http://www.variety.com/article/VR111796924...3&cs=1&nid=2562

'Dark Shadows' sees the light
Warner teaming with Depp, King
By MICHAEL FLEMING
Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp as vampire Barnabas Collins.
Warner Bros. is teaming with Depp's Infinitum Nihil and Graham King's Initial Entertainment Group to develop a feature based on the '60s daytime supernatural sudser "Dark Shadows."

Depp has said in interviews that he has always been obsessed with "Dark Shadows" and has wanted to play Collins, the vampire patriarch of the series. The role was originated by Jonathan Frid.

A rights deal just closed with the estate of Dan Curtis, the producer/director who created the soap that aired weekdays on ABC, from 1966 to 1971. Depp and King will produce with David Kennedy, who ran Dan Curtis Prods. until Curtis died last year of a brain tumor.

Over 1,225 episodes, "Dark Shadows" was a highly atmospheric, spooky soap that featured gothic horror staples like vampires, monsters, witches, werewolves, ghosts and zombies. The show has a continuing rabid fan base that populates Dark Shadows Festival conventions. Numerous TV revivals of the series and pic adaptations have been attempted over the years but none with as high-wattage a star as Depp.

Depp, who is coming off "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," is next expected to star in "Shantaram," a Mira Nair-directed adaptation of the Gregory David Roberts novel that Depp, King and Plan B are producing for Warner Bros. Depp, King and WB are also mobilizing to make a film about the life of Alexander Litvinenko, with Depp poised to play the former KGB agent, who was fatally poisoned.

I always watched Dark Shadows. How exciting it would be to see Johnny play the part of Barnabus. My fingers are crossed for this one to happen.
Joanie

Karen, like the DVD cover--I think this is posted in 3 different places, too! :lol:

A lot of DShadows fans I guess!

Oh mercy!! I LOVED LOVED LOVED Dark Shadows as a kid!!! OH..........who's going to play Angelique??????

Me too Joanie!
I loved Dark Shadows! woohoo

Good question---didn't they have that bizarre sexual attraction? Why is that so appealing? :P

As am I! Now this is an exciting prospect indeed.

I was 13 when I discovered Dark Shadows, and I was hooked from the get-go. Was Angelique a cool evil blonde witch or what?

YES they did and old Frid was not your usual teen crush kinda guy! LOL

OH yes!!! I can still hear the theme music AND Quentin's music too....

Quentin Collins, played by David Selby, though not a vamp, was mighty nice. ;)

I can't remember who Barnabas was in love with. :huh:
Josephine maybe??

The last year of Dark Shadow was kind of weird, I thought, where Dr. Grayson, who was also in love with Barnabas, tried to/or did reverse his vampirism.

All I know is that I am looking forward to this happening. woohoo

Yes, Barnabas was in love with Josette.

What was the deal with Angelique?? Did he dump her and wasn't it she who made him a vampire? Oh it's been too many years....lol

Poor old Dr. Grayson was in love with Barnabas and HE only had eyes for Josette.

Josette, now why couldn't I remember that?? :rolleyes:

I don't recall how he came about to be a vampire.

Was the governes' the spitten' image of Josette??

I wanted to edit my above post by adding this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Shadows

It mentions Johnny and Tim Burton.

OK...I am having to dig waaaaaaaaaay too far back into what was at the time a very adolescent brain...LOL

I think Barnabas "spurned" Angelique for Josette.

I think Angelique "cursed him" so he became a vampire.

Poor old dull Dr Grayson was always in love with Barnabas and was trying to come up with a medical "cure" for Vampire-ism. LOL


Yes, I think the old nanny was Josette's spitting image.


Anyone remember anything about this?? Is any of this right?? lol

I'm a huge DS fan! I pre-ordered the pre-Barnabas episodes and am going to start collecting the series from the very beginning. I own all of the Big Finish audio plays and the complete music to the show.

When I heard the news a few weeks ago I was absolutely thrilled. JD as Barnabas will totally rock.

~Rachel

Glad you love DS too!

:welcome to JDR Just Believe !!

:welcome JustBelieve---I've been renting through Nextflix for now---I was watchine one episode the other night when I was home alone and yes, I actually got a little scared-lol(Brought back those memories of being scared when I was watching it as a kid!)

I got the first dvd set of DS Beginnings a few weeks ago and love it! It's spooky and gothic and exciting to see the characters before they met their "cousin from England".

It's it just great fun! We'll be discussing Dark Shadows Halloween week!!

Loved disc 3----disc 4 in the mail from Netflix!

Oh Barnabas---you're so bad!

Isn't he a cutie??? :shistle

I need to get busy & start getting the dvds. When production begins on DS I will be unbearable to be around.

I remember watching the show, but I was too young to really understand the whole concept. It's been in the back of my mind all of these years more as an impression than distinct memory.

Thinking about it years later I wondered if seeing DS at such a young age didn't influence my later tastes. My mother was a "founding" reader of Stephen King, and I picked up The Shining at 13. I grooved on Dracula with Bela Lugosi (and all of the other Universal classic monster flix) every time I could find it on the Saturday matinee on tv, and watched all of the 70's Hammer films whenever I got a chance.

I think it's possible to lay a portion of a lifelong interest in the macabre to an early exposure to Barnabus and family. And as Martha would say, that's a good thing.

Add JD to the mix and I couldn't be much happier!

(Now if someone can just talk him into starring in a biographical film on Edgar Allen Poe it would be a perfect dark trifecta - DS, ST and EAP!)

Hmmm...guess I'd better get the DS series in MY Netflix que so I can be ready for Halloween!!

I haven't seen any of these since I was in grade school. I used to literally run home from school to be able to catch the whole show. They were so deep, dark and scary and I just loved it. It will be interesting to watch them now as an adult!! I'm so glad they are available on Netflix.

I think you'll enjoy the series in a different way if you remember the show from younger days. I know I'm seeing the show differently now that I'm older. Just love the cadence in Barnabas' voice. Of course, the show is tame in regards to blood/guts, but considering the time it aired, there really wasn't anything else like it on TV. Be sure to watch the interviews on some of the discs----one disc had Jonathan Frid(Barnabas) and the other had the actress that played Maggie. Interesting to hear their comments.......THis should be a fun discussion in October!

-Donna

I was completely hooked on Dark Shadows for about a year. That year was 1968!!! :blink: Egads! I was 13, in the 8th grade. It was conveniently slotted for after I got home from school.

I doubt if I will join in the discussion, but I am very curious and interested in reading the discussions.

I can tell you that I prefer the good old-fashioned Gothic vampire/ghost/witch tales, as opposed to the more current high tech fare, ala Blade and Underworld.
Ugh. Where's the charm, mystique and romance? Bring it back for us, Johnny!!

Arnelle, I do hope that you will consider jumping in with our discussion!! It will be fun for those of us who remember it from the first time and also fun for those who are seeing it and reading about it for the first time...


Our dear Cousin Barnabas...from England...oh yeah!

And he looks so much like the painting in the foyer.......lol!

Oh this is going to be fun!

:snoopy

deppbychocolat I had forgotten...I haven't seen any of these since I was in grade school. I used to literally run home from school to be able to catch the whole show. They were so deep, dark and scary and I just loved it.


Exactly!!! It was sooo much fun. I'd love it if they would keep the movie somewhat campy, and a little dated.


Deppendsshowingherage ;)

After nearly 40 years....my memory is soooo fuzzy.
Guess I will need to add it to the queue...
I have the cheap deal: 2 per month, so that limits me to the first 2 discs, but maybe it will jog the ol' gray matter.

Thanks for the heads up, Donna!!

:)

:lol:

'somewhat campy'...I love it!!!

Like minds here, Deppends!!!

Well, here I go with the intro of Barnabus...and seeing the earliest episodes for the FIRST time! :snoopy Frid is spectacular in the role, much better than the average soap actor! No wonder he made the series so popular and I can so see Johnny Depp playing Barnabus with his special spin on the character....he is probably one of the most romantic Gothic characters ever created, and therein lay the draw for me, a 13 year old impressionable girl, and I'm getting back in touch with her again! :snoopy

I will have to keep going with these long after the discussion. I feel the spark happening all over again after 40 years! No wonder it maintains cult status! It'a shame Jonathan Frid never really did anything after this...Johnny is very lucky he can create an iconic character but not get pigeonholed.

I can only pray that this IN revival comes to pass. If it's meant to be......

Today's Vampire stories are drivel in comparison to Dark Shadows. IMHO

Arnelle so glad you're able to start watching this-----the gentleman vampire that Frid plays is great! I'm still plowing through the discs, too.

-Donna

I've ordered season one (of Frid...I understand there were previous shows before his arrival), but it's backordered. :(

I do think the show may have a been a bit on the dull side before Frid debuts. That's my story and I'm sticking with it. The disc I'm renting has a 15 min. synopsis of the first season prior to Frid.

ABC was ready to yank DS and Dan Curtis knew they had nothing to lose so why not try anything and everything?? They figured it was a "goner" anyway. lol So they did. They brought in a vampire and a witch and the rest is history!

That's the version I started with, too. Even with the discs I'm watching now, I find myself getting bored with non-Barnabas story lines......

-Donna

Our discussion will start with the "coming" of Cousin Barnabas from England. :) There will be some background discussed as we will need to know the Collins family dynamics...but our discussion focus Halloween week will be on the basic storyline with the vampire himself! ;)

I have Vol.2, Disc1 (3 1/2hours) .
It starts with a 5 minute Dan Curtis Interview. (director)
Barnabas is played by Jonathan Frid. Will this be enough for use in discussions?