ScreenCrave.com » tim burton

Box Office Predictions: ‘The Avengers’ Puts Competition in ‘Dark Shadows’

Damon Houx — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:36:33 +0000

When you’ve got a picture opening the week after another film has had the biggest opening weekend of all time, well brother, you’re in for a hard road. Even if The Avengers falls 70% this weekend that would mean a little over $60 Million dollars. That’s a steep hurdle for Dark Shadows. Surely no one is expected the film to do Alice in Wonderland numbers, but Shadows appears to be caught in the wake.

Dark Shadows offers a familiar combination of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Danny Elfman, all of whom have made at least five films together. And perhaps this is being sold as the latest iteration of their work together to the faithful. The lowest total that their work has garner is $50 Million domestic, while films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland have been big hits. The brand seems to work better when it’s kid friendly.

This is not as childish as some of those hits, and it’s based on a property that’s a cult favorite, but doesn’t have much mainstream pull. Warner Brothers didn’t start marketing the film until virtually a month before it was released, and word has been mixed critically. But Johnny Depp, right? Well, he couldn’t get The Rum Diary open, but perhaps he needs to be playing a freak.

And this should open, but is a near $40 Million dollar total good enough against The Avengers juggernaut? And can it play quietly (or quietly in the scheme of things)? How will this do internationally, where the name Dark Shadows means less? Perhaps Depp and Burton can save it there. It’s possible that the film will do okay, not a hit or a money loser, but the big news will be The Avengers when weekend numbers start rolling in. Such is the way of freakishly big movies.

So let’s say this:

The Avengers - $102 Million
Dark Shadows – $36.5 Million

And then a bunch of pictures doing under $5 Million. And we’ll know more come Sunday.

What are you going to see this weekend?

Tim Burton Leaks ‘Beetlejuice 2′ Details While Promoting ‘Dark Shadows’

Bronwen Winter Phoenix — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:24:36 +0000

Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Bee- oh, okay, better not… but you’ve probably got an idea what this is about. That’s right; while out and about promoting Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie in Los Angeles on Friday, Tim Burton was able to shed some light on the emerging script for the long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel, Beetlejuice 2.

Burton immediately had Beetlejuice fans speculating when he stated that “Seth Grahame-Smith is writing something. I just told him because I liked the character, I just thought I’d have a better response if he has ideas about it to just let him (work on it).”

To that vague statement, the directed added he’d move forward with the project “if it’s interesting. I don’t know if I’d ever know a good script if it bit me in the face, but I know what I like.”

And if you don’t already know the story of Beetlejuice, it turns out it’s not just a disgusting-sounding beverage, but also the name of a very strange looking, equally disgusting (but hilariously entertaining), rotting, corpsified man played by Michael Keaton. A young Alec Baldwin also starred in the film, with Geena Davis playing his wife, and the couple found themselves awarded an untimely death – and forced to haunt the new occupants of their house. In a clever twist, the couple then hired “bio-exorcist” Beetlejuice to purge their house of humans. And if you weren’t already aware of that plot, where have you been the past 25 years?

Earlier this year, we reported that Johnny Depp was a possibility to appear in the new movie, and the rumor was neither confirmed or denied by writer Seth Grahame-Smith.

News of the sequel was first announced in September 2011, and it was reported that “the film will not be a remake; the intention is to reboot it by advancing the storyline of the original,” meaning that there could even be a chance Michael Keaton may be in line to reprise his most entertaining role. Sounds good, right?

At the moment, the story of Beetlejuice 2 can only come down to guesswork, but hopefully writer Seth Grahame-Smith can make some more Beetlejuice magic happen!

What do you think about a Beetlejuice sequel?

Source: ComingSoon

New ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ Featurette Shows, Well, Abraham Lincoln Killing Vampires

Travis Woods — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:04:44 +0000

With a title like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, you kind of know what to expect when you watch one of the insane trailers for the film here, here and here, or, in today’s case, when you check out the featurette with Timur Bekmambetov, producer Tim Burton and writer Seth Grahame-Smith discussing the film while footage of our 16^th president murdering vampires plays on (see it after the jump). That said, while there may not be many surprises here, there is a ridiculous sense of fun while watching Honest Abe take an axe to the undead.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is an adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel of the same name, and stars Benjamin Walker as Lincoln, supported by a cast that includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alan Tudyk, Anthony Mackie, Rufus Sewell, Erin Wasson and Dominic Cooper. The plot finds a young Abe Lincoln witnessing his mother’s death at the hands of a vampire, which fuels a lifelong quest to wreak vengeance upon the undead, a quest that takes him directly to the White House (hey, it’s no crazier than a guy who acts like a samurai, dresses like a Bat, and fights sociopathic clowns, when you think about it).

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is set for a June 22 release, at which point it will be universally declared the most awesome film ever, or will be this year’s Snakes on a Plane.

What do you think of the film’s premise?

Source: Coming Soon

Is Dark Shadows Coming Out in May?

Damon Houx — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:14:35 +0000

Rare is the summer blockbuster that doesn’t announce itself by Super Bowl weekend. Part of franchise filmmaking is branding, and getting the word out there is exceptionally important to keep people interested in big movies. Tim Burton‘s Dark Shadows, starring Johnny Depp, has yet to release a poster or a trailer, yet is still supposedly set for a May 11 release. We have more pictures after the jump, but I wouldn’t bet on it coming out in two months.

Before I go any further, it’s worth noting that David Selby makes an appearance in these stills. Selby was a regular on the original show, which means they are paying some homage to the original. He’s the man behind Michelle Pfieffer. The images come thanks to Cine Marcado.

Warner Brothers is in a tricky situation here if they do want to move the picture, which may be why they haven’t announced a move yet. They have Gravity listed as their Thanksgiving picture, and it stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, and is directed by Alfonso Cuaron, and in December they have both The Hobbit and The Great Gatsby. In June they have Rock of Ages and in July they have The Dark Knight Rises, so any sort of small delay would mean stepping on their own toes.

The problem is that the film is an “A” picture in that it’s got a successful director and a one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Walter Hill’s Bullet in the Head just bumped from April to October, but the move says nothing about that film, and the original release date felt like a place holder. With Shadows, if you bump that to an off season it looks bad, while most of 2013 is already blocked out for its blockbuster season. So WB is up against a rock and a hard place as it has to decide whether it wants to release the film with less than two months of marketing behind it, or if it wants to move to later 2012 and possibly get in the way of the films they already have scheduled, or if they push it off a year.

The problem is that moving a year out means that they set up expectations the film doesn’t work. Which they may have already gone through with Jack the Giant Killer, which also moved out of summer 2012 after a trailer that left most audiences cold. The question if it sticks to a May release is: is the Dark Shadows brand big enough to build excitement on its own? My guess is the answer is no, and that they move the picture. That may also be why we haven’t seen a trailer yet. But as I described above, it’s going to be hard to find it a new home without re-arranging the schedules.

Dark Shadows will have to be locked in the next couples weeks if it is to come out, as it would have to screen by the start of May. If we don’t see a trailer or hear about a date change by next week, I would be shocked.

Are you excited for Dark Shadows?

Tim Burton Debuts ‘Frankenweenie’ Remake Trailer In 3-D Stop-motion

Travis Woods — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 19:05:56 +0000

2012 is shaping up to be a busy year for director Tim Burton, as he is not only wrapping up his cinematic adaption of Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp, and producing the Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter movie adaption, he has also directed and is set to release a full-length, 3-D stop-motion remake of Frankenweenie, his 1984 half-hour featurette about a boy and his deceased/reanimated dog. And now, you can feast your eyes on the trailer below.

Bearing a herky-jerky resemblance to Corpse Bride (which makes sense, as Frankenweenie’s animation director, Trey Thomas, was an animator on Corpse Bride), the updated Frankenweenie looks like a cross between Edward Scissorhands and, well, the original Frankenweenie. Check it out:

What do you think? While initially skeptical upon hearing the news that Burton was remaking Frankenweenie (in 3-D, no less), I have to admit, the trailer is pretty entertaining, and looks to contain some of the off-kilter heart and warmth of Burton’s earlier films, along with his morbid sense of humor.

Frankenweenie, the story of a young boy who reanimates his dead dog, features the voice talents of Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, and Martin Landau, and is set for release on October 5.

What do you think of the trailer?

Source: /Film

Absolutely Insane Teaser Trailer For ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ Features Honest Abe, Vamps, And Johnny Cash

Travis Woods — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:12:10 +0000

In what has to be the most deranged teaser you’re likely to see in all of 2012, the new clip for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter finds our 16^th president, the Illinois Rail Splitter, fighting legions of vampires while leaping around with an axe and CGI abandon. You almost want to dislike it, but the sheer, gleeful insanity of it all makes it hard to suppress an amused smirk at the berserk proceedings.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov and produced by Tim Burton, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is an adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel of the same name, and stars Benjamin Walker as Lincoln, supported by a cast that includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Alan Tudyk, Anthony Mackie, Rufus Sewell, Erin Wasson and Dominic Cooper. Also, did I mention it features the president of the United Stands leading a clandestine war against the walking undead?

So there you have it—the first tease of what looks to be an all-out cinematic freak out. Or just a silly, grindhouse-y bit of fluff, but either way, could you really pass up seeing Abraham Lincoln killing a slew of vampires? I thought not.

And in case you need a few extra details, /Film has the plot nailed down thusly:

The film explores the secret life of our greatest president, and the untold history that shaped our nation. As a young boy, Abraham Lincoln (Benjamin Walker) witnesses the shocking death of his mother, leading him on a path to an ongoing war – and ultimately to the presidency – he chronicles in a hidden diary. The journal reveals the incredible story of a clandestine warrior who never stopped fighting for the country he led and the people he loved.

What do you think of the teaser?

Ryan Reynolds and Reese Witherspoon to Topline Big Eyes

Damon Houx — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:56:06 +0000

Ryan Reynolds and Reese Witherspoon are now attached to star in Big Eyes, the story of the Keanes and their infamous art. The film will be produced by Tim Burton, and written and directed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, best known for creating the Problem Child franchise, and writing such bio-pics as Ed Wood and The People Versus Larry Flynt. The film has a Spring start date.

Though obviously both leads have a comic background, the story of Margaret and Walter Keane is no straight comedy. Walter became famous for his big eyed art but a divorce revealed that Margaret had done all the work herself. Going by Alexander and Karaszewski’s background, it looks to be a black comedy, and probably Oscar contender.

Alexander and Karaszewski released a statement and said this about their stars:

“Walter is a larger-than-life antihero — charming, funny, dangerous, and a little crazy. Ryan will knock it out of the park. As for Reese, she will be perfect as Margaret — soulful, decent, transforming from vulnerability to learning to fight for herself.”

So it’s something of a female empowerment film. Like many writers before them, the duo have knocked many of the films based on their screenplays, including the Problem Child films and Screwed. Of late the two worked on 1408, and wrote a version of the Percy Jackson sequel, but haven’t had much credited work for a while. As it goes with many high profile writers, that doesn’t mean they haven’t been working.

Are you familiar with the Keanes?

Robert Downey Jr. To Star In Tim Burton’s ‘Pinocchio’ Adaptation?

Travis Woods — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:07:37 +0000

Tim Burton certainly is on a remake/adaptation tear lately—the Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands director knocked out a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory adaptation in 2005, a Sweeny Todd adaptation in 2007, and an Alice in Wonderland remake in 2010, as well as currently filming a Dark Shadows update with Johnny Depp, and is set to helm an adaptation of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, along with a remake of his very own Frankenweenie. And now, news has broke that Burton has his eye on a live-action version of Pinocchio starring Robert Downey Jr.

But no, don’t worry, he doesn’t want Downey Jr. quirking it up as a living wooden dummy boy—he wants the Iron Man star to play the woodcarver Geppetto, who acts as a father figure to the living puppet. Now, keep in mind that “neither Burton nor Downey has a deal with Warners, but sources say Burton is keen to direct the film and has begun talks with the studio, so it’s just a question of whether Pinocchio will be his next movie.” That said, Downey has apparently expressed interest in working with Burton.

It seems to all be down to a matter of timing. Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller has already written the script, but Burton’s heavy schedule may keep the film from happening any time soon—which may kill the project, as both Guillermo Del Toro and Shawn Levy are already making their own respective Pinocchio films. Stay tuned, we’ll keep you updated!

What do you think of the Burton news?

Source: /Film

First Official Photo of Johnny Depp in Dark Shadows

Damon Houx — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:17:31 +0000

Spooky Scary. Johnny Depp stars in Tim Burton‘s Dark Shadows, and we saw spy photos from the set recently, but Empire has the first official stills from the production, also highlighting co-stars Michelle Pfieffer, Johnny Lee Miller, and Helena Bonham Carter. Take a look…

Though it’s easy to beat up on Burton – especially after his Alice in Wonderland – the nice thing about Dark Shadows is that it’s drawn from a television show (soap opera, to be fair), and so there’s a lot of character development and story arcs that the writers and Burton could draw from. And though Depp’s gothic look plays right into Burton’s cult appeal, if the movie doesn’t work it won’t be because they had weak material.

This also introduces more of the family, and gives us a look at Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley and Chloe Grace Moretz. But it’s Johnny Lee Miller’s hair that gets us most excited for the film – less so with Eva Green as a Blond . If nothing else, this is one heck of a cast. But it’s understandable to be cynical about Tim Burton. Sleepy Hollow would seem to have been a slam dunk title for the maestro, but other than its look, it’s not very memorable. The picture is scheduled to open May 11, 2012.

Do you still like Tim Burton?

Johnny Depp’s New Look for Dark Shadows

Damon Houx — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:42:49 +0000

What the what? Johnny Depp is sporting a new look for the now shooting Dark Shadows film by Tim Burton. It’s white. the film is based on the genre-soap opera that ran for five years and came to star vampire Barnabas Collins (originally played by Jonathan Frid) in the midst of all sorts of supernatual mayhem. It looks like Burton’s pushed the character in a more “Hot Topic”-friendly direction.

What this says about the film is very little, but it’s obvious that Burton is indulging his very specific taste with the main character, who appears to be a stylish freak. It’s hard to call that surprising, or even all that weird as Burton’s design sensibilities is part of the reason why he’s achieved his status as the great goth director.

This picture comes from Celebuzz, who have even more images from the set. With picture and video leaks from The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises sets, it’s worth noting for filmmakers that – with current cell phone technology – there’s no place but a studio to keep secrets. States have offered tax incentives and rebates to film in their areas (it’s why Louisiana became a hotbed for shooting over the last couple of years), it may make sense to go out into the public to make their films, but we may yet see more productions head back to Los Angeles if it’s otherwise impossible to not have spy photographers there for every second of outdoor filming.

What do you think of Depp’s look?

Beetlejuice 2 Is Finally Happening

Travis Woods — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:44:55 +0000

Say it three times, and it just might come true this time—Beetlejuice 2, Beetlejuice 2, Beetlejuice 2—because Deadline is reporting that Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter as well as a screenwriter on Tim Burton’s upcoming Dark Shadows film, is making the script to Beetlejuice 2 a priority.

According to Deadline:

KatzSmith Productions partners David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith have just signed a two-year first-look feature producing deal at Warner Bros. While rights are still being worked out, one of their first projects is expected to be a sequel to Beetlejuice, the 1988 Tim Burton-directed hit that starred Michael Keaton as a ghoul hired by a recently deceased couple to drive the new owners out of their house… Grahame-Smith will write two scripts as part of the deal, and it’s a distinct possibility that Beetlejuice 2 will be one of them.

And, just to be clear, “the film will not be a remake; the intention is to reboot it by advancing the storyline of the original,” meaning that there is a chance Michael Keaton may be in line to reprise his most entertaining role. Can this news seriously get any better?

So, this is pretty much the most amazing news ever—if Burton signs on for this, my head may or may not explode, or do that cool spinning thing that Keaton did in Beetlejuice 1. “Don’t you hate it when that happens?”

What do you think about a Beetlejuice 2?

D23: Disney Animation Round-Up

Damon Houx — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:19:42 +0000

Though no longer the crown jewel of the Disney stable, the Disney animation department are still working on aniated features (often computer animated) that aren’t under the Pixar brand, and some Direct to Video titles. The D23 presentation of films started with talk of the Straight-to-Video spin-off Planes, which features the voice talents of Jon Cryer, with a trailer that emulated Top Gun, and features the song “More Human than Human” by Rob Zombie. But the pleasant surprise of the panel was information on the film Wreck-it Ralph, which stars John C. Reilly as the bad guy in a video game. And there is also Tim Burton‘s stop-motion Frankenweenie.

The premise of Wreck-it Ralph is that Ralph is a Donkey Kong-esque bad guy in the video game Fix-it Felix. Felix is voiced by Jack McBrayer, and we were shown the fillm’s opening four minute, which show Ralph in a support group for video game villains. Ralph is tired of his role in life, and wants to be the hero, and so he enters a video game junction, which allows him to enter the other games in the arcade. He also notes that some games are now gone. He then enters a Halo-esque game (with a voice from Jane Lynch) and a Candyland-esque racing game, which features voice work from Sarah Silverman. Though the premise is vaguely similar to that of Toy Story, and plays on similar nostalgia, the footage presentation was winning and suggests a playful and winning feature (Reilly is great casting). It was the best surprise of the event.

Frankenweenie is still in production, and the film will be 3-D stop motion, with the film done in black and white. It’s an expansion of Burton’s original short film of the same name. Though only the film’s producers were on hand, it was noted that Winona Ryder, Martin Landau, Catherine O’Hara, and Martin Short are in the cast, and Danny Elfman will be doing the music.

Does Wreck-It Ralph or Frankenweenie sound appealing to you?

ScreenCrave.com » tim burton

Box Office Predictions: ‘The Avengers’ Puts Competition in ‘Dark Shadows’

Related Posts

Tim Burton Leaks ‘Beetlejuice 2′ Details While Promoting ‘Dark Shadows’

Related Posts

New ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ Featurette Shows, Well, Abraham Lincoln Killing Vampires

Related Posts

Is Dark Shadows Coming Out in May?

Related Posts

Tim Burton Debuts ‘Frankenweenie’ Remake Trailer In 3-D Stop-motion

Related Posts

Absolutely Insane Teaser Trailer For ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ Features Honest Abe, Vamps, And Johnny Cash

Related Posts

Ryan Reynolds and Reese Witherspoon to Topline Big Eyes

Related Posts

Robert Downey Jr. To Star In Tim Burton’s ‘Pinocchio’ Adaptation?

Related Posts

First Official Photo of Johnny Depp in Dark Shadows

Related Posts

Johnny Depp’s New Look for Dark Shadows

Related Posts

Beetlejuice 2 Is Finally Happening

Related Posts

D23: Disney Animation Round-Up

Related Posts