Dark Shadows Takings Pass $225 Million

• Box Office Mojo reports that global takings for the new Dark Shadows movie passed the $225 million mark this weekend after seven weeks of box office rentals. To date, the film has taken $75.8 million in the United States, along with a further $151.6 million overseas. As of July 1, Dark Shadows' worldwide total stands at $227.4 million.
• The Canberra Times has interviewed Bella Heathcote (Victoria Winters) about filming Dark Shadows' ghostly special effects and her nervous first meeting with Johnny Depp: "He went to shake my hand and realised he was wearing prosthetic fingers, so he held out his elbow instead. It was so endearing and awkward and defused the whole situation."
• The Dark Shadows visual effects team is interviewed as part of an extensive article on website The Flickering Myth: "We are not a grandstanding effects film," explains supervisor Angus Bickerton. "That's one thing [director] Tim [Burton] tends to shy away from. Tim would rather you not know that there are any visual effects in the film at all... he wants it to feel like a film made in the 1970s. Tim has such a strong clear vision that’s not cluttered with a lot of fancy camerawork – that’s why he has a recognizable style." To read the full piece, click here.
• Elsewhere, CGSociety chats to Mark Breakspear of effects house Method Studios, who reveals how the town of Collinsport was created for the movie, with before-and-after video comparisons. To view the feature, click here.
• And finally, artist Alex Tuis has revealed some of his Dark Shadows concept artwork, featuring early make-up designs for the film's supernatural creatures. To view the gallery online, click here.