Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Dark Shadows Movie Press Release

Warner Bros have issued a press release for the Dark Shadows feature film, which includes production and plot information. The bulletin announces that the role of Roger Collins will be played by British actor Jonny Lee Miller.

Roger, originally portrayed by the late Louis Edmonds, was the troubled brother of Collinwood matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Jonny's other credits include a recurring role on Dexter, along with film appearances in Trainspotting, Plunkett & Macleane, Love, Honour and Obey, and a recent stint on stage at the National Theatre in Frankenstein.

The full press release is reproduced below. Please note that this includes potential plot spoilers...
Filming Begins on Tim Burton's Dark Shadows
Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter head an all-star cast.

BURBANK, Calif. Filming begins this week on Warner Bros. Pictures' and Village Roadshow Pictures' Dark Shadows, which brings the cult classic television series to the big screen under the direction of Tim Burton. The film's all-star ensemble cast includes Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, Chloe Moretz, and newcomer Gulliver McGrath.

In the year 1752, Joshua and Naomi Collins, with young son Barnabas, 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 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 an inveterate playboy… until he makes the grave mistake of breaking the heart of Angelique Brouchard (Eva Green). A witch, in every sense of the word, Angelique dooms him to a fate worse than death: turning him into a vampire, and then burying him alive.

Two centuries later, Barnabas is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. 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. Matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer) 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 10-year-old son, David Collins (Gulliver McGrath). The mystery extends beyond the family, to caretaker Willie Loomis, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and David's new nanny, Victoria Winters, played by Bella Heathcote.

Burton is directing and producing Dark Shadows from a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith, story by John August and Grahame-Smith, based on the television series created by Dan Curtis. Also producing are Oscar® winner Richard D. Zanuck (Alice in Wonderland, Driving Miss Daisy), continuing his long association with Burton; Oscar® winner Graham King (Rango, The Departed), continuing his collaboration with Depp; Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, and David Kennedy. The executive producers are Chris Lebenzon, Nigel Gostelow, Tim Headington, and Bruce Berman.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, Oscar®-winning production designer Rick Heinrichs (Sleepy Hollow), Oscar®-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (Alice in Wonderland) and editor Chris Lebenzon (Alice in Wonderland). The score will be composed by Danny Elfman.

Dark Shadows is being filmed entirely in England, both at Pinewood Studios and on location.

Dark Shadows will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

5 comments:

Chad Moore said...

Great choice for Roger! I was worried the character might be dropped altogether when Michael Sheen's involvement went bust.

squareheart said...

Jonny Lee Miller is a great choice! And I like the plot summary--glad that the overall rise and decline of the Collins family is being taken seriously. I suppose it's too much to ask that the strange complexity of the original Angelique reoccur here (they reduced her to a stock stalker-hot-villainess in the 1991 revival series); too bad--I thought the complex backstory and Barnabas's fumbling of his original relationships enriched his character. But overall, this looks good. Relieved!!

Anonymous said...

Interesting way of getting around the time-travel flashback by telling the tale in chronological order.

Does this mean, however, that the whole Barnabas' engagement to Josette Dupres angle has been dropped, as there is only mention of Barnabas being a playboy and nothing about pending nuptials?

Unknown said...

American audiences will recognize Jonny Lee Miller from the US series Eli Stone which ran for two years on ABC. He played Eli.

Elainesc said...

Oh my...I can't believe it's really happening. As a very ardent DS fan I'm SO looking forward to this movie. I'm really glad that some familiar faces will be taking part as well - Lara, Katherine, Nancy...and of course the one and only JON....how exciting!!!
Best of luck to Tim Burton, the cast and crew - rememebr you have a LOT to live up to...lol.