Monday, June 22, 2009

Tim Burton Gets His Hands on Alice in Wonderland

A few days ago, I wrote a review of the wonderful gem of a TV show called "Pushing Daisies." I remarked how the show had the distinct feeling of a Tim Burton movie. Now, Burton's first project since "Sweeney Todd" has been announced: his own version of "Alice in Wonderland."
Usually, I would groan at the idea of a remake, but in the hands of Burton it will be more like a re-imagining than a remake.
Why do I have so much faith? Burton's record as a filmmaker, mainly. He recently made his own version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." While it came nowhere near the 1971 classic and no one can touch Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka, Burton's new dark twist on the old tale was somewhat moving and well worth viewing.
Like "Charlie," "Alice in Wonderland" is a fairy tale with very dark undertones (many which have apparently been turning up on "Lost" throughout the years). And who better to find something dark in something light than Burton?
The cast looks fantastic. Alice will be played by unkwown Mia Wasikowski. Burton will once again work with Johnny Depp, who will play the Mad Hatter. Some of Burton's other collaborations with Depp include "Edward Scissorhands" and "Ed Wood." The rest of the cast includes Anne Hathaway (White Queen), Burton's wife Helena Boham Carter (Red Queen), Alan Rickman (The Caterpillar), and Christopher Lee (The Jabberwock).
According to IMDB, the film is slated to be released on March 5, 2010. How do you feel about this? Will this be something special, or just another remake? Me, I'm already counting down the days.

1 comment:

Vanessa said...

I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

I saw some photos of the cast in costume and that was enough to ensure this made its way up to #1 on my (admittedly very short) MUST SEE MOVIES list.

-Vanessa