Movie Costume News

London-based fabrics specialists Schultz + Wiremu have announced that they will be working on the new Dark Shadows movie, as pre-production continues apace. The company's credits include the Harry Potter film series, along with many theatre and television productions.

Speaking on their Twitter feed, they report: "We started on Monday setting up Dark Shadows, ready for the team to come over from LA next week..." adding that this Monday "we will be seeing the costume supervisor for the first time and costume designer Colleen Atwood arrives! Dark Shadows here we go!"

Picture of the Week: An Uplifting Role

This week, it's a nightmare scenario for Jonathan Frid (Barnabas) in a rare post-Dark Shadows film role. Seizure marked Oliver Stone's directorial debut, featuring Jonathan as a horror novelist tormented by his own creations. Incidentally, the actor doing the hoisting is Henry Baker, who appeared on Dark Shadows as Istvan the gypsy in 1969.

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net

The Audio Dramas: A Chronology

As regular readers will know, one of my main connections to the Dark Shadows world is my work on Big Finish's series of officially-licensed Dark Shadows audio dramas, which I've been working on, variously, as producer, writer and director since 2006. Over the past five years, we've recorded over 20 new installments in CD format, reuniting over a dozen original Dark Shadows actors, including David Selby (Quentin), Lara Parker (Angelique), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie), John Karlen (Willie) and even a special one-off appearance from Jonathan Frid recreating Barnabas.

One of the things I get asked most about the range is its chronological placement within the show's continuity. In the early days, when we began our full-cast stories, continuing where the show left off, we were very wary of explicitly stating dates for two reasons: Potentially we might have to incorporate dozens of new episodes in time, and didn't restrict ourselves too early on, and more importantly, everyone involved wanted the stories to unfold as a new continuation. To the casual listener, saying we were in 1982, however factually correct that might have been, would have just sounded distant and less exciting – the crucial thing was that these events were happening to our characters now.

But, times change, and now it doesn't seem quite so necessary to keep these things under wraps. We still avoid using explicit dates in the ongoing full-cast dramas, but for interested listeners, below is a guide to the various stories. And, if you want to catch up on the audio dramas, click on the linked titles in the story key below to purchase online. Beware, spoilers lie ahead...

Also, speaking of the audio dramas, Dark Shadows: The Night Whispers, last year's audio drama starring Jonathan Frid, has been nominated for a Rondo Horror Award in the Best Horror Soundtrack category. Public voting is open until March 28; to vote for the story online click here.

Full-Cast Dramas

AD1.1: The House of Despair, AD1.2: The Book of Temptation, AD1.3: The Christmas Presence, AD1.4: The Rage Beneath, AD2.1-2.4: Kingdom of the Dead

Dramatic Readings

TB1: Angelique's Descent Part 1: Innocence; TB2: Angelique's Descent Part 2: Betrayal; TB3: Clothes of Sand; TB4: The Ghost Watcher; TB5: The Skin Walkers; TB6: The Path of Fate; TB7: The Wicked and the Dead; TB8: Echoes of Insanity; TB9: Curse of the Pharaoh; TB10: Final Judgement; TB11: Blood Dance; TB12: The Night Whispers; TB13: London’s Burning; TB14: The Doll House

c1755 Barnabas Collins travels to Martinique, where he murders a man to end the curse of Celeste (TB12)c1792 Feud with Oswald Gravenor and the Collins Family (AD1.4)
c1825 Nathan Hawkins is born (TB4)
c1855 Ten year old Gregory Trask is adopted by Elias Trask (TB7)
1859 Living in Massachusetts, Elias Trask marries Matilda Bentham (TB7)
1860 Gregory frames Matilda Bentham (TB7)
1861 Civil war begins and Gregory and Elias begin preaching in the western territories (TB7)
1865 Gregory and Elias settle in Salina, KS (TB7)
1868 Elias Trask dies (TB7)
c1870 Gregory leaves Salina as his church falls empty (TB7)
1871 Gregory leads a witchhunt in Derby, CT (TB7)
c1886 Jade is murdered and buried at London’s Empire theatre, beginning her curse (TB13)
1897 The ghost of Carl Collins appears to the dying Gregory Trask (TB7)
1899 Quentin visits New York and encounters the Skin Walkers (TB5)
1906 In November, Quentin visits London where he meets Rosie Faye (TB13)
c1918 Quentin visits Paris (TB11)
c1915 Chandres Tessier escapes the cult of the Blue Rose (TB11)
1925 Charlotte Howell comes to Collinsport (AD1.2)
1926 Charlotte is trapped by the book (AD1.2)
c1929 Quentin returns to Collinwood (TB11)
1929 Quentin visits Chicago, where he becomes involved with Chandres Tessier and the Blue Rose cult (TB11)
1941 In wartorn London, Quentin reunites with the dying Rose Faye (TB13)
c1948 Six-year-old Maggie Evans meets the Sandman (TB3)
1955 Construction begins on the new Collins Enterprises premises (TB11)

c1963 Willie Loomis and Jason McGuire visit Singapore and later Jamaica (TB8)
1967 Maggie encounters the Sandman while at Windcliff (TB3)

1968 Angelique visits Willie Loomis during his time at Windcliff (TB8)
1971 Quentin leaves Collinsport in mysterious circumstances; Maggie returns from Windcliff during the summer and is dismissed (TB4); David Collins sent to boarding school (TB4); Nathan Hawkins arrives in November (TB4)
1973 Dr. Gretchen Franklin comes to Collinwood (TB8)
c1973 Disgraced minister Reverend Hartswood begins retirement as the new caretaker of the Eagle Hill Cemetery (AD2.1); David begins medical studies (AD2.3)
c1977 Mr Strix sends the Collins family into hiding, with Barnabas dying at his hands (AD1.1); Collins Enterprises ceases trading (AD1.1); Lost people stalk Collinwood soon afterwards (AD1.1)
c1979 Ed and Susan Griffin take over the Blue Whale after an accident forces Ed to retire from his job at Collins Enterprises; David arrives incognito at Windcliff (AD2.2)
1982 Quentin returns to Collinsport (AD1.1–1.3)
1983 The Lorelei comes to Collinsport (AD1.4); Seraph escapes from the Underworld; Carolyn Stoddard and David return to Collinsport; Quentin and Barnabas leave town; Jessica Griffin arrives in town (AD2.1–2.4)
1985 Angelique begins self-imposed exile near Collinsport (TB6)
c1986 Barnabas reclaims his true body (unplaced)
1990 The stairway of Isiah Mason appears at Collinwood and Angelique is reclaimed by Diabolos (TB6)
1995 Barnabas is haunted by the ghost of Celeste (TB12)

Bella Heathcote Joins Twitter

Bella Heathcote, the actress recently cast as heroine Victoria Winters in the new Dark Shadows movie, has joined the micro-blogging site Twitter. She's already touched briefly on Dark Shadows, promising that the film is "gonna blow your socks off!" To follow her updates click here.

Speaking of Bella, original Dark Shadows actress Kathryn Leigh Scott tells us that, as with the 1991 revival series, it is expected that the actress portraying Victoria Winters in the new movie will also represent the character of Josette duPres, Barnabas' long-lost love. Kathryn played the character in the original daytime series.

Elsewhere, IMDB continues to report on behind the scenes appointments for Dark Shadows, with Mila Hermanov is now listed as costumer buyer. Her previous credits include Nip/Tuck, Dancing With The Stars and TRON: Legacy. Also, Alison Levine has joined the project as a costumer, having previously worked on Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and the upcoming X-Men: First Class.

Coming Soon...

Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins. This isn't an official design, but I thought it'd be fun to create something based on the new Dark Shadows movie. Click on the picture for a larger view.

New Audio Dramas For May

Big Finish Productions have released cover artwork and synopses for May's Dark Shadows audio releases. The Blind Painter features Roger Davis as Charles Delaware Tate and The Death Mask stars Jerry Lacy as Tony Peterson with Lara Parker as Cassandra Collins. Both CDs can be pre-ordered by clicking on the hyperlinked titles.

The Blind Painter

The year is 1893, and struggling artist Charles Delaware Tate works alone in a garret in New York City. Frustrated by his lack of artistic genius, he seems doomed to a life of misery and failure. And then he meets Eloise Verinder... and his whole world changes. 1920. Tate now lives alone in a sanatorium. But he's still painting, creating extraordinary works of art. Even though he is completely blind. A new nurse arrives, eager to hear the story of Charles' rise and fall... and of his first encounter with Count Petofi...

The Death Mask

Moments after welcoming his guests to a party, millionaire Harrison Pierce is murdered. But his death is only the first of many as, trapped on an isolated island, his guests start to die in increasingly bizarre ways. Attorney Tony Peterson must join forces with a woman who destroyed his life years before, the beautiful but deadly Cassandra Collins. But can she be trusted? And what really is the secret of the mysterious Death Mask?

Kathryn Leigh Scott Writes Shadows-Inspired Novel

Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans) is marking the 45th anniversary of Dark Shadows with the publication of her original novel Dark Passages, which draws on her experiences of working on the show, adding a fantasy twist. Here's a teaser synopsis:

New York City, 1962. Midwest farm girl and local beauty queen Meg Harrison, a vampire raised by her mother to resist the temptation of human blood, arrives in the Big Apple to fulfill her dream of becoming an actress while working as a Bunny at Manhattan's hip, new Playboy Club. Meg, who wants to prove herself as an actress without using her special vampire gifts, auditions for a new Gothic soap opera, Dark Passages – winning the role of 'Margie', a small-town waitress. Meg and the rest of the Dark Passages cast and production staff are caught unprepared when the show becomes a pop culture phenomenon, thanks to the addition of handsome Brit Ian Fletcher as a reluctant vampire...

The book is due out in paperback in August and can be pre-ordered at a discount price from Amazon by clicking here. The Dark Shadows News Page caught up with Kathryn to chat about her new project:

For Dark Shadows fans, the premise of Dark Passages will sound familiar. What inspired you to turn your experiences on the show into fiction?

I've written Dark Passages with a very affectionate nod to both the New York Playboy Club, where I worked as a Bunny, and Dark Shadows, where I had the great good fortune to create the roles of Josette DuPres and Maggie Evans; I've written non-fiction books about both those youthful experiences. Now I'm satisfying my itch to write about that time, that world from a perspective of 'what if?'

But presumably it's not just an exercise in nostalgia? You're playing with the idea that the cast might have had supernatural abilities of their own...

Fans know what really happened back then when a small company of actors created the world of Dark Shadows, so they'll be in on all the inside references... and I think they'll get a kick out of discovering in Dark Passages that the gal that played the governess was a real vampire!

It's an exciting time for Dark Shadows, with Tim Burton's new movie about to begin filming. We hear you've had a chance to read the screenplay...

I'm thrilled with every element of the new Dark Shadows movie, and that includes the marvelous script, exciting casting, and the team of Johnny Depp and Tim Burton! I was so pleased that Johnny Depp gave such a generous, lovely shout-out to Jonathan Frid, acknowledging his terrific creation, Barnabas Collins.

Vintage Look For Dark Shadows Movie?

The new Dark Shadows movie looks set to feature a distinctly retro look, if a recent Tweet from the Ballyhoo Vintage Clothing company is any indication: "We had fun providing a lot of vintage clothing for Dark Shadows and can't wait to see what Tim Burton creates," posted the company on their Twitter feed a few days ago.

Ballyhoo specialises in authentic wardrobe from the 1930s-1970s. To visit their website, click here.

More From Helena Bonham Carter

Helena Bonham Carter has confirmed that she will be joining the cast of Tim Burton's Dark Shadows movie, playing Dr. Julia Hoffman. The actress has been linked with the part of the psychiatrist who becomes involved with the Collins family over recent weeks, speaking briefly about the character at the Oscars last Sunday.

In an interview with UK newspaper the Daily Mail, Carter says that she will be taking the role, explaining "I thought it would be easier to keep it in the family. Tim's directing, and it's all the people he collaborates with, Johnny [Depp] and everyone. It keeps us together as a family... It's only a small part and will be fun." The suggestion that Dr. Hoffman's part in the storyline is a minor one is an interesting development; over the course of the original series she became one of Dark Shadows' most prominent characters. To read the full article, click here.

In other movie news, IMDB is reporting that Bruce Gordon has joined the Dark Shadows art department as a sculptor. His previous credits include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Casino Royale and Captain America: The First Avenger.

Picture of the Week: Come Spy With Louis

Picture of the Week is a new feature on this blog, showcasing unusual images from Dark Shadows and beyond. To kick things off, here's a lobby card for groovy 60s flick Come Spy With Me. The movie featured Louis Edmonds (Roger Collins) playing a ruthless assassin with typical flair, and was filmed just before he started work on Dark Shadows. Incidentally, this week marks the tenth anniversary of Louis' death. He was a grand old gentleman and is very much missed.

If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the Week, email webmaster@collinwood.net

Movie Visual Effects Staff Announced

IMDB has reported two new visual effects appointments for the new Dark Shadows movie. The production's visual effects producer will be Barrie Hemsley, whose credits include The DaVinci Code and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. His television work on Rome and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers netted him two Emmy awards.

Angus Bickerton joins Dark Shadows as visual effects supervisor, having worked with Hemsley on several past projects. His other films include Interview with the Vampire, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Tim Burton's Batman. Finally, Sara Akhteh is now listed as Dark Shadows' production assistant.

Classic Movies DVD Update

Easily the most frequent question I get from readers is when are the original Dark Shadows movies coming to DVD? With the show riding high in the ratings, the first big screen Dark Shadows spin-off was made in 1970, with the television cast retelling the story of Barnabas Collins' release into the present day. The film was produced while new episodes were still taping, with the actors juggling both assignments. House of Dark Shadows did brisk business at the box office and spawned the sequel Night of Dark Shadows, produced just after the television series ended.

Speaking on their Facebook page in recent weeks, copyright holders Warner Bros have updated the status of the films on DVD: "Both Dark Shadows movies were being being readied for release as far back as 2006, but we've been holding back the releases in order to coincide with the new Dark Shadows movie. The wait will have been worth it, as this will now allow Barnabas to be Blu." So, expect a DVD and BluRay release in 2012. It's not yet known if the films will include bonus features; In the case of Night of Dark Shadows, a director's cut of the film located in 1999 would allow many crucial lost scenes to be restored.

In the meantime, House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows are both available to rent and purchase as digital downloads from Amazon. To order online, click on the hyperlinked titles.

Movie Makeup Head Appointed

IMDB reports that Joel Harlow will be the makeup department head for the new Dark Shadows movie. Harlow has worked with Johnny Depp on several projects, including the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Alice in Wonderland and The Tourist. His other credits include Mad Men, Inception and the recent Star Trek redux, for which he won an Oscar.

Dark Shadows Movie Updates

While promoting his new animated feature film Rango, Johnny Depp has spoken briefly about the upcoming Dark Shadows movie. Talking to Collider, Depp said: "I'm very excited to film it... It's something Tim [Burton] and I have talked about for a number of years, because we were both fans."

Touching on the script, Depp added that: "There's something very interesting coming from the screenplay... which is that it retains that sort of bizarre distance that everyone has with one another, in terms of the characters... It's definitely in-keeping with the original series." To view the full interview, click here.

Elsewhere, the official Dark Shadows newsletter ShadowGram reports that Tim Burton's regular composer Danny Elfman will create the musical score for the new film, adding that "Robert Cobert's original theme will likely be integrated." Elfman's other credits include Men in Black, Red Dragon and Spider-Man along with theme music for The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives.

ShadowGram also confirms that Dark Shadows will film at Pinewood Studios from May onwards, with post production scheduled to stretch into next year. The movie is expected to debut in cinemas in 2012.

Helena Bonham Carter Talks Dark Shadows

Actress Helena Bonham Carter was out at last night's Oscar ceremony, where she was nominated for her role in The King's Speech. Wearing a black corset dress created by Colleen Atwood, she confirmed speculation that she is in talks to appear in the new Dark Shadows movie. MTV's Movie Blog caught up her to talk briefly about the Dark Shadows script, and a new direction for her character, Dr. Julia Hoffman:

"I think I'm going to do it [Dark Shadows]... and I think it's because, well, I've never played an alcoholic psychiatrist." Carter has appeared in several fims directed by her parter, Tim Burton, and initially assumed her wanted her for the role of the witch Angelique. "I thought it was a sexy part he wanted me for... I'm saying, 'Yeah, I can play the sexy witch.' And he said, 'No, you've done that. You're going to play the psychiatrist who's an alcoholic!'"

The original Dr. Hoffman, played by the late Grayson Hall, was a coolly efficient psychiatrist whose medical expertise knew few limits, eventually leading her to discover a medical cure for Barnabas' vampire condition; An alcohol problem promises to be an intriguing departure from the original storylines. To view video of the full interview, click here.

Carter missed out on an award, but Dark Shadows' costume designer Colleen Atwood scooped a win for her work on Alice in Wonderland. Original Dark Shadows actor David Selby (Quentin) also featured on screen during the evening's coverage in excerpts of The Social Network, which won three awards.