So far, we’ve been led every different way by every different party regarding the production of Tim Burton’s “Dark Shadows.” Producer Graham King has now added more fuel to the fire, and we’ve just about given up.
King first made headlines when he told everyone that shooting on the project was going to start in the fall after Burton noted a 2010 start last year. Now, in a new interview with Collider, King has kind of back peddled on that statement.
“Just working on scripts,” the producer revealed. “I know that Johnny is dying to do it and passionate to do it and I think working on getting the screenplay right. I mentioned to somebody in New York at a junket on ‘Young Victoria’ that I would love to do it in the Fall but who knows, and then suddenly it’s all over the Internet that we’re shooting it in the Fall. That’s not the case. We don’t have a script yet.”
Right, he just mentioned it casually offhand when he corrects a reporter and said at the time, “We’re actually going to shoot that film next September/October with Tim Burton and Johnny.”
About the script he said, “We’ve been working on the script a lot, even though he’s working on Alice, we’ve been given a script. John August wrote the first screenplay. We’re making some changes, but the film’s going to be in production, as I say, September or October of next year.”
Clearly those ambiguous statements are all the Internet’s fault. Last time, he clearly mentioned John August’s script that sounded just a touch-up away and perhaps now he’s realizing the script was never that good? Or Perhaps Depp and Burton didn’t love it as much as he did. But he’s learned his lesson about speaking too soon, yes? Not really.
“I think if we can get the script right hopefully we can…they’ll do ‘Dark Shadows’ later this year. So we’ll see what happens. Johnny’s doing ‘The Tourist’ for me [shooting begins late Feb in Venice] and then I think he’s doing another movie [‘Pirates 4’] and then hopefully ‘Dark Shadows.’ It’s all scheduling you know?”
Le sigh…Depp recently said as much at a Serbian press conference. The actor said he was doing another film with Burton later this year before teaming with Emir Kusturica for the Pancho Villa biopic next year, so perhaps King is just trying to manage expectations in case something happens, but clearly he’s less optimistic than he was (perhaps the dollars aren’t all in place yet, because ‘Pirates 4’ is probably already mapped out scheduling wise).
King also goes on to discuss Bruce Robinson’s Depp-starrer “The Rum Diary” which is in the “late stages of post.” A recent test screening for the film took place which King describes as going “really good. The audience loved the movie. And it’s an amazing vibe in there and a great atmosphere. I loved it, so I think this is going to be really special. And it’s not just a movie for Hunter Thompson fans. It’s not ‘Fear and Loathing.’ I think this has got a commercial appeal. Johnny’s just terrific in it.”
Is that a slight on Gilliam’s film? Which sure, was a bit of a bomb at the time, but has definitely achieved cult-canon status shortly thereafter. So “Dark Shadows” shooting in 2010? File under: yes, maybe, possibly, or not.