We got our first photos from the set of Tim Burton’s next film, Dark Shadows, last month and they gave us a brief glimpse at Johnny Depp’s return to the gothic world of Burton’s mind as Barnabas Collins, an eighteenth century man-turned-vampire dug up in 1972.
The first official photos from the film have now surfaced over at Empire, and they give us an interesting look not just at Depp’s character, who in fact looks rather different from the set photos, but also show us the rest of the cast looking fantastic in their costumes too.
The film, based on the 1960s TV series of the same name, revolves around Depp’s character, Barnabas:
“In 1752, the Collins family sails from Liverpool, England to North America. The son, Barnabas, grows up to be a wealthy playboy in Collinsport, Maine and is the master of Collinwood Manor. He breaks the heart of a witch, Angelique Bouchard, who turns him into a vampire and buries him alive. In 1972, Barnabas is freed and returns to find his manor in ruin. It is occupied by dysfunctional descendants and other residents, all of whom have secrets.”
The script for Dark Shadows is written by Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, both of which are being adapted for the big screen. Grahame-Smith has said of the film’s setting in 1972,
“Tim and Johnny took a long time explaining exactly why it had to be 1972. 1969 was too early and 1973 was too late. 1972 is right at the time when the hippie movement and all its peace and love is dying out and being replaced by this me-me-me generation in the ’70s who are all about showing their wealth and having everything.”
Definitely interesting stuff. Along with Depp, the terrific cast includes Eva Green, Christopher Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Johnny Lee Miller, Bella Heathcote, a cameo from Alice Cooper, and of course, frequent collaborator of Burton and Depp’s, and Burton’s partner in real life, Helena Bonham Carter.
These fantastic new photos give us a look at the majority of this cast, and show Depp in the first photo looking a little different to how we first saw him in the set photos. His hair is looking particularly excellent in this, and with Depp having a way of bringing such different characters to life, I’m always eager to see what his next performance is going to be like. Dark Shadows is due to come out on 11th May next year in the States, and we can hopefully look forward to a similar release date here in the UK. Without further ado, here are the new official photos to enjoy. As usual, click to enlarge.
