Shedding light on 'Dark Shadows'

By Sarah Sluis

Like cancelled single-season shows "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared," the 1960s soap opera "Dark Shadows" was on air for just six years, but achieved a cult following that still endures. The first I heard of the show was during an episode of radio program "This American Life," which followed someone attending a convention for fans of the series--a sure sign of its niche popularity. Now Tim Burton, the go-to guy for dark movies, is helming a feature version that's currently in casting.

The appeal of "Dark Shadows," as I understand, is two-fold. One, it is about vampires and the supernatural, a more unusual choice for daytime soap operas. Two, it was very, very low-budget, leading to rather extraordinary gaffes, like people walking on camera when they shouldn't, and actors continuing their lines even after pieces of the set fell down around them. Burton will surely seize upon the supernatural element of the show, but will he also dare to introduce camp into the movie? A hint might come from the screenwriter, Seth Grahame-Smith, author of the book (and screenplay) Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. From a glance at the opening pages, it appears the book takes a tone of mock sincerity. "What follows, at last, is the truth," Grahame-Smith says in the introduction, purporting to have discovered lost documents revealing Lincoln was a revered vampire hunter. He's asking the readers to traverse the limits of believability to enjoy a story, the purview of comic book and talking animal movies--in other words, something not entirely unusual.

Johnny Depp will star as the vampire Barnabas, and Eva Green (The Dreamers) and Jackie Earle Haley (Watchman) have also been named to the cast. The latest (still rumored) addition is Michelle Pfeiffer, who would play a widowed recluse. Burton's longtime partner, Helena Bonham Carter, is also being considered for the role of Dr. Julia Hoffman. Between Dark Shadows and other gothic tales such as Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Frankenweenie, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it seems dark, quirky works are all the rage in Hollywood right now. But will any of them hit with audiences?