Press release from JM Agency
Warner Bros. is getting closer to its planned spring production date for its long-gestating adaptation of the cult vampire TV show Dark Shadows, with Johnny Depp starring and Tim Burton directing.
Australian actress Bella Heathcote is in talks for the female lead.
Heathcote stars in David Chase's upcoming Twylight Zones and the sci-fi thriller Now, opposite Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake.
Depp will produce with Graham King's GK Films, Richard Zanuck, Christi Dembrowski and David Kennedy.
Seth Grahame-Smith wrote the script.
Depp, who will play vampire Barnabas Collins, bought the feature rights to Dark Shadows from the estate of Dan Curtis, the producer-director who created the vampire soap opera that aired weekdays on ABC from 1966 to 1971.
The show, which gained cult status during its run, was notable for its depiction of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel and parallel universes.
Warner Bros. is shooting for a 2012 release date.