Movie magazine Empire has rated this summer's 20 biggest movies in its April issue, with industry experts predicting the box office takings of each. In a list which includes big-hitters such as The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers and Men in Black 3, the new Dark Shadows feature film makes a respectable placing at number 12.
Predicting a $60 million opening weekend in the US, and a worldwide gross of $310 million, Empire's unnamed industry insider speculates that: "If this takes us to a Tim Burton world that's incredible, with Johnny Depp and vampires, could this be summer's big surprise?"
Warner Bros are keeping the promotional strategy for Dark Shadows under wraps for the time being, and despite the release date being less than 11 weeks away, the lack of a poster or teaser trailer has not gone unnoticed by fans and the media. All signs point to a short high-intensity campaign which, given the heavyweight competition of The Avengers only a week before Dark Shadows' May 11 debut, may be a wise approach.
Actress Helena Bonham Carter may have ruffled the feathers of Dark Shadows fans when she recently suggested that the film would be "impossible to sell", but there is some truth in her words. Compared to the relatively straightforward comic book heroes of The Avengers, Dark Shadows is a complex proposition to introduce to a new audience, and will require delicate marketing. With its large ensemble cast, each with their own involved storylines, it's possible to sell the Dark Shadows story as anything from outright horror, to a gothic fairy tale about a loner vampire, or even a creepy Wes Anderson movie about a dysfunctional family. Any of those approaches could potentially be viable or appropriate, yet each would attract a different demographic.
With its high-calibre cast and the loyal fandom of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, the stakes are high and the potential for Dark Shadows to connect with a mass audience is there. Marketing Dark Shadows has been a challenge that dates back to the show's original 1960s run, and the choices Warner Bros make in the coming weeks may prove very interesting indeed.
After months of speculation, Warner Bros have announced that the long-awaited trailer for the new Dark Shadows movie will debut on the Thursday March 15 edition of Ellen Degeneres' talk show Ellen.
As previously reported, MPI Home Video are to re-package their entire range of Dark Shadows DVDs in April ahead of the release of the new feature film. The cover for the first volume is shown right; click on the image for a larger view.
This week, it's a photo of John Karlen (Willie Loomis) starring in the racy 1971 Belgian vampire film Daughters of Darkness. "Subtle, stately, stunningly coloured and exquisitely directed... this is far and away the most artistic vampire shocker since the Franco-Italian Blood and Roses 10 years ago," said The New York Times upon its release. Today, the movie's curious mixture of art-house styling and highbrow camp has made it a cult favourite, which has recently been re-issued in BluRay format.
The Dark Shadows Festival are to host a special event in Los Angeles, marking the release of the new Dark Shadows movie from Tim Burton. On the evening of May 10, the Vista Theatre on Sunset Boulevard will screen a double bill of the 1970 spin-off House of Dark Shadows, followed by the new feature film starring Johnny Depp.
Film website Cine Marcado, which unveiled four new images from the Dark Shadows movie earlier this week, is now reporting that Warner Bros have postponed the film's release in Brazil. According to the site, Dark Shadows: "recently had its premiere rescheduled and will hit theatres on June 22."
Images © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
La Cinemathé Francaise's Tim Burton exhibition opened in Paris earlier this week, with the Dark Shadows movie director and actresses Helena Bonham Carter (Dr. Julia Hoffman) and Eva Green (Angelique) in attendance. 
Image © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Images © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
This week, it's a rare publicity still featuring Dark Shadows' original boy-next-door, Joel Crothers (Joe Haskell). In 1965, Joel embarked on a tour of Neil Simon's play Barefoot in the Park. The run which would stretch into his stint on Dark Shadows, with the actor juggling both assignments. Here he is seen alongside Joan McCall as his newlywed wife, with comedy support from Wood Romoff.
Lara Parker's new Dark Shadows novel has slipped back slightly in the schedules, and will now be published on October 2 by Tor Books. The 416-page paperback was previously announced with the title Curse of the Full Moon, but has since been renamed Wolf Moon Rising. To pre-order the book, click here.
The April issue of Vanity Fair magazine has just been released and features a series of exclusive character portraits showcasing the new Dark Shadows movie. 
