Dark Shadows
Every Family Has Its Demons
Country
Production
Budget
$150 000 000
Revenue
$245 527 149
Director
Actors
Scenario
Producer
Johnny Depp, Richard D. Zanuck, Graham King, Christi Dembrowski, David Kennedy, Chris Lebenzon, Bruce Berman, Nigel Gostelow, Tim Headington
Operator
Composer
Artist
Rick Heinrichs, Andrew Bennett, Mary Mackenzie
Audition
Susie Figgis
Editing
Short description
Vampire Barnabas Collins is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find that his once-grand estate and family have fallen into ruin.
What's left behind the scenes
- Barnabas Collins, the vampire who became the central character in the film and is played by Johnny Depp, first appeared only in the two hundredth episode of the series. This happened on March 22, 1967. At that time, the series' ratings had plummeted, and its entire existence was under threat. Barnabas Collins was initially intended to last only thirteen weeks, but with his appearance, the series' popularity increased so much that they decided to make him a permanent character until the very end.
- For the small town of Collinsport, where the film takes place, producers initially hoped to find a suitable fishing village in the UK or in the American state of Maine. However, searches and reconnaissance on the British coast did not yield the desired results. Production designer Rick Heinrichs had to recreate everything from scratch in the pavilions of the British Pinewood Studios.
- Anne Hathaway, Lindsay Lohan, and Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for the role of Angelica.
- Key elements of the Collinsport design were two canneries facing each other. One was called “Angel Bay” and consisted of several red and white wooden structures on one side of the harbor. Opposite it, across the bay, was the Collins Cannery. The cannery buildings were not simply empty facades. They contained real canning equipment obtained from canning companies. The office spaces of these buildings, complete with all the furniture and other props, were also recreated in the Pinewood Studios pavilions.
- Initially, in 2009, John August, a long-time collaborator of Johnny Depp, was brought on to work on the script. In the summer of 2010, he was replaced by the renowned author and screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith.
- For the small town of Collinsport, where the film is set, the producers initially hoped to find a suitable fishing village in the UK or in the US state of Maine. However, searches and scouting on the British coast did not yield the desired results. Production designer Rick Heinrichs had to recreate everything from scratch on the soundstages of the British Pinewood Studios.
- Jonathan Frid, Lara Parker, David Selby, and Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played key roles in the original series, all appear as guests at the ball at Collinwood Manor. This cameo was the final on-screen appearance for the 87-year-old Jonathan Frid. The renowned actor passed away on April 13, 2012, less than a month before the film's premiere.
- The exclusive premiere of the "Dark Shadows" trailer took place on March 15, 2012, on the popular American talk show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres.
- In July 2007, Warner Bros. and Johnny Depp acquired the rights from the heirs of "Dark Shadows" creator Dan Curtis. Almost immediately, work on the project had to be postponed due to the writers' strike that began in Hollywood.
- Compared to the original television series, the Collingwood mansion turned out to be somewhat larger in size. At the same time, it resembled the house from the series remembered by viewers in many of its architectural features.
- Built for filming on the Pinewood Studios lot, the town of Collinsport, away from the water, had several streets with a variety of establishments. These included the Blue Whale tavern, marine supply stores, clothing, electronics, and household goods stores, a restaurant, a taxidermist’s salon, and even a cinema. Its repertoire featured well-known films of the time such as “A Clockwork Orange” (1971), “Deliverance” (1972), and “Super Fly” (1972).
- Anne Hathaway, Lindsay Lohan, and Jennifer Lawrence auditioned for the role of Angelique.
- The single-story facade of the Collingwood mansion was built in the pine forest of Bourne Woods, in Surrey, South-East England. For the past fifteen years, this predominantly forested area has been a filming location for many famous Hollywood films, from “Gladiator” (2000) to “Jack the Giant Slayer” (2013). Adjacent to the house was a private courtyard with a fountain. All of this was surrounded by an outer wall approximately one hundred meters long. In addition to this structure, a precise one-third scale replica of the mansion was built. The height of this 'miniature model' reached ten meters.
- Johnny Depp had been a huge fan of Barnabas Collins since childhood and, by his own admission, was simply obsessed with the character. Many years later, at the first opportunity, he became one of the primary driving forces behind the project to create a feature film based on the series.
- Key elements in the design of Collinsport were two opposing canneries. One was called Angel Cove and consisted of several red and white wooden buildings on one side of the harbor. Opposite it, across the bay, was the Collins Cannery. The cannery buildings were not merely empty facades; they contained actual canning equipment sourced from canning companies. The office spaces of these buildings, along with all the furniture and other surroundings, were also recreated on the Pinewood studio lots.
- At the beginning of the film, when the hero is flipping through a book of black magic, the initial letter of Mephistopheles resembles the McDonald's logo. Later, after being reborn in 1972, the hero, seeing the McDonald's sign, thinks it's a sign of Mephistopheles.
- The film is based on the eponymous cult television series that aired in the US from the mid-60s to the early 70s. The first episode aired on June 27, 1966, and the last almost five years later, on April 2, 1971. During this time, 1225 episodes were shown, making "Dark Shadows" the second-most-episodes among all series of its kind.
- Jonathan Frid, Lara Parker, David Selby, and Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played key roles in the original series, all make guest appearances at the ball at the Collingwood mansion. This cameo was the last on-screen appearance for 87-year-old Jonathan Frid. The renowned actor passed away on April 13, 2012, less than a month before the film's premiere.
- All the rooms of the mansion were recreated in the pavilions of Pinewood Studios. When developing their design, the artists took into account the mansion's proximity to the sea and the long-standing connection of the family owning it with fishing.
- The town of Collinsport, built for the film at Pinewood Studios, featured several streets away from the waterfront with a wide variety of establishments. These included the Blue Whale tavern, nautical supply stores, clothing, electronics and household goods shops, a restaurant, a taxidermist's parlor, and even a cinema. Its repertoire included famous films of the era such as A Clockwork Orange (1971), Deliverance (1972), and Super Fly (1972).
- The film was based on the eponymous cult TV series that aired in the US from the second half of the 1960s to the beginning of the 1970s. The first episode aired on June 27, 1966, and the last nearly five years later on April 2, 1971. During this time, 1,225 episodes were broadcast, making 'Dark Shadows' the second most prolific series of its kind.
- Upon hearing about Tim Burton's upcoming film, Michelle Pfeiffer called him herself to request a role. According to the actress, this was the first time in her life she had ever done such a thing, as she was a huge fan of the original television series.
- Johnny Depp was a huge fan of Barnabas Collins since childhood and, by his own admission, was simply obsessed with this character. Many years later, at the first opportunity, he became one of the main driving forces behind the project to create a feature film based on this series.
- Initially, in 2009, long-time collaborator of Johnny Depp, John August, was assigned to work on the script. In the summer of 2010, he was replaced by the well-known writer and screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith.
- Dark Shadows is the eighth collaborative project between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.
- While preparing for his role as Barnabas Collins, Johnny Depp followed a special regimen and a diet of green tea and low-calorie fruits. This helped him significantly lose weight, bringing him down to 63.5 kilograms.
- Preparing for his role as Barnabas Collins, Johnny Depp adhered to a special regimen and diet of green tea and low-calorie fruits. This helped him significantly reduce his weight to 63.5 kilograms.
- The exclusive premiere of the Dark Shadows trailer took place on March 15, 2012, on the popular American talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
- The single-story facade of Collinwood Manor was constructed in Bourne Woods, a pine forest in Surrey, Southeast England. For the past fifteen years, this predominantly forested area has served as a filming location for many famous Hollywood movies, from 'Gladiator' (2000) to 'Jack the Giant Slayer' (2013). Adjacent to the house was an enclosed courtyard with a fountain, all of which was surrounded by an outer wall approximately one hundred meters long. In addition to this structure, an exact 1/3 scale replica of the manor was built. This 'miniature model' reached a height of ten meters.
- "Dark Shadows" is the eighth joint project between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.
- In July 2007, Warner Bros. and Johnny Depp acquired the rights from the heirs of 'Dark Shadows' creator Dan Curtis. Almost immediately, work on the project had to be postponed due to the start of the writers' strike in Hollywood.
- The vampire Barnabas Collins, played by Johnny Depp and the central character of the film, did not first appear until the 210th episode of the series on March 22, 1967. At that time, the show's ratings had plummeted, and its entire existence was under threat. Barnabas Collins was initially intended to stay for only thirteen weeks; however, his appearance boosted the show's popularity so significantly that they decided to make him a permanent character until the very end.
- Tim Burton wanted the film to reflect its era as accurately as possible. To achieve this, he showed cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel several vampire horror films from the 70s.
- Upon hearing about Tim Burton's upcoming film, Michelle Pfeiffer herself called Tim Burton and asked him for a role. According to the actress, she did this for the first time in her life, as she was a big fan of the original television series.
- Josette's dress was an exact replica of an 18th-century costume made from nylon with a layer of aluminum and ribbons that fluttered in the wind. The dress looked especially good underwater, which helped achieve the unique ghostly atmosphere of these scenes. They were filmed in a water-filled tank at Pinewood Studios. The water itself was then removed by the special effects team.
- Tim Burton wanted the film to accurately reflect its era as much as possible. To this end, he showed cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel several vampire horror films from the 70s.
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Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
