate worse than death: turning him into an immortal vampire, turning the entire town against him and then having him locked inside a chained casket and buried alive.
Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. After hypnotically enslaving the Collins' handyman Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley), he returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate has fallen into ruin. The dysfunctional remnants of the Collins family have fared little better, each harboring their own dark secrets. Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer), the matriarch, has called upon live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), to help with her family troubles. Also residing in the manor is Elizabeth's ne'er-do-well brother, Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller); her rebellious teenage daughter Carolyn Stoddard (Chloe Moretz); and Roger's precocious young son, David Collins (Gully McGrath). Elizabeth is naturally hostile and suspicious about this mysterious stranger who claims to be a Collins, but after Barnabas reveals a cache of hidden treasure to Elizabeth, she agrees to let him stay ... on the condition that none of the others must know about his curse. Barnabas, in the guise of a cousin from England, moves back into Collinwood and becomes accepted by the rest of the family, especially by new governess Victoria Winters (also played by Heathcote) and young David.
Barnabas plans to first re-establish the Collins family cannery as a functioning business, something that may prove difficult as the Angel Bay company that currently controls most of the fishing business along the East Coast has contracts with all of the fishing fleets. Barnabas overcomes this difficulty by using his hypnotic powers to "change" the minds of the fleet captains and his hidden wealth to restore the business. However, the well-respected and well-liked owner of the Angel Bay company is none other than Angelique, who (in different guises over the past centuries) has been responsible for the decline of the Collins family and its fortunes. When she learns of Barnabas' escape from his prison, she confronts him and mocks him as being too out-of-date to do anything to stop her. Barnabas tells Elizabeth the truth about Angelique and she encourages him to keep fighting.
Barnabas's eccentric ways are noticed by Dr. Hoffman, who hypnotizes him using a watch, and learns the truth about him. She confronts Elizabeth, but is told to keep her mouth shut. Becoming fascinated with and by Barnabas, she begins a series of blood transfusions to try and cure him of his condition. In the meantime, Barnabas is becoming attracted to Victoria and turns to Carolyn for advice on modern-day courtship.
Barnabas and Elizabeth's plans proceed well and the Collins cannery re-opens and is successful, much to Angelique's anger. She attempts to buy Barnabas off first with money and then with herself, which results in a torrid act of supernatural passion between them. Barnabas, however, will not be deterred, and his next step is to have the Collins family host a magnificent party to which all of Collinsport (excepting Angelique) will be invited. The party, with special guest performer Alice Cooper, is a smashing success, but four things are revealed: 1) Barnabas learns that Roger Collins has been stealing from the guests during the party and using his son as an unknowing accomplice; 2) he and Victoria discover that they have strong feelings for each other; 3) Victoria reveals to Barnabas her true identity and tragic past as "Maggie Evans"; and 4) Angelique (who has crashed the party) learns of Barnabas' feelings for Victoria.
To make matters worse, Barnabas discovers that Dr. Hoffman, instead of trying to cure him, has been transfusing his blood into herself in order to achieve immortality and eternal youth. Enraged at her betrayal, he drains her body dry of blood and life, and with Willie's help dumps her body out at sea chained to a cinder block.
Roger attempts to locate the hidden treasure that Barnabas and Elizabeth have been using, planning to steal it for himself. Barnabas catches him in the act and, instead of killing him, forces Roger to make a choice: either stay at Collinwood and be the best possible father that David deserves, or leave Collinwood forever with enough money to sustain him for the rest of his life. Roger chooses to leave and abandon David, who is heart-broken. Seconds later, Barnabas saves David from being crushed by a falling mirror ball from last night's party, but in doing so his supernatural nature is revealed and both David and Victoria back away from him in horror.
Barnabas confronts Angelique and demands that she end his curse. She in turn demands that Barnabas become hers for all eternity. When Barnabas refuses, she uses her powers to chain him inside the same casket she had previously locked him in and has the casket transported to the Collins family crypt, intending to leave him trapped there while she completes her destruction of the Collins family. Her first act is to magically burn down the Collins cannery and then publicly accuse Barnabas not only of the arson of the cannery but also of several murders, including Dr. Hoffman. Willie, who has been in the crowd listening, flees to warn the Collinses. Meanwhile, Barnabas is freed from his casket by David.
Not knowing that Barnabas has escaped, Angelique leads the police and an angry mob to Collinwood to have Elizabeth arrested as an accessory to murder. Barnabas appears and deliberately exposes both himself and Angelique as supernatural beings and Angelique as the one responsible. A battle breaks out between the two supernatural creatures and Collinwood is set on fire. Elizabeth and Willie join in the fight on Barnabas' side, but the three are overcome by Angelique's magic. Carolyn, who is revealed to be a werewolf, also attacks Angelique but is defeated. Only David is left to oppose Angelique, who reveals that she not only caused Carolyn to become a werewolf but was also responsible for the death of David's mother. The witch moves in for the kill, but the ghost of David's mother appears, attacks and fatally overpowers Angelique. Barnabas orders the family to flee from the burning house and faces the dying Angelique for the last time, telling her that she too was cursed but that her curse was that she could never truly love. Collinwood continues to burn, but Elizabeth vows to her family that the Collins family will endure in spite of everything.
However, Angelique's evil is not over; she had placed the same enchantment on Victoria that she used to cause Josette's death. Warned by David, Barnabas races to Widows' Hill, where he reaches Victoria in time. However, she sadly tells him that they have no future together, that she is a being of the day while he is a creature of the night ... unless he makes her like himself. In horror, Barnabas refuses, and with a sad smile, Victoria, like Josette before her, falls from the cliff. Again as before, Barnabas throws himself after her and manages to bite her before they both strike the rocks below. He survives, but it seems that Victoria is dead ... until she opens her eyes and tells him "I am Josette." While Victoria Winters is dead, her body has been possessed by the spirit of Josette and is now, like him, a vampire. They embrace, reunited and together at last.
Out somewhere at the bottom of the sea, the chained body of Dr. Hoffman suddenly opens her eyes...
== Memorable quotes ==
* Barnabas: I am terribly sorry, but you cannot imagine how thirsty I am.
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* Barnabas: I have spent the last two centuries locked in a box, with nothing to keep me occupied but a glimpse into the dark shadows of my soul.
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* Angelique: Welcome back to the shadows, Barnabas Collins. I've missed you.
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* Barnabas: What sorcery is this? [rips out a cord from the TV] Reveal yourself, tiny songstress!
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* Barnabas: (upon seeing Alice Cooper]) Ugliest woman I have ever seen.
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* Barnabas: (watching "Scooby-Doo") This is a very silly play.
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* Barnabas : (walking away from Angelique) You may strategically place your wonderful lips on my posterior and kiss it repeatedly.
== Dramatis personae ==
=== Cast ===
 
* Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins
* Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
* Helena Bonham Carter as Dr. Julia Hoffman
* Eva Green as Angelique Bouchard
* Jackie Earle Haley as Willie Loomis
* Jonny Lee Miller as Roger Collins
* Bella Heathcote as Victoria Winters / Josette duPres
* Chloë Grace Moretz as Carolyn Stoddard
* Gully McGrath as David Collins
* Ray Shirley as Mrs. Johnson
* Christopher Lee as Silas Clarney
* Alice Cooper as Alice Cooper
* Ivan Kaye as Joshua Collins
* Susanna Cappellaro as Naomi Collins
* Josephine Butler as David's Mother
* William Hope as Sheriff
* Shane Rimmer as Board Member 1
* Michael J. Shannon as Board Member 2
* Harry Taylor as Henchman
* Glen Mexted as Captain Rubberpants
* Guy Flanagan as Bearded Hippie
* Nigel Whitney as Hard Hat 1
* Philip Bulcock as Hard Hat 2
* Sophie Kennedy Clark as Hippie Chick 1
* Hannah Murray as Hippie Chick 2
* Victoria Bewick as Hippie Chick 3
* Sean Mahon as Collinsport Cop
* Alexia Osbourne as Young Victoria
* Richard Hollis as Vicky's Father
* Felicity Brangan as Vicky's Mother
* Michhael Anthony Brown as Windcliff Doctor
* Charlotte Spencer as Coat Check Girl
* Gabriel Freilich as Hippie 3
* Justin Tracy as Young Barnabas - aged 6
* Thomas Grube as Construction Worker 1
* Jeff Mash as Construction Worker 2
* Raffey Cassidy as Young Angelique
* Jonathan Frid as Guest
* Kathryn Leigh Scott as Guest
* Lara Parker as Guest
* David Selby as Guest
* Janine Craig as Go Go Dancer 1
* Adelle Young as Go Go Dancer 2
* Dominica Van Santen as Go Go Dancer 3
* Josephine McGrail as Go Go Dancer 4
=== Credits ===
 
* Casting by Susie Figgis
* Costume Designer Colleen Atwood
* Music by Danny Elfman
* Co-Producer Katterli Frauenfelder
* Film Editor Chris Lebenzon, A.C.E.
* Production Designer Rick Heinrichs
* Director of Photography Bruno Delbonnel, A.F.C., A.S.C.
* Based on the television series created by Dan Curtis
* Executive Producers Chris Lebenzon, Nigel Gostelow, Tim Headington and Bruce Berman
* Produced by Graham King, Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, David Kennedy and Richard D. Zanuck
* Story by John August and Seth Grahame-Smith
* Screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith
* Directed by Tim Burton
== Music ==
The film was scored by long-time Tim Burton collaborator Danny Elfman. An album featuring 21 tracks of compositions from the film by Elfman was released on May 8, 2012.
: Main Article: Dark Shadows: Original Score
A soundtrack, featuring 11 songs, including two score pieces by Danny Elfman, and Depp's recitation as Barnabas of several lines from "The Joker" by the Steve Miller Band, was released on May 8 as a download, and on various dates as a CD, including on May 22 as an import in the United States, and on May 25, 2012 in Australia.
: Main Article: Dark Shadows: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The following is a complete table of all 19 music tracks used in the film:
 	Title 	Artist 	Year
1 	The Secret Room 	Robert Cobert 	1966
2 	Nights in White Satin 	The Moody Blues 	1967
3 	I'm Sick of You 	Iggy and the Stooges	1972
4 	Highway Star (Roger Glover Remix) 	Deep Purple 	1972
5 	Season of the With 	Donovan 	1966
6 	Superfly 	Curtis Mayfield 	1972
7 	Theme from a Summer Place 	Percy Faith 	1965
8 	Top of the World 	The Carpenters 	1972
9 	Crocodile Rock 	Elton John 	1972
10	Paranoid 	Black Sabbath 	1970
11	Hippy Nightstrums 	Tom Higham 	
12	The Joker 	Steve Miller Band 	1973
13	The Lion Sleeps Tonight 	Robert John 	1961
14	You're the First, the Last, My Everything 	Barry White 	1974
15	Bang a Gong (Get It On) 	T Rex 	1971
16	No More Mr. Nice Guy 	Alice Cooper 	1972
17	Ballad of Dwight Fry 	Alice Cooper 	1971
18	I'd Like to Teach the Word to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)	The New Seekers 	1971
19	Go All The Way 	The Killers 	2012
== Background information and notes ==
* Jonathan Frid, Lara Parker, David Selby, and Kathryn Leigh Scott of the original series all make cameo apperances as party guests at Collinwood, but Frid and Leigh Scott are the only ones who speak.
* Frid, the Barnabas Collins from the original series, passed away on April 13, 2012, just shy of one month prior to the release of the film. The movie was ironically, and perhaps fittingly, his last acting role.
* The bulk of the film takes place in the year 1972, which was the year after the original series was canceled.
* The check that Angelique gives Barnabas is for $1,750,000, it is dated October 13, 1972. The name of the bank is 'Collinport Savings & Loan Bank'.
* Although the IMDB.com summary has the Collin' ship sailing to America set in 1752 and the film's official site gives the year as 1750, the subtitle in the film's actual opening scene places the emigration from Liverpool in 1760.) [This is incorrect. The official site says 1752.]
* It filmed at Pinewood Studios, England and on location in Start Point, Kingsbridge, Devon
* Cartoon 'Scooby Doo' plays on the televison, it is episode "Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Werewolf", originally broadcast October 24th, 1970.
* The Killers recorded a cover of the Raspberries' song "Go All the Way" for the film, which plays over the end credits, however the song does not appear on the film's soundtrack. It was originally released in 1972.
* The film is dedicated to the Memory of Dan Curtis.
* Dan Curtis' daughters Tracy Curtis & Cathy Curtis were credited as Consultants.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* Maggie Evans changes her name to Victoria Winters whilst on the train to her new position as governess at Collinwood - taking her name from a travel poster she sees. Yet, when she arrives, Elizabeth knows her by the name Victoria, having her previously sent application and resume, presumably with Victoria Winters written on it. 
== Differences from the original televised series, Dark Shadows (1966) ==
* The overall tone and temperament of the film is a radical departure from the original television series. While the original series was certainly campy and known for arbitrarily inserting random supernatural creatures into its storylines, it was never intentionally humorous.
* The physical look of Barnabas Collins is more macabre in the film than in the TV show. In the original series, Barnabas' vampiric appearance consisted of little more than a pair of fake fangs, heavy eye-shadow and some impressive lighting techniques. In the film, Barnabas is extremely pale, almost albino-like, and he has long, clawed fingers reminiscent of F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu. Also, he is portrayed as being extremely eccentric and aloof in the movie whereas Jonathan Frid's interpretation of the character was much more mild-mannered. The film version of Barnabas was born in England and did not come to the United States until he was a young man. The original version of Barnabas was born and raised in Collinsport. He did however, use a cover story that he had gone away to England in the late 1700s, thus explaining his sudden disappearance after he was chained to his coffin.
* In the film, Barnabas is buried underground and is discovered by construction workers, whereas in the original series he isn't buried but kept in a secret room within the Collins Mausoleum and is discovered by Willie Loomis. However, The Collins Mausoleum does feature in the film when Angelique chains Barnabas in a coffin for a second time in 1972.
* The film shows at length how Barnabas is suffering from severe culture shock awakening in the 1970s after spending nearly two centuries underground. Things such as electricity, motor vehicles, televisions, neon signs and hippies are completely alien to him. In original series, Barnabas never seemed to have any trouble at all adapting to modern times.
* In the original series, Maggie Evans and Victoria Winters were two separate people. In the film, Maggie uses the name Victoria Winters as an alias. Neither of the original characters had a penchant for communing with spirits, most of the main characters in the original series at one point or another witnessed a ghostly apparaition of some sort. The original version of Maggie Evans was seen communicating with ghost of Sarah Collins on several occasions, and spent time at Windcliff Sanitarium. The original version of Victoria Winters had several encounters with Josette's ghost, and was eventually killed, off screen, and was one of several such women to fall from the cliffs of Widows' Hill, but unike her film counterpart, she was not resurrected as a vampire.
* In the film, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (2012) is the only family member, initially, who knows that Barnabas Collins is a vampire. In the original series, only Dr. Julia Hoffman knew this for a fact. The original version of Elizabeth bore little physical resemblance to the version portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer, and it is unlikely that the original Elizabeth would have ever brandished a shotgun, not even to protect her family. [This is incorrect. Carolyn, Quentin, Angelique, and Willie also knew Barnabas was a vampire on TV. As for Elizabeth, she hit Paul with a shovel intending to kill him--and in Shqdows on the Wall, the TV show's writing bible by Art Wallace, she wielded a shotgun.]
* In the original series, the character of Willie Loomis never worked as an employee of the Collins family as he does in the film. However, in the 1970 film House of Dark Shadows, Willie did work as a groundskeeper and stable hand for Roger Collins (MGM) before being dismissed from his position.
* In the film, Roger Collins (2012) abandons his son and leaves Collinwood (2012) in exchange for a healthy sum of money. The original Roger Collins never did anything quite so brazen, but considering his relationship with David Collins in the early episodes of the show, it would not be uncharacteristic of him to do such a thing. [Roger tried several times to get rid of David, so this is not a continuity error.]
* The original Julia Hoffman was not an alcoholic, and although she occasionally enjoyed a cigarette, she was not the chain smoker that the film presents her as. Moreover, the original Julia never tried to steal Barnabas' blood or turn herself into a vampire. In fact, she actually labored to cure Barnabas. The TV version of Julia Hoffman never died through the course of the series, and as such, was never resurrected as a vampire either. They both did have red hair though.
* In the original series, Carolyn Stoddard was never a werewolf. In fact, she was never any form of supernatural creature, although she occasionally developed relationships with some, such as the Frankenstein-inspired Adam and the Lovecraftian Jeb Hawkes. 
* The nature of David's mother, Laura Collins (2012), is slightly ambiguous in the film. She is referred to as having a "cyclical immortality", which is in keeping with her character being a phoenix as demonstrated in the original series. The film however alludes to the idea that she might actually be a banshee.
* In the TV series, Barnabas' parents, Joshua Collins and Naomi Collins were not murdered by Angelique. Naomi took her own life in 1796 after discovering that her son was a vampire. Joshua lived out the remainder of his natural lifespan.
* In the film, Mrs. Johnson is seen as a senile, dottering old woman. In the TV series, she was middle-aged and more than capable of maintaining the upkeep of Collinwood all by herself.
== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
With a reported budget of $150 million, Dark Shadows would only enjoy moderate box office success, earning just shy of $80 million domestically and an estimated $165.8 million internationally, for a worldwide total of about $245.5 million. The film's main domestic run ended on Thursday, August 16, 2012, totaling 98 days (14 weeks) in theaters.
Some box office analysts have suggested that the film's sluggish sales may have been related to the dominance of The Avengers, which was released a week before Dark Shadows was, and went on to become the third highest grossing movie of all time.
On its opening weekend domestically, Dark Shadows finished 2nd, earning $29,685,274 in 3,755 theaters.
=== Critical and viewer response ===
Dark Shadows received mixed reviews from critics and movie-goers alike, and finished with a 38% "rotten" rating and a 5.3/10 viewer response on the Rotten Tomatoes movie review site. Many critics praised the acting and visuals of Dark Shadows, but also felt the film's theme and storyline were not very clear.
== Home media ==
Dark Shadows was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and a DVD/Blu-ray/UltraViolet combo pack on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 in the United States and Canada. It was released in Australia on September 24, 2012 and in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2012.
The DVD includes just one featurette, "The Collinses: Every Family Has Its Demons", while the Blu-ray contains a total of nine short featurettes and six deleted scenes.
=== Sales ===
Dark Shadows was #1 in home movie rentals for the week it was released, and #2 in new-movie sales, behind The Avengers.
Domestically as of November 18, 2012, Dark Shadows grossed $14,549,705 in DVD sales and $7,929,861 in Blu-ray sales, totaling $22,475,566.
== Development ==
* December 2008 saw the announcement that the film is due to begin shooting in London in summer 2009. Oscar winning producer and longtime Johnny Depp collaborator Richard D. Zanuck confirmed in an interview on Collider.com that he will be producing the project, which would star Depp and be directed by Tim Burton. The trio have previously worked on the gothic-flavored Sweeney Todd, plus the upcoming Alice in Wonderland. As previously reported, Johnny Depp's production company Infinitum-Nihil are producing the film for Warner Bros, with a script by John August, who wrote the recent Charlie and the Chocolate Factory adaptation. David Kennedy and Graham King are also attached to the project as producers.
* As press coverage of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland continues, a few more details about the director's upcoming Dark Shadows feature film have emerged. Speaking to FilmShaft, the project's producer, Richard Zanuck, reveals: "I’m going to be doing Dark Shadows with Johnny [Depp] and Tim later towards the end of the year... But we’re shooting over here [London] even though the movie is set in Portland, Maine (sic). We’ve got the stages at Pinewood lined up." Located in Buckinghamshire, England, Pinewood Studios is probably best known as the home of the James Bond movies; Tim Burton previously filmed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd at the studios.
* As pre-production on the Dark Shadows feature film continues, Warner Bros have announced that the film will be released in conjunction with Imax. The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Imax will showcase up to 20 Warner movies in the next three years, including Dark Shadows. Imax is a high definition format, projected on much larger screens than conventional cinema, and can accommodate 3D movies. In recent years, Warners have released 10 3D titles, though it's unconfirmed that Dark Shadows will be a candidate for 3D treatment.
* Illfracombe People reports that director Tim Burton paid a visit to the village of Ilfracombe, Devon by helicopter on Tuesday January 18 to look at locations for an upcoming project, believed to be Dark Shadows. Burton has filmed in the south west of England before, shooting sequences for Alice in Wonderland in Cornwall. Though unconfirmed officially, the piece reports that Burton has recently looked at a number of locations in North Devon, including the fishing town of Clovelly. http://www.ilfracombepeople.co.uk/groups/town/Tim-Burton-pays-Ilfracombe-visit-Harrods/story-10571429-detail/story.html
* British tabloid newspaper The Sun claims that Johnny Depp has embarked on a weight loss regime as he prepares for his role as Barnabas. The newspaper reports that the actor is keen to "look as gaunt as possible" and hopes to get his weight down to 10 stone (140 lbs) with a diet of green tea and low fructose fruit before filming begins in April http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/film/3376446/Johnny-Depps-got-diet-down-to-a-tea.html
* Variety reports that casting is underway for Tim Burton's Dark Shadows movie, with Australian actress Bella Heathcote in discussions to play the role of heroine Victoria Winters. Heathcote's previous credits include the films Acolytes and Beneath Hill 60, plus a stint on soap opera Neighbours. Most recently, she has been cast to appear alongside Justin Timberlake in Now. The same article also confirms that Dark Shadows is slated for a 2012 release and that Christi Dembrowski is working on the film as a producer, alongside the previously announced Richard Zanuck and David Kennedy. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118031422?refCatId=13
* On Deadline Hollywood, columnist Mike Fleming says that Jackie Earle Haley is the contender for the role of Barnabas' drifter servant Willie Loomis. Haley is probably best known for playing Freddy Krueger in the recent remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, along with roles in Shutter Island and the comic book adaptation Watchmen. http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/jackie-earle-haley-and-bella-heathcoate-in-dark-shadows-talks/
* Industry website IMDB is reporting a number of crew appointments for Tim Burton's Dark Shadows feature film, as pre-production continues. Derek Frey is now listed as associate producer, having previously worked alongside Tim Burton on several film projects. Katterli Frauenfelder, another frequent Burton collaborator, is the project's first assistant director. On the visual side, Andrew Bennett has joined the project as assistant art director. His previous credits include The Wolfman, Clash of the Titans and the Harry Potter series. Elsewhere, Cheryl Beasley is the film's costume supervisor, with Courtney Hoffman as costume buyer.
* The MTV Movie Blog reports that casting for Tim Burton's Dark Shadows movie is continuing apace, with two major names currently in discussions for the roles of Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and Dr. Julia Hoffman. Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Pfeiffer is linked with the part of Collinwood matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, a character originally played by Hollywood legend Joan Bennett. Pfeiffer previously worked with Burton on Batman Returns, giving one of her most memorable performances as Catwoman. Her other roles include The Fabulous Baker Boys, Dangerous Liaisons, Frankie and Johnny, and more recently Stardust. Meanwhile, Tim Burton's partner and frequent collaborator Helena Bonham Carter is set to play Barnabas' ally Dr. Julia Hoffman, first portrayed by Grayson Hall. Carter is currently riding high from her acclaimed role in The King's Speech, which netted her a BAFTA award at the weekend. She has appeared alongside Johnny Depp in Burton's Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland, and features in the Harry Potter films as Bellatrix Lestrange. Her other credits include Fight Club, The Wings of the Dove and Terminator Salvation. http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/02/15/dark-shadows-helena-bonham-carter-michelle-pfeiffer/
* While promoting her new movie Cracks, actress Eva Green has spoken briefly about her role as the witch Angelique in the new Dark Shadows feature film, a part originally played by Lara Parker. In a video interview for website Cinema Blend, the actress revealed "I'm shooting Dark Shadows in a month in London. It's a great piece, an amazing crazy role. I'm looking forward to it." Speaking of her inspirations for playing the character, she cites "Bette Davis and Janis Joplin, mixed together." In a longer interview for MTV's Movie Blog, Eva confirmed recent speculation that the the film will have a retro setting and that Angelique will still be blonde-haired. "I haven't seen the TV series, but from what I've seen... it's very different. My character is very different. She's American, blonde, cool, in the seventies. She is this sexy witch, very powerful in town, she's very cool. She has many faces." When asked about director Tim Burton's vision for the project, she suggested that "It's something that he's never done... It's much more focused on the actors. It could almost be a play. The script is very powerful and funny. [Angelique's] relationship with Barnabas, that Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? relationship, very love-hate – it's very funny." http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/03/16/dark-shadows-eva-green/
* Johnny Depp's Dark Shadows wardrobe will be archived in his Santa Monica showroom where he stores the costumes from every film he’s ever made, a stipulation that he has in each contract. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/fash-track/johnny-depp-dark-shadows-twilight-robert-pattinson-vampires-283729
* In October 2012, John August spoke to shocktillyoudrop.com about his original version of the film's script. When asked how much of his work is represented in the final cut, August said, "Not a lot. Dark Shadows, when it came to me, it was before Twilight had come out and before True Blood. They said, 'Let's make a big gothic, vampire drama.' I pitched that and I wrote a Godfather-like saga of the Collins family and Barnabas was at the center of it all.""I was really happy with it and it looked like it was going to happen," August continued. "Other movies came first, other things happened first. Twilight and True Blood came out and, suddenly, vampires were everywhere. I understood the instinct of, 'Let's not make it a drama, let's make it a comedy,' but that wasn't the movie I set out to write. It was frustrating, but that's the nature of screenwriting. You're building a movie that may not end up shooting." One similarity August noted was that his story was a period piece as well. "It took itself seriously. It was set in '71 too and leaned on that for a bit of the comedy, but it played itself straight and not a comedy. I was excited to make that movie and, honestly, I think it's one of the best scripts I've written. But I totally get why, at the time they went off to make it, they didn't make that version. It was frustrating to see other things coming out doing what was there, like True Blood, but that's going to happen." http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/170183-excl-john-august-on-the-dark-shadows-movie-that-never-was
== Gallery ==
=== Photos & Stills ===
54807.jpg|Cast photo
dark_shadows_film_still_a_l.jpg|Barnabas and Elizabeth
HeathcoteVictoria.jpg|Victoria Winters
DeppPortrait.jpg|Barnabas Collins
Angelique1972.jpg|Angelique
Dark_Shadows_HTML.jpg|Barnabas Collins
=== Posters ===
DARK-SHADOWS-DEPP 510.jpeg|Barnabas Poster
DARK-SHADOWS-GREEN 510.jpeg|Angelique Poster
WilliePoster.jpg|Willie Poster
DARK-SHADOWS-CARTER 510.jpeg|Julia Poster
VictoriaPoster.jpg|Victoria Poster
ElizabethPoster.jpg|Elizabeth Poster
RogerPoster.jpg|Roger Poster
CarolynPoster.jpg|Carolyn Poster
DavidPoster.jpg|David Poster
BarnabasBusShelter.jpg|Barnabas Poster
AngeliqueBusShelter.jpg|Angelique Poster
WillieBusShelter.jpg|Willie Poster
JuliaBusShelter.jpg|Julia Poster
ElizabethBusShelter.jpg|Elizabeth Poster
RogerBusShelter.jpg|Roger Poster
CarolynBusShelter.jpg|Carolyn Poster
DavidBusShelter.jpg|David Poster
JosetteBusShelter.jpg|Josette Poster
=== Screencaps () ===
Ds2012aj.jpg|Collinsport 1760
Ds2012ao.jpg|Collinwood 1775
Ds2012bo.jpg|Josette at Widows' Hill
Ds2012cc.jpg|Barnabas: The Vampire
Ds2012eb.jpg|Victoria & Josette
Ds2012en.jpg|Elizabeth
Ds2012gf.jpg|Barnabas in 1972
Ds2012hkjpg.jpg|Hypnosis
Ds2012hp.jpg|Barnabas at Collinwood
Ds2012ht.jpg|Carolyn & David
Ds2012hx.jpg|Barnabas' Portrait
Ds2012jr.jpg|Collinwood 1972
Ds2012kb.jpg|Julia & Roger
Ds2012lu.jpg|Angelique
Ds2012mu.jpg|The Collins Family
Ds2012nn.jpg|Love Story
Ds2012nt.jpg|Collins Cannery
Ds2012rs.jpg|Chaos at Angelique's
Ds2012tf.jpg|Return to Collinwood
Ds2012tm.jpg|Barnabas at the Ball
== Videos ==
240px|link=Special:FilePath/Dark_Shadows_(2012)_-_Featurette_Strange_Family
== References ==
== External links ==
*
*Dark Shadows Every Day - Time Travel, part 14: It Is What It Is
Category:Feature film
Category:2012 Film