Johnny Depp and Tim Burton are hoping to strike box office gold in their latest collaborative effort, Warner’s Dark Shadows. Now that seemingly half the planet has already seen The Avengers, it’s time to take a closer look at next weekend’s big opener.
In Dark Shadows, Depp stars as Barnabas Collins, an English immigrant as a child in 1752 who, over the course of two decades, becomes the rich and powerful master of Collinwood Manor. He rules his domain with a playboy attitude, the Tony Stark of his time.
As is often the case with playboys Barnabas breaks the heart of the wrong girl, Angelique Bouchard (Eva Green). Enraged at Barnabas, she uses her supernatural powers to turn him into a vampire and then buries him alive.
It isn’t until 1972 when Barnabas is freed and returns to Collinwood Manor. Only now his estate is crumbling into ruin and the remnants of his family aren’t faring much better. It will be up to Barnabas to return the dysfunctional and secretive family to its former glory, all while fending off the still-alive and vindictive Angelique.
Dark Shadows is based on the ABC soap opera that ran between 1966 and 1971. Burton and Depp’s version looks to add a comedic and off-the-wall twist to their version, as evidenced in the trailer and 9 clips from the film that you can watch below. The script plays up Barnabas’ “fish out of water” situation as he discovers how much the world has changed during his 200-year imprisonment. Fans of the original television series have voiced their displeasure at the “Burton-ification” of the franchise, while younger generations recognize Depp in another ridiculous looking humorous role. He looks a bit like his Willy Wonka Tim Burton character, only with fangs.
Co-starring in Dark Shadows are Burton favorite and staple Helena Bonham Carter as live-in psychiatrist Dr. Julie Hoffman, Jackie Earle Haley as Willie Loomis, Bella Heathcote as Victoria Winters, Michelle Pfeiffer as family patriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Chloe Grace Moretz as Carolyn Stoddard, Gulliver McGrath as David Collins, Jonny Lee Miller as Roger Collins and Thomas McDonell as young Barnabas Collins.
Johnny Depp will attempt to elevate Barnabas Collins from cult favorite to pop culture icon when Dark Shadows opens on May 11.
