07.24.08
Burton Finds His “Alice” Down Under
Tim Burton seems to have finally found his “Alice” in Australia’s ridiculously talented Mia Wasikowska. His latest big budget adaptation alongside Disney will be none other than that of “Alice in Wonderland,” Lewis Carroll’s fantasy novel. Adapted by “The Lion King” scripter Linda Woolverton, plans are underway to begin principal photography in November this year. [Hollywood Reporter]
Using a blend of live-action and performance-capture footage, the flick will be presented in 3-D. Hopefully Burton can restrain himself, in both sticking to the story closely without making any blunders and not getting carried away with the 3-D which has come across as maligned so far in films such as “Beowulf” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”
I can already see Johnny Depp playing “The Mad Hatter” and a plumped up Helena Bonham Carter as the “Queen of Hearts,” but I would prefer to see Burton take a different direction in terms of casting. Needless to say, I will be following this project, due for release in March 2010, closely.
A while back Wes Craven was in talks to develop a similar project, but a CGI version of the classic with Sarah Michelle Gellar rumoured to be in talks to voice Alice. Wasikowska, already a regular on HBO’s fantastic “In Treatment,” will be seen later this year in Ed Zwick’s “Defiance,” and has just completed filming Mira Nair’s Amelia Earhart biopic simply titled “Amelia” where she plays the young Earhart. Needless to say, she’s going places and starring in a Burton flick will no doubt up her cred enough to lift her into mainstream recognition. Which she deserves.
Sam Juliano said,
July 24, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Most interesting, Nick!
And of course I join the parade in hankering for the multi-talented Mr. Depp again!
As far as the planned 3D, this newest gimmicky ploy to bring people in has had (again as you note) mixed results. To begin with, the glasses bring the ticket price to over $10,even for kids—and for me that turns into a prohibitive outlay—and when they are used to validate a bad film like JOURNEY, their appeal is diminished. It worked though, reasonably well with BEOWULF, which was a far better film. The 3D in last year’s THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS didn’t work at all, as it was more like 2D, and very tame at that.
Nick Plowman said,
July 24, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I’m sure that Burton, aesthetically fussy, will make the most of the technique, I am most certain of that.
I’m actually pretty excited to see whom he casts in the other roles, as opposed to the way I am usually pretty nervous to see who Burton picks. Growing up, I had Disney’s ancient “Alice in Wonderland” on VHS and the images of the “Mad Hatter” and the “Queen of Hearts” are seared in my brain for life. Seeing them as actual people must be something indeed.