Let’s face it. The original Dark Shadows television series was a delight in spite of the flubbed lines, the visible boom mics and the wobbling sets. In fact, it was probably fun to watch specially because of how low rent it was. The concept of a crew so dedicated to making something scary failing so epically (and in turn creating something hilarious) was explored a bit on an episode of This American Life, and it’s a question that lingers for how Tim Burton will treat his film version of Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp.
We’ve reported before on the project, but it’s now confirmed to be Depp and Burton’s next project ‐ one that will begin filming in April of 2011. The one major change is that John August (Big Fish) is no longer writing the script. Instead, it’s Seth Grahame-Smith, the author of “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”
The biggest question is whether this will be a polished version of the vampire story or whether it will seek to have some of the ridiculousness achieved in the television show. Are we looking at a genuine horror flick or a comedy of Ed Wood proportions? The second biggest question is whether this start date will put Depp out of the running to star in Kathryn Bigelow’s Triple Frontier, which is supposed to begin in February. [Deadline Burbank]
Related Topics: Johnny Depp
