Tim BurtonTim Burton on the set of “Sweeney Todd.” (Peter Mountain/Paramount Pictures)

Tim Burton was jittery when the Baguette interviewed him recently but who could blame him? He’s got both a movie — “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” and a baby — with Helena Bonham Carter — making an appearance in the world about the same time. “I’m a bit nervous about both I guess,” Mr. Burton said.
Ms. Carter co-stars in “Sweeney” as Mrs. Lovett, and Sacha Baron Cohen plays looney rival barber Signor Adolfo Pirelli. The Baguette asked Mr. Burton about casting non-singers in the title roles of the film.
“It gives the film, I think an extra layer of something that you don’t necessarily get from the stage,” which led the Baguette to ask about the casting of Mr. Cohen, who inhabited a similarly over-the-top persona as Borat.
“Sacha, he’s great! I’ll never forget it, he came in to audition and he had the book for ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and basically did pretty much the whole song book,” Mr. Burton said. “I knew he could do it. He has no fear.”
Mr. Burton’s most palpable fears involved Stephen Sondheim’s reaction to his film.
“I was so nervous. I think I was more nervous showing it to him than anybody.”
Before they showed the movie to Mr. Sondheim he told the producers, “You show him the movie. I’ll be down at the pub down the street.” Mr. Burton said he was relieved that Mr. Sondheim liked the film. “He was extremely positive.”
As the Bagger mentioned, the movie has a rather crimson palette.
“We tried to use a bright color red, you know, because it’s Christmas.”