Tim Burton and Johnny Depp Push Back 'Dark Shadows'

[Brian Damage]

The big-screen remake of Dark Shadows has been kicking around Hollywood for how long now? But, every time we get close, something new comes up (talk about bad timing). Late last year, producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Heyman told Collider that Tim Burton would be lining up Shadows with Johnny Depp to start shooting this summer. But, the usually reliable Nikki Finke is reporting that Burton has started thinking about pushing back the start date of the vampire soap to this fall. According to Finke's sources, the cause for delay was that Burton's Alice in Wonderland was taking much longer to finish than anticipated, and with a 2010 release date around the corner, something had to go.

According to Finke, Burton has yet to broach the subject with WB about the delay, but it's not like Depp is going to go anywhere else, and Finke's source told her, "It is our intention to still start the movie in the fall. We're trying to work it out, and Tim Burton is Johnny's first and only choice to direct." Burton had signed on in June to direct the tale of Barnabas Collins with his muse/BFF taking the lead role. Both men are huge fans of the 60's soap about the supernatural goings on at the Collins Manor, and Depp has held the rights to the property through his production company (Infintrum Nihil).

Depp is also starting production on the Hunter S. Thompson adaptation, The Rum Diary, at the end of March. Originally, Burton had been scheduled to start Shadows in June, and then the date had been pushed back to August. But with all the buzz surrounding Public Enemies, I have a feeling Depp's schedule will be filling up pretty rapidly, and a summer start date for Shadows is starting to look more unlikely by the minute.

http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/2...-dark-shadows/

[MickeyMac]

I say they should cancel this whole project together.