Johnny Depp, Tim Burton Travel To Collinsport In New DARK SHADOWS Featurette

A reluctant vampire with an irresistible allure. A mysterious ingénue, who is inexorably drawn to him. A jealous vixen, who is both seductress and sorceress. A strange family in a creepy old mansion, with secrets around every corner.

These were some of the hallmarks of a hugely popular series in the late 1960s that broke the mold of daytime television. In an era already marked by tremendous upheaval, “Dark Shadows” shook up the soap opera status quo with its unique blend of gothic mystery, romance and melodrama. Suddenly, young people were racing home from school to follow the strange twists and turns of the Collins family. Without DVRs, or even VCRs, to record missed episodes, “Dark Shadows” became the definition of “appointment television” for a generation of devoted fans, for whom it remains a cult favorite.

One of the series’ aficionados was Tim Burton, who grew up to break a few molds himself as a filmmaker renowned for his singularly imaginative style. He offers, “The show had a specific vibe. It was a soap opera, but with a weird, supernatural undercurrent.”

Johnny Depp, who stars as Barnabas Collins, recalls, “There was nothing like it, certainly not in the daytime, with its vampires and ghosts and witches. I’ve always been attracted to that genre, even as a very young kid, so when I got a hold of ‘Dark Shadows,’ I didn’t let go.”

At the center of the story are the vestiges of the Collins family empire: the town of Collinsport and the ancestral home of Collinwood. As you can see in this new behind the scenes featurette, both sets were daunting not just in terms of scale but because each would be required to go through numerous metamorphoses over the course of the film.

In bringing “Dark Shadows” to the big screen, Burton was keen to retain the spirit of the show, while recognizing “it’s a hard thing to try to capture. It’s not something you can remake exactly because there were more than 1200 episodes and there was such an elusive tone to it, but it was always our inspiration.”

Nevertheless, producer Graham King emphasizes that you don’t have to have been a follower of the show—or even be old enough to remember it—to enjoy the film. “We know there are still a lot of ‘Dark Shadows’ fans out there, Tim and Johnny among them. So we always wanted to be respectful of the series, but the movie was obviously made for today’s audiences, so, with the added layer of Tim’s magical direction, it stands on its own. It’s big in scope with some outrageous characters, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s funny and quirky as hell.”

Producer Christi Dembrowski adds, “I knew that Johnny and Tim would create a new life for ‘Dark Shadows’ and bring the magic back in their own unique way. I think this version is something the original fans will appreciate, while it introduces a whole new audience to the characters we loved.”

Producer David Kennedy had been partnered with the series’ creator, the late Dan Curtis, years after the show wrapped, and Curtis would come to entrust Kennedy with perhaps his most inventive creation. Kennedy reveals that the satirical bent in Burton’s new incarnation of “Dark Shadows” was always part of Curtis’s vision. “When Tim and Johnny talked about what they wanted to do with ‘Dark Shadows,’ they had such a sense of fun that I just knew it was in the right hands. I honestly don’t think the movie could ever have happened without them, and also Christi.”

He continues, “I’m sure there are going to be hardcore ‘Dark Shadows’ fans who are going to say that the original series didn’t have that much humor in it. And it didn’t. But Dan always wanted it to, and I think he’d be really happy with where we ended up. For me personally, it’s a dream come true.”

The production was nostalgic for a number of the filmmakers and cast, especially those who have fond memories of the film’s roots.

David Kennedy attests, “They pay homage to the series, but at the same time, they put together something totally original.”

“It was done with great respect for the series and for Dan Curtis,” Depp affirms. “I hope die-hard fans will love it because you don’t get more die-hard than myself, Michelle or Tim.”

Burton reflects, “I wanted to straddle the line between the old and the new to concoct something fun for both generations. Times have changed, but I think these characters are timeless.”

A Warner Bros. Pictures presentation in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, an Infinitum Nihil/GK Films/Zanuck Company production, a Tim Burton film, “Dark Shadows” opens on May 11, 2012, and will be distributed worldwide in theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

The film has been rated PG-13 for comic horror violence, sexual content, some drug use, language and smoking.

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