So, for now the release date for the 1 disk edition, 2-disk special and a HD DVD edition is April 1st. Here's the content:
Single-Disc: Featurette: Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd
Two-Disc Special Edition: Featurettes: Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd Sweeney Todd is Alive: The Real History of the Demon Barber Musical Mayhem: Sondheim's Sweeney Todd Sweeney's London The Making of Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition Designs for a Demon Barber A Bloody Business The Razor's Refrain Sweeney Todd Press Conference, November 2007 Moviefone Unscripted with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp Theatrical Trailer Photo Gallery
HD DVD 2-Disc Special Edition: 1080P Widescreen English Dolby True HD 5.1 Surround English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 Surround English, French and Spanish subtitles Featurettes: Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd Sweeney Todd is Alive: The Real History of the Demon Barber Musical Mayhem: Sondheim's Sweeney Todd Sweeney's London The Making of Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition Designs for a Demon Barber A Bloody Business The Razor's Refrain Sweeney Todd Press Conference, November 2007 Moviefone Unscripted with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp Theatrical Trailer Photo Gallery
Helena had some other names picked out incase they had a boy: "It took us five weeks to come up with Billy, and this time we were stunned to have a girl. I'm sure I saw a willy on the antenatal scan, so we came up with Charlie, Jack, Louis, or Milo.
"She's very tall and smells delicious. She's very chilled, with lots of hair, and I'm totally in love. I even loved the birth. I'd do it again in a flash.
"I just got the drugs, sat back, and enjoyed it. It was all so casual that she didn't even cry when she came out!"
Tim Burton and Lisa Marie go to court What was hoped to be a quick settlement has evolved into a drawn-out legal confrontation between director Tim Burton and his ex, Lisa Marie. The trial is set for August 12th, 2008.
Lisa Marie, 39, originally filed a lawsuit against the filmmaker in 2006.
Marie and Burton met in December 1991 and quickly moved in with one another. At that point, according to her complaint, the filmmaker promised to "share equally any and all property accumulated" and agreed to take care of her financial needs for the rest of her life.
Burton did assist Marie's career: the model appeared in four of his films -- Ed Wood in 1994, Mars Attacks! in 1996, Sleepy Hollow in 1999, and Planet of the Apes in 2001.
But while shooting their last film together, Marie's suit states, Burton dumped the model/actress for Helena Bonham Carter, who played the female lead in Apes. Bonham Carter and Tim Burton currently reside in England with their two children.
Lisa Marie's suit claims that while Burton and Bonham Carter pursued their romance, Marie felt "extremely depressed" for several months.
Marie, whose full name is Lisa Marie Smith, eventually received $2.7 million, but in 2004, she complained of a conspiracy preventing her from obtaining her fair share.
Burton fired back with his own petition, seeking a court declaration which would demand Marie abide by the original agreement.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street managed to receive two BAFTA nominations this year, but ultimately failed to win. The biography La Mome beat out Todd in both Best Costume Design (Colleen Atwood was nominated) and Best Makeup/Hair. =[
HBC's Tribute to her music teacher
Helena is scheduled to attend a tribute show for singing teacher Ian Adam. He’s the one who helped her with “Sweeney Todd” and yep, he’s the guy who told Helena to sing “from her cunt”
The show will be on Sunday, February 24, 2008 at the Her Majesty’s Theatre in London.
And on a non-Helena, Tim, Johnny, or Danny note:
Please visit my friend's site: www.realmenglitter.com All about the Book series, Twilight, and the upcoming move.
ACCORDING TO OUR SISTER SITE "GNOMOLOGY," THERE HAS BEEN A MASS BREAKOUT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL GNOME PRISON! PLEASE SEE THE LIST OF PRECAUTIONS CONCERNING THIS DISASTER AT THE AFOREMENTIONED SITE! THIS JUST MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE!
We are talking about the UK Sun here, but I'd say for any rumored possibility, this is the one to pay attention to. As I last told you, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was in total shutdown. The workers questioned seemed to think it was the end, but this is Hollywood, and that pic has got a lot of money behind it, so I'd be surprised if they stopped that easily. That means filling Heath Ledger's shoes for all of the blue-screen work. According to The Sun, Terry Gilliam is thinking about asking Johnny Depp.
The two have a long history, so if I was to believe any rumors of replacement, it'd be this one. But how could they do it? Sure, under certain conditions they can look similar, but "similar" really isn't good enough. However, a studio source reportedly says: "There is a point in the film when Heath falls through a magic mirror. He could change into another character after that and that is where Johnny would come in." Well, that would make sense, and be pretty darn convenient. Personally, I'm hoping it's true. With Johnny, there's still a big name in it to appease financial backers, and he could certainly do the role justice and allow fans to see Heath's last work. Thoughts?
And the rumors are true, the burton's did name their new Daughter Indiana Rose Burton!
This is so far just a rumor, Director Terry Gilliman made it known that he wants Johnny to play the role, but no response from Johnny yet. http://movies.hollyscoop.com
Johnny Depp will replace Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, the latest project Heath had been working on. Director Terry Gilliman hand picked Johnny for the role.
But this doesn't mean we won't see Heath at all. The studio is saying there's a part of the movie in which Heath's character falls through a magic mirror, and they may have Johnny become the new appearance of the changed character.
It's sad that they already have to be dealing with this so soon after Heath's death, but it's great that such an amazing actor as Johnny Depp will be on board.
HELENA BONHAM-CARTER was left red-faced on the set of SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET - because she had to kiss her boyfriend TIM BURTON'S best friend JOHNNY DEPP. The Fight Club star plays Mrs Lovett in the musical version of the classic horror story and performs a kissing scene with Depp in the movie - whilst her partner Burton directed them. And the 41-year-old actress admits that even though her partner was watching - she enjoyed kissing one of Hollywood's most lusted after male stars. She says, "I was being paid by my boyfriend to kiss his best friend." The grisly blockbuster has been highly acclaimed by critics and fans alike - with Depp nominated for a best actor Oscar at next month's (Feb08) ceremony and Bonham Carter receiving a best supporting actress nod at this year's (08) Golden Globes.
"I told him this was a perfect role for an actor; you don't have to do anything, just stare out the window and... brood" Director TIM BURTON on how he persuaded JOHNNY DEPP to take lead role in grisly blockbuster musical SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET.
Helena Bonham Carter exclusive
THE GORE OF SWEENEY TODD WAS THE LAST THING THAT HELENA BONHAM CARTER NEEDED WHILE PREGNANT.
Things have been a bit busy lately in the Bonham Carter household. Helena has been celebrating the release of her new film, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, which has garnered rave reviews, picked up two Golden Globes and earned Johnny Depp a Best Actor Oscar nod.
All this comes shortly after the actress gave birth to an as-yet unnamed daughter on December 15, her second child with her partner and Sweeney Todd director Tim Burton. Being pregnant during filming caused a few continuity problems and Helena reckons cinemagoers will be able to spot them, thanks to the fluctuating size of her boobs.
“The film was shot out of order, so sometimes I’ve got my normal little tangerines and other times I’m much bigger,” she smiles. “The costume designer knew instantly what was happening because it was unmistakable.”
In the classic slasher-horror-musical, Helena plays Mrs Lovett, who makes meat pies out the victims of the Demon Barber, played by Depp.
Meeting for a chat in a London hotel, Helena, 41, joked that the gory movie might have had an effect on her baby. “I expected it to come out with a little razor in its hand, or with its hands over its ears,” she laughs. “But there were happy hormones around even though I was working long hours.
“I’m convinced that whatever state you’re in during your pregnancy has a huge influence on the baby’s personality – so I hope we haven’t produced a little serial killer!”
Because she and Burton – whose films include Batman, The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory – are off-screen partners, Helena had to work twice as hard to convince people she was worthy of the role.
“I had to audition like everyone else,” she says. “I knew the score so I sang several songs – until Tim told me to shut up.”
To her relief, Burton gave her the nod, as did the show’s composer, Stephen Sondheim. Then Helena had to spend three months with a singing teacher to learn to sing properly.
“We realised it would have been pretty hideous if Tim hadn’t wanted me,” she admits. “We knew some people would think he had cast his girlfriend because it was an easy choice, but it was just the opposite because it was a potential disaster.
“I knew I had to be right on the money because it would be awful for me to be in the film and not be up to scratch. I’d never really sung before so it was quite a tall order to learn how to sing in three months.”
Filming was also tough for Helena in her delicate physical condition.
“There were lots of human body parts and blood around,” she grimaces. “By then, I was suffering from morning sickness, so all that combined left me wanting to sit down most of the time.”
In addition, Burton was sometimes a tough taskmaster.
“It was quite hard and we had certain stresses working together,” Helena admits. “I think I talk too much for his liking, but he should have given me more compliments.”
The pair have had an unconventional relationship in the six years since they met on the set of Planet Of The Apes, living in separate but adjoining houses in North London.
Whenever Helena wanted to play with their four-year-old son Billy-Ray, she popped next door to Burton’s house. And when Tim, 49, fancied a cup of tea or a bite to eat, he’d pop round to use Helena’s kitchen. Now, they’ve simplified things by unifying the properties.
“We couldn’t keep on going in and out of each other’s houses,” says Helena, “so now it’s just one strange house which has no co-ordination. My part is very tasteful and girlie, while Tim’s is quite eclectic because he’s got a more modern taste.”
But now Helena thoughts are turning back to work and next on her schedule is reprising her role as the conniving, evil Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.
“It’s going to be interesting,” laughs Helena, “because I don’t think I’m going to feel up to getting on a broomstick and lactating at the same time.”
hough Universal Pictures and the State of Wisconsin have not yet made any official announcement regarding the shooting Michael Mann's historical gangster film Public Enemies in any communities around the state, the production is moving forward. The film has opened offices in Chicago, one of the primary locations slated for shoots, and scouting continues in Wisconsin. This weekend a representative of the film will be in town in search of classic vehicles for the movie. According to a radio ad, they are to be used "during filming in the Madison area."
"One of my jobs is to get background cars for the shoots, which will be in most of the scenes of the movie," says Howard Bachrach, picture car captain with Public Enemies. He explains that numerous period automobiles and other vehicles will be required for the production, as the story focuses in large part on the bank-robbing exploits of John Dillinger, played by Johnny Depp. Cars will be required both in larger-scale city scenes in Chicago and in smaller towns that will serve as settings for the film. Potential locations in Wisconsin include Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, and the Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters.
Bachrach is seeking vintage cars, trucks and buses produced between 1930 and 1935, and will be at the Overture Center on Sunday, January 27, to speak with owners interested in auditioning their rides for the movie. "We're looking for cars with an original exterior color and condition," he says. "It's very important that the cars look like they're from that era."
Owners are asked to bring their vehicles to West Mifflin Street between the Overture Center and the central branch of the Madison Public Library between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Bachrach will photograph the vehicle and have the owner fill out an information sheet. These will be shown to Mann, who will make choices in advance of the scheduled start of shooting around the second week of March. Bachrach will contact owners whose vehicles are selected and make deals with them regarding use and compensation.
The fact that the production is scouting cars in the Madison area is a sign that Public Enemies is ready to get started. There's no word yet on when or where Johnny Depp may be coming to Wisconsin (or likely co-star Christian Bale, either), but it's clear that the film's wheels are in motion.
Tim Burton has revealed his parents bricked up his windows as a child.
The eccentric gothic filmmaker - whose hit films include 'Edward Scissorhands, 'The Corpse Bride', 'Big Fish' and 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' - had to climb up to look at the world through a tiny slit as a young boy.
Burton, 49, told Australian newspaper The Age: "I had two windows that looked out to the lawn. For some reason my parents walled them up and gave me this little slit window that I had to climb up on my desk to see out of. To this day I never asked them why."
The 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' director and his partner Helena Bonham Carter now live in separate, adjoining terraced houses in north London with their two children, four-year-old Billy and a one-month-old daughter they are yet to name.
Helena, 41, previously revealed: "His side is messier and decorated with props from the films. My side is cutesy, Beatrix Potter, which is fine for him to visit but there's no way he could live in it. He thinks his side is James Bond."
Their son Billy's bedroom is in Tim's house.
Helena said: "I have the kitchen and a fire so we'll watch TV in my place.
Shaving is an ancient art, but is one that many men simply fail to master. Kamil Ozturk, the barber who taught Johnny Depp to use a razor in preparation for his role in Sweeney Todd, reveals the tricks to a perfect shave
Video report by Arion McNicoll and Holden Frith
The barber’s art is thought to date back many thousands of years with relics resembling razors having been found as early as 3,500 BC. And though throughout the centuries short-cropped facial hair has gained and lost favour many times over, the art of shaving has endured. But it is an art that many men simply fail to master. So what are the steps involved in a good shave? And what are some of the most common mistakes men make?
Geo F Trumper is the longest continuous barber in London dating back to 1875. The current Head Barber, Kamil Ozturk has 24 years of experience to his name and counts among his pupils Johnny Depp, who, in preparation for his role in Tim Burton’s new cinematic adaptation of Steven Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, came to Trumper’s to learn how to wield an open razor.
“Depp was very shy,” says Ozturk, “and a very serious student.”
Johnny Depp learnt the basic techniques in a single day of tuition, in a course Trumper’s runs to help men learn more about personal grooming. The barber also sells a range of men's products and accessories including shaving creams and soaps, aftershave balms, moisturisers and razors. All of which combine to form the basic arsenal for a perfect shave. The Trumper's technique follows a straighforward five step program.
1. Wash the face with hot water or apply a warm towel.
2. Prepare the face with a glycerine based gel, moisturiser or ‘skin food’ massaging against the grain of the beard to help lift the hairs in preparation for the shave.
3. Lather the face with shaving cream which may be rubbed into the beard with the fingers or a shaving brush. When using cream, place a modest amount in the palm of one hand, dip the brush into hot water and using a circular motion in the palm, build up a rich creamy lather on the brush. Wet the face, and again with a circular motion apply the lather to the beard, allowing the brush to lift the hairs.
4. Shave using a good blade that has been warmed in the sink or under hot running water, shave the face in the direction of the beard growth, rinsing the blade in hot water frequently. Never shave against the grain of the beard and always use short strokes keeping the blade perfectly horizontal, not turning as it moves around the face. Rinse the face thoroughly with cool water and pat dry with a soft towel.
5. Use an after-shave moisturiser. Products containing alcohol should not be applied to the skin directly after shaving as this may inflame the skin and cause dryness. For best results cologne and other fragrances should be applied behind the earlobes and on the sides of the neck not directly to the area that has been shaved.
General shaving tips
- Never pluck ingrown hairs with tweezers, as this will only break them, never extract the hair in its entirety. Rather push the hair out with a needle and then shave over it as normal. Within 6 weeks it should have gone back to normal.
- Shower or bathe before shaving, or warm the face with a hot flannel.
- Use plenty of hot water and shave in a warm environment.
- Brush in a circular motion to lift the beard.
- Shave with the beard, never against the grain.
- Rinse the blade frequently in hot water.
- Rinse face well with cool water and gently pat dry.
- After shaving use a moisturiser or skin food.
- Avoid applying alcohol-based products to the face after shaving.
- After shaving, rinse your brush and razor thoroughly to remove soap and flick to remove most of the water.
After a long wait... Christy's filming/open heart surgery is complete! Come see her movie (and the vials of blood to be auctioned) on Friday the 44th! Yay! Helena is great. She and Christy just had a successful shoot in which Christy played half of the tree that Helena walked by!
Tim Burton acts "crazy" and talks to himself on the street to stop people from bothering him.
The 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' director admits he developed his unusual defence mechanism to avoid constant attention from fans.
Burton said: "If you want people to leave you alone then appearing to be crazy is a good thing. If you're walking down the street talking to yourself people tend to give you a wide berth!
But I've always been blessed with being easily ignored or avoided. I think maybe it's because people think I look a little crazy."
Burton - who has two children, a one-month-old daughter, who he is yet to name, and a four-year-old son Billy, with long-term partner Helena Bonham Carter - claims he has always felt like an "outsider".
The eccentric filmmaker - who is renowned for his surreal, gothic films including 'Sleepy Hollow' and 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' - said: "I have always been an outsider. As a kid I identified with the monsters in the old horror films, like the 'Creature from the Blue Lagoon' and 'Frankenstein'."
This is Gloucester is reporting that the area is getting ready for filming of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to take place at Gloucester Cathedral. They didn't say when filming was to begin, but they did mention that Daniel Radcliffe, Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid), Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall), and Julie Walters (Mrs. Weasley) were all expected to be there.
We'll make sure to update you as soon as more information is available!
Each time Johnny Depp looks into the mirror, he breaks down in tears, for it makes the Hollywood star feel that he is very good looking. The Pirates Of The Caribbean star says that he often selects obscure film roles that cover up his handsome Hollywood image.
"I cry every morning when I look in the mirror," Contactmusic quoted the 44-year-old star as saying.
"Every single morning, because I gotta live with this cute face," he added.
Depp is known for playing obscure roles in Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street.
His portrayal as Sweeney Todd in Tim Burton's 2007 musical version of the classic London-based horror story won him a Best Actor Oscar nomination.
IGN recently attended the European press conference for Sweeney Todd and got to hear the thoughts of stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and the younger cast, as well as director Tim Burton and producer Richard Zanuck.
The event itself, held in a swanky London hotel, was full of journalists from all over the world, and featured some seriously strange questions. The most bizarre was the Irish journo who asked Jayne Wisener (who plays Johanna in the film): "So, you're from Derry right?" She was. "Well, my cousin owns a pub in Derry, the Old Crown, have you ever been there?" She hadn't, and will presumably steer well clear of the place from now on. Very Strange. Anyway, here's what the team thought about Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - out this Friday in the U.K.
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
How was it doing your first musical? And will you be doing it again?
JD: We're doing the sequel now [laughs]. I actually did do a musical many years ago with John Waters called Cry-Baby, but technically it was only half me - it wasn't me singing. Tim's the only person brave enough to actually let me try to sing. It was the first time I'd ever sung - I'd never even sung in the shower, I'm too mortified. But once I got over the initial fear it was kind of enjoyable. Sondheim's melodies and lyrics are a real pleasure to tromp around in, it's really beautiful stuff. Would I ever do it again? No, I doubt it.
What were the biggest acting challenges you faced?
JD: It's funny because early on, when Tim and I talked about Sweeney and the idea of doing it, 50% of the job would be done before we ever stepped on the set with the recording of the songs. Then we'd go in and lip sync to it. Or that's what we thought... But these guys know as well as I do that you go into the recording studio and sing your guts out recording the stuff, and do it as best you can and then you go onto the set. We thought we were going to lip synch but in fact the only way to do it is to belt it out once again on the set, which is extremely mortifying. Everyone's very, very close and you just feel like an idiot at first. But then it was oddly liberating, having music on the set all the way through. It made it interesting. It felt like we were doing a silent film.
Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett up to their murderous ways.
Did you base your singing voice on any person in particular, as you sound a bit like David Bowie when you sing?
JD: A couple of people have said that, which is interesting because I wouldn't ever dream of attempting to channel David Bowie. He's a big hero of mine. If there's a similarity it wasn't intentional. And it's a nice compliment.
You once said that there is always something of you in every role you play - what part of you is in Sweeney?
JD: I do believe that you have to bring some degree of truth from yourself to the role and I'll admit it here, I have shaved a grown man before. I have done it. And it wasn't Tim [Burton].
Did he survive?
JD: [Laughs] He is alive, yeah, he's walking around to this day.
Where did you get your accent come from?
JD: Just from spending time over here, it wasn't any one particular person that I based it on.
Sweeney seems a bit of a gunslinger with his razors; did you see that and was it fun playing with the razors?
JD: The holsters seemed the safest area to put the razors. And did I have fun playing with them? The killing of everyone was the easy part; the most difficult part was lathering them up and shaving them: that's the part that freaked me out the most.
Do you see this as a tale of redemption?
JD: I think, as Tim said the other day when we were talking about the theme of revenge, it's a feeling that most people don't want to admit to. But I think we all have it secretly in there. I'm a big fan of revenge; I think it's a story of a man who clearly has obsessions to avenge the horror that happened to him.
What revenge have you taken?
JD: [Smiles] I can't incriminate myself.
You've been in The Fast Show, so is there any truth to the rumour you wanted a role in Doctor Who?
JD: No, I didn't really pursue anything with Doctor Who. But The Fast Show is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant things I've ever seen anywhere. When that was mentioned as a possibility I went after Whitehouse, I stalked him. I was sitting on a tree outside of his bedroom window with a funny mask on, that's how I got the job basically. I haven't done that for Doctor Who.
Sweeney Todd helmer Tim Burton.
Tim Burton - Director
What did you use as inspiration for the film?
Tim Burton: A lot of my own anger! I said to Johnny this would be the perfect job because you don't have to do anything, you don't say anything and you just look out of the window and brood and be angry and I told him it was a great job.
Helena Bonham Carter: It's actually a portrait of our home life.
What do you think about the cancellation of The Golden Globes due to the WGA strike?
TB: Its different hearing about it over here, I'm not really in tune with what's happening, the only thing I can say is that awards shouldn't have an impact on a film in terms of people seeing it, though I guess in some cases films that are different or fall into strange categories like this one then awards can probably raise awareness of them. But I guess the sad part about it is that films that are different won't reach as many people.
What was it about the music that appealed to you?
TB: One of the things I loved about the musical was that you listened to the soundtrack and it tells you the story we didn't want it to be like a traditional musical, instead it felt like a silent movie with music. It's not 'lets get a chorus singing and have extras dancing on the street', each of the characters, because they're depressed or happy or crushed inside, the music was a way of expressing their feelings - that was the structure we used for it. And the contrast between the imagery, which was quite dark, and the music, which was lush and beautiful, was something that I'd never seen before and that was why I wanted to do it.
Helena Bonham Carter lusts after her husbands best friend in the film.
Helena Bonham Carter - Mrs Lovett
Was it easier or harder getting the role when your husband was the director?
HBC: It was probably harder. I mean he told me: 'You look right for it but we have no idea if you can sing.' So I thought: 'well, I'll try and learn' and did singing lessons, but you know I had to be righter than right. I wouldn't want people saying I got a role in his film just because I slept with him. At the end of the day Sondheim said I was okay... and I definitely didn't sleep with him!
TB: That's not what he said...!
How did you find having to lust after Johnny in front of your husband? Was it awkward?
HBC: Not really... maybe it should have been? No... The fact I was being paid by my boyfriend to romance his best friend - it was I guess a strange situation but no I didn't worry about it.
Dick Zanuck - Producer
When you were at Fox you green lit The Sound of Music, Hello Dolly and Dr Doolittle, why did you green light this?
DZ Well there's no comparison. The Sound of Music was among the first pictures that I put into production and was a giant hit as every one knows. I tried to follow that magic with three flops: Hello Dolly, Star! And Dr. Doolittle - which did little! And I vowed never to go near a musical again 'til Tim said he would do Sweeney Todd. And having seen the show in person on Broadway years and years before I thought "well it's a wonderful piece, but it won't make a picture..." But when I heard Tim was passionately involved in it and wanted to do it - that was enough for me. He's the only person I would have wanted to do this picture.
TB: But what if I said I wanted Rex Harrison instead of Johnny?
Timothy Spall - Beadle Bamford
You're the only one on the panel who you don't see garrotted, I was wondering if you are upset about that and are you worried about the reputation you'll get in America because you've played several unsavoury characters?
TS: I don't worry too much about being typecast. But I mean although I don't get garrotted there's a nice shot of me shooting down the trapdoor and my head smashing on the ground and a bit of my brain comes out, so I didn't feel that left out. You play a disgusting, fat ugly sexual pervert who thinks he's rather lovely looking, but from where that came from, I don't really know!
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton talk about working together
ACCORDING to Tim Burton, there once was a time when he would have to convince studios to let him cast Johnny Depp as the star of a musical.
‘‘We're now at the point where they'll give him the lead role in a musical and they don't even know if he can sing,'' Burton says.
‘‘Nothing gets more surreal than that. It's fantastic.''
It's no surprise Burton uses Depp's stardom as yet another punchline.
Their byplay is never-ending.
The two have been trading off each other, both professionally and privately, for years now and it's been nothing but a joy for both.
Depp plays the title character, Sweeney Todd, in Burton's film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's hit Broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Despite the challenge of bringing a musical to the screen, neither saw any reason to lighten the mood or tone down the bizarre humour.
‘‘I think Tim only asked me to sing so he could get a good laugh,'' Depp says.
‘‘I was so scared that all it was going to be was me going up there to sing and him just losing it. Him just cackling.''
‘‘I nearly lost it,'' Burton says to Depp, ‘‘when you weren't singing, when you were pretending to be normal. There was one flashback where he was supposed to be a normal guy and I couldn't even be on the set.''
It was a scene in which Depp is pre-Sweeney Todd, simply a happily married barber with a new baby, all before his life is destroyed.
‘‘He just cracked,'' Depp says.
‘‘I had to leave the set. I couldn't even watch it,'' Burton says.
‘‘He was crying,'' Depp continues.
‘‘I almost had a heart attack. Because we did that near the end, after we'd been through everything else.
‘‘With that weird little yamaka wig. So you know,'' -- Burton is still laughing -- ‘‘it was very strange.''
This latest project has taken Depp and Burton's relationship into an uncharted phase -- the stage musical brought to screen.
Based on Sondheim's brilliant play, it's a huge gamble for any number of reasons.
Neither Depp nor any of his co-stars -- Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Sacha Baren Cohen and Timothy Spall -- are classically trained singers.
Also, Sondheim's scores are notoriously difficult, yet Depp reveals a remarkable voice and receives fine support from his co-stars.
Whether a real Sweeney Todd actually existed in 19th-century London is still debated, but he has long been the stuff of legend, the story mushrooming after Sondheim gave it the musical treatment in the 1970s.
Though the legend had Sweeney Todd slitting the throats of those he shaved, Sondheim introduced the evil judge who sent Todd to Australia because he secretly coveted the barber's wife, which has become the fully finished version.
The mayhem then ensues when Todd returns, with a healthy helping of blood on his mind.
‘‘It's a story about revenge and how revenge eats itself up,'' Sondheim says.
Depp, typically, leaves all other versions of Todd dead in the water.
‘‘I thought it might be a good opportunity to find a new Sweeney, a different Sweeney. Almost like in a punk rock, contemporary way,'' he says.
The success of the movie is the innate relationship between Depp and Burton, partners in a crime spree that began with Edward Scissorhands and has trekked through Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
IT'S a friendship that clicked the moment the pair met in a Los Angeles coffee shop in the late 1980s, where they discovered a shared liking for the absurd.
‘‘This kind of fascination with understanding the absurdity of what was perfectly acceptable in the 1970s . . . for example macrame owls and resin grapes,'' Depp says.
‘‘Fake fruit. No one thought twice about that.''
Such is their trust that Burton has only to call to get Depp for a role.
‘‘Anything he asks me to do, I jump at the opportunity,'' Depp says.
‘‘Except a ballet,'' Burton says.
‘‘No, I actually would. I would try,'' Depp argues.
Depp is asked if he will sing again in the future.
‘‘Never again,'' he says.
‘‘He'll be on the West End, tomorrow evening,'' Burton says, once again laughing hysterically.
‘‘I'll never do it again, not for anyone,'' Depp says, starts to laugh himself now.
‘‘You're going to get all these musicals,'' Burton says.
‘‘Not for anyone,'' Depp says, the Burton laugh track starting to get to him. ‘‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat,'' he says, in fits himself by now.
Then Burton breaks into song: ‘‘Jesus Christ, superstar . . .''
HBC was quoted saying 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' is a "portrait of her home life". by http://www.femalefirst.co.uk
The actress - who stars with Johnny Depp in the macabre musical directed by her long-term partner Tim Burton - joked the dark film is a mirror image of her relationship with the filmmaker.
Talking about the movie, Tim said: "I thought it was a light-hearted comedy musical. I thought it was quite funny. If I was an actor the role of Sweeney Todd would be the perfect part for me. You don't have to talk, you don't have to say anything, you just look out the window and look brood and be angry."
(I knew it was supposed to be comedy! No one belived me! Everyone in the theater stared when I was cracking up durring the second Johanna song when Johnny kills everyone, I guess tim and I have the same twisted sense of humor...)
To which Helena replied: "That would be a portrait of our home life too."
Tim - who has two children, a one-month-old daughter, and a four-year-old son Billy, with Helena - also revealed he soundproofed the door connecting the couple's two separate houses so he couldn't hear Helena practising her singing.
Helena said: "I had to practice every day but luckily we live in separate houses. We have a door in-between but the door was always shut."
There is alot of talk of the Academy Awards, Here's one of many articles, from http://www.efluxmedia.com
Johnny Depp received his third Academy Award nomination for best actor for his role as the title character in Tim Burton’s gothic musical “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” though no nods went to the film, its director or co-star Helena Bonham-Carter.
The nominees for the 80th Academy Awards were announced Tuesday from Beverly Hills, California, with Johnny Depp seeing his portrayal of the psychotic criminal whom he managed to make endearing to the audiences receive a nomination in the best actor category.
Depp, previously nominated for “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” in 2004 and “Finding Neverland” in 2005, will compete against George Clooney in “Michael Clayton,” Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood,” Tommy Lee Jones in “In the Valley of Elah” and Viggo Mortensen in “Eastern Promises.”
While “Sweeney Todd” was not nominated in the best picture category, the trophy will be fought over between “Michael Clayton,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Atonement,” “Juno” and “No Country for Old Men.”
As it is, the Coen brothers' film version of Cormac McCarthy's novel that is the critically acclaimed “No Country for Old Men” leads the race with an impressive eight nominations in major categories, as does “There Will Be Blood,” Paul Thomas Anderson's big screen adaptation of the Upton Sinclair novel “Oil!.”
Following closely is “Michael Clayton,” with nominations for best picture, best director (Tony Gilroy), best actor (Clooney), best supporting actor (Tom Wilkinson), best supporting actress (Tilda Swinton) and best original screenplay (Gilroy).
Nominated in the best actress category are Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” Julie Christie in “Away from Her,” Marion Cotillard in “La Vie en Rose,” Laura Linney in “The Savages” and Ellen Page in “Juno.”
In the best supporting actor category, Wilkinson vies against Casey Affleck in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men,” Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Charlie Wilson's War,” Hal Holbrook in “Into the Wild” and Tom Wilkinson in “Michael Clayton.”
Cate Blanchett receives a second nomination for best actress in a supporting role for “I'm Not There,” as do Ruby Dee in “American Gangster,” Saoirse Ronan in “Atonement,” Amy Ryan in “Gone Baby Gone” and Swinton in “Michael Clayton.”
The nominees for best director are Ethan and Joel Coen for “No Country for Old Men,” Anderson for “There Will Be Blood,” Julian Schnabel for “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” Jason Reitman for “Juno” and Gilroy for “Michael Clayton.”
The organizers of the Academy Awards ceremony have been adamant that the event will take place regardless of the ongoing WGA strike, on the scheduled date of Feb. 24 at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.
Forecasts that this season’s race to Oscar nominations has been one of the most unpredictable in recent years proved true on Tuesday with several notable films left out of the run for 2007’s best movie, including musical “Sweeney Todd.” That film, based on the stage play of the same name, had been picked as one of this year’s favorites last fall, but in recent weeks Oscar watchers had seen it fall off the pace. But the film’s star, “Johnny Depp” did earn a nomination for best actor.
Surprise nominations included Tommy Lee Jones scoring a best actor nomination for “In the Valley of Elah,” an anti-war movie that bombed at box offices and, as a result, left Jones largely out of the Oscar race until Tuesday’s nominations. Laura Linney also staged a comeback in the best actress race for “The Savages,” another movie that had high Oscar hopes early in the season but failed to make its mark at box offices.
Big winner: teen pregnancy comedy “Juno,” its director Jason Reitman and star Ellen Page. They earned nominations for best film, director and actress, respectively.
But were they your favorites. Let us know what you think hit or miss in this year’s Oscar sweepstakes.
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Tim Burton jokes about his relationship with Johnny Depp fromwww.contactmusic.com
Caption: Tim Burton. 2008 National Board of Review Awards at Cipriani - Outside Arrivals. New York City, USA - 15.01.08
"We were married in Las Vegas in 1980. We had a double wedding with Joan Collins and Michael Jordan. I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it!" Director TIM BURTON jokes about his close relationship with JOHNNY DEPP.
With properties situated around the globe, actor JohnnyDepp is rumored to have chosen England as the place where his children -- Lily-Rose, 8 ½, and Jack, 5 ½ -- will obtain their education. According to a report in today's Mail on Sunday, Johnny has enlisted the help of Countdown presenter Carol Vorderman in his efforts to find the best school possible; Carol lives close to the $2.5 million home Johnny and longtime partner Vanessa Paradis purchased near Bath, England last year. Said an unnamed source,
[Johnny and Carol] have met up a few times and their kids get along well. He is set on sending the children to British schools. Carol's go to Clifton College in Bristol and Johnny may check it out.
Lily-Rose and Jack are Johnny's children with Vanessa. Carol has two children, Katie and Cameron, with ex-husband Patrick King.
I’LL admit it here – I have shaved a grown man before, laughs Johnny Depp, who lathers his customers before gruesomely slitting their throats as the eponymous murderer in new musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, out Friday.
“He is alive,” says Johnny of his ‘client’. “He’s walking round to this day.” READ THE REST AT THE LINK
Born in Kentucky in 1963, John Depp, better known as Johnny, is a Golden Globe-winning actor and star of almost 50 films, including Edward Scissorhands, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Pirates of the Caribbean. He lives in France and Los Angeles with Vanessa Paradis, the French singer and actress, and their two children
Actress Helena Bonham Carter thinks her Sweeney Todd co-star Johnny Depp has an “incredibly sexy” singing voice.
Helena - who stars alongside Depp in the new Tim Burton film ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street’, discovered a whole new side to the actor when she first heard his “naked” vocal talents.
She said: “Johnny’s singing voice is incredibly sexy. He really sings from the gut and it’s a very emotional role. His singing is very naked and very touching.”
Helena also said it was hard working under the instruction of her long-term partner, director Tim Burton.
She added to Britain’s Independent newspaper: “I’ve learned not to talk so much and basically just obey him because he’s the chief at work. It can be difficult living and working together.
“It depends on the day. Sometimes we revert to a couple and our relationship at home on set, which isn’t help
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An exclisive interview (video) of JAYNE WISENER and JAMIE CAMPBELL BOWER http://www.thesun.co.uk
In an exclusive interview the talented duo talked about Depp, Burton and the lengths they will go to for an onset prank! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IT'S usually the actors of films, not the directors, who are the stars and attract the majority of the attention.
But one definite exception to this case is Tim Burton. Most people know of the eccentric director of brilliantly gothic fairytales, doomed romances and sweet ghost stories.
The intriguing auteur attended the press conference for his most recent release Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Here's what he had to say.
What was the appeal of Sweeney Todd for you, Tim? Why did you feel it would transfer well to film?
Well, I was still a student when I first saw it so I didn't know if I would be making movies or working in a restaurant. I had no idea what I'd be doing and I didn't go to the theatre much and I didn't even know who Stephen Sondheim the writer/composer behind Sweeney Todd was.
I didn't know anything about the show, I just wandered into the theatre and it just blew me away because I'd never really seen anything which had the mixture of all those elements. I went three nights in a row because I loved it so much.
Having already worked together many times, in a wide variety of projects, do you and Johnny still surprise each other on set?
Obviously seeing Johnny sing, I've never seen that in the many years we've worked together. So yeah, it's always something new. A journalist told us in America we've been working together for 10 decades. So we're a lot older than we look! We've actually known each other since before the invention of cinema; we have quite a long, good relationship that way.
What are your thoughts on the awards such as the Golden Globes being cancelled, due to the writers' strike?
I have to answer that one! I don't know, I haven't spent much time there and it's different just hearing about it from over here, so I'm not really in tune with what's happening. The only thing I can say is awards shouldn't have an impact on a film in terms of people seeing it, though in some cases if films are different or fall into strange categories like this one, awards probably helps awareness of a film. So that's, I guess, the sad part about it. Maybe films which are different won't reach as many people but I don't really know what to say.
Because a lot of things are changing and while the strike's going on and people aren't writing and things aren't being done, people then just go and watch YouTube, so in some ways I wonder if something shouldn't be worked out quickly because otherwise the thing that everyone's worried is going to happen is going to happen anyway. I find it very complicated and I really don't know what to make of it all.
Tell us something about the creation of the blood for Sweeney Todd. Is it true it was actually orange?
Well the blood, as everyone here can attest to, especially Alan Rickman, is our own recipe, very sticky, very sweet and burns your eyes.
I think it took Alan a couple of weeks to get it out of his underwear. But it's our own secret recipe.
What is your interpretation of the Sweeney Todd character? Because no matter how many people's throats he slices or how cold he is towards Mrs Lovett played by Tim's partner Helena Bonham Carter you never quite hate or dislike him.
We always just saw him as a sad character. We didn't see him as a villain or anything. He's tragic. When you meet him he's basically a dead person. The only thing that is keeping him going is one single-minded thing, which is tragic and you don't see anything else around him.
What draws you to such dark tales?
Well, I thought this was a light-hearted comedy musical. I guess I'm the wrong person to ask because I thought it was quite funny.
You've assembled a fairly impressive cast for this film. What were they like to work with?
All I can say is, this is one of the best casts I've ever worked with. All of these people are not professional singers and to do a musical like this, which is one of the most difficult musicals, well, they all went for it. Every day on the set was a very special thing for me because hearing all of these guys sing wasI don't think I can ever have an experience like that again. So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all.
How important do you think the music is in Sweeney Todd?
One of the things I love about a musical is you listen to a soundtrack and it tells you the story and we didn't want it to be what I call a traditional musical where there's a lot of dialogue and then singing.
It felt like a silent movie with music. That's why we cut out a lot of choruses and extras singing and dancing down the streets because each of the characters is repressed and has their emotions sort of inside and through the music was the way to let them express their feelings and was sort of the structure we used for it.
When I first saw the show, the imagery which is quite dark and harsh set with the music which is quite lush and beautiful was something that I'd never seen before and was the reason I wanted to do it.
What was it like to have your actors singing on set?
Very painful for the crew. You can't just lip-synch because you see the breath and the throat. Every take had to be belted out.
It was very enjoyable for me to have music on the set and to see them walking around and see them act in a way I've never seen before. Just walking across the room, sitting in a chair, making a pie, using a razor, whatever, they all did it in a way that you could sense was different if there hadn't been music.
Helena said it was odd to be paid by her boyfriend to fall in love with his best friend in this film but that you all handled it ok
It's a very incestuous business to be in!
Your book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy has a huge following. Do you have plans to do anything else like this?
I still do little things, I have a backlog of stories and when I get enough of them I'd like to do another book like that because it was quite fun to do. So between projects I'm working on it.
There aren't many, if any, 18-certificate musicals. Was there ever a possibility is might have been something else?
It was an amazing thing for a studio to do. We were going to do an R rated musical with lots of blood, with no professional singers, about a serial killer and cannibalism and they go, Great!' That was unheard of. I've never had that happen in my life before. That gave me hope there are still people in Hollywood willing to try different things. So that was a very positive thing.
The first meeting I went into I said, Blood is a part of the story' because I'd seen productions where they try to scrimp on it, be more politically correct and the productions really lost something, so it was one of the first things I said to them and they accepted it.
The show's three hours long and we weren't out to film the Broadway show, we were out to make a movie so we try to keep the pace like those old melodramas and because it's such a simple story you kind of get what the story is, so I felt the pace had to be more what it is. Sondheim himself is not a real big fan of movie musicals so he was really open to trimming it down and honing it down.
We are talking about the UK Sun here, but I'd say for any rumored possibility, this is the one to pay attention to. As I 
Forecasts that this season’s race to 
Read the rest at the Link!
Actress Helena Bonham Carter thinks her Sweeney Todd co-star Johnny Depp has an “incredibly sexy” singing voice.
http://harrypotterspage.com
Gloucester Winding Up for Harry Potter Filming
We'll make sure to update you as soon as more information is available!
Depp's good looks make him cry
http://www.dailyindia.comEach time Johnny Depp looks into the mirror, he breaks down in tears, for it makes the Hollywood star feel that he is very good looking.
The Pirates Of The Caribbean star says that he often selects obscure film roles that cover up his handsome Hollywood image.
"I cry every morning when I look in the mirror," Contactmusic quoted the 44-year-old star as saying.
"Every single morning, because I gotta live with this cute face," he added.
Depp is known for playing obscure roles in Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street.
His portrayal as Sweeney Todd in Tim Burton's 2007 musical version of the classic London-based horror story won him a Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Sweeney Todd Interview
http://movies.ign.com/
IGN recently attended the European press conference for Sweeney Todd and got to hear the thoughts of stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall and the younger cast, as well as director Tim Burton and producer Richard Zanuck.
The event itself, held in a swanky London hotel, was full of journalists from all over the world, and featured some seriously strange questions. The most bizarre was the Irish journo who asked Jayne Wisener (who plays Johanna in the film): "So, you're from Derry right?" She was. "Well, my cousin owns a pub in Derry, the Old Crown, have you ever been there?" She hadn't, and will presumably steer well clear of the place from now on. Very Strange. Anyway, here's what the team thought about Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - out this Friday in the U.K.
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
How was it doing your first musical? And will you be doing it again?
JD: We're doing the sequel now [laughs]. I actually did do a musical many years ago with John Waters called Cry-Baby, but technically it was only half me - it wasn't me singing. Tim's the only person brave enough to actually let me try to sing. It was the first time I'd ever sung - I'd never even sung in the shower, I'm too mortified. But once I got over the initial fear it was kind of enjoyable. Sondheim's melodies and lyrics are a real pleasure to tromp around in, it's really beautiful stuff. Would I ever do it again? No, I doubt it.
What were the biggest acting challenges you faced?
JD: It's funny because early on, when Tim and I talked about Sweeney and the idea of doing it, 50% of the job would be done before we ever stepped on the set with the recording of the songs. Then we'd go in and lip sync to it. Or that's what we thought... But these guys know as well as I do that you go into the recording studio and sing your guts out recording the stuff, and do it as best you can and then you go onto the set. We thought we were going to lip synch but in fact the only way to do it is to belt it out once again on the set, which is extremely mortifying. Everyone's very, very close and you just feel like an idiot at first. But then it was oddly liberating, having music on the set all the way through. It made it interesting. It felt like we were doing a silent film.
Did you base your singing voice on any person in particular, as you sound a bit like David Bowie when you sing?
JD: A couple of people have said that, which is interesting because I wouldn't ever dream of attempting to channel David Bowie. He's a big hero of mine. If there's a similarity it wasn't intentional. And it's a nice compliment.
You once said that there is always something of you in every role you play - what part of you is in Sweeney?
JD: I do believe that you have to bring some degree of truth from yourself to the role and I'll admit it here, I have shaved a grown man before. I have done it. And it wasn't Tim [Burton].
Did he survive?
JD: [Laughs] He is alive, yeah, he's walking around to this day.
Where did you get your accent come from?
JD: Just from spending time over here, it wasn't any one particular person that I based it on.
Sweeney seems a bit of a gunslinger with his razors; did you see that and was it fun playing with the razors?
JD: The holsters seemed the safest area to put the razors. And did I have fun playing with them? The killing of everyone was the easy part; the most difficult part was lathering them up and shaving them: that's the part that freaked me out the most.
Do you see this as a tale of redemption?
JD: I think, as Tim said the other day when we were talking about the theme of revenge, it's a feeling that most people don't want to admit to. But I think we all have it secretly in there. I'm a big fan of revenge; I think it's a story of a man who clearly has obsessions to avenge the horror that happened to him.
What revenge have you taken?
JD: [Smiles] I can't incriminate myself.
You've been in The Fast Show, so is there any truth to the rumour you wanted a role in Doctor Who?
JD: No, I didn't really pursue anything with Doctor Who. But The Fast Show is, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant things I've ever seen anywhere. When that was mentioned as a possibility I went after Whitehouse, I stalked him. I was sitting on a tree outside of his bedroom window with a funny mask on, that's how I got the job basically. I haven't done that for Doctor Who.
Tim Burton - Director
What did you use as inspiration for the film?
Tim Burton: A lot of my own anger! I said to Johnny this would be the perfect job because you don't have to do anything, you don't say anything and you just look out of the window and brood and be angry and I told him it was a great job.
Helena Bonham Carter: It's actually a portrait of our home life.
What do you think about the cancellation of The Golden Globes due to the WGA strike?
TB: Its different hearing about it over here, I'm not really in tune with what's happening, the only thing I can say is that awards shouldn't have an impact on a film in terms of people seeing it, though I guess in some cases films that are different or fall into strange categories like this one then awards can probably raise awareness of them. But I guess the sad part about it is that films that are different won't reach as many people.
What was it about the music that appealed to you?
TB: One of the things I loved about the musical was that you listened to the soundtrack and it tells you the story we didn't want it to be like a traditional musical, instead it felt like a silent movie with music. It's not 'lets get a chorus singing and have extras dancing on the street', each of the characters, because they're depressed or happy or crushed inside, the music was a way of expressing their feelings - that was the structure we used for it. And the contrast between the imagery, which was quite dark, and the music, which was lush and beautiful, was something that I'd never seen before and that was why I wanted to do it.
Helena Bonham Carter - Mrs Lovett
Was it easier or harder getting the role when your husband was the director?
HBC: It was probably harder. I mean he told me: 'You look right for it but we have no idea if you can sing.' So I thought: 'well, I'll try and learn' and did singing lessons, but you know I had to be righter than right. I wouldn't want people saying I got a role in his film just because I slept with him. At the end of the day Sondheim said I was okay... and I definitely didn't sleep with him!
TB: That's not what he said...!
How did you find having to lust after Johnny in front of your husband? Was it awkward?
HBC: Not really... maybe it should have been? No... The fact I was being paid by my boyfriend to romance his best friend - it was I guess a strange situation but no I didn't worry about it.
Dick Zanuck - Producer
When you were at Fox you green lit The Sound of Music, Hello Dolly and Dr Doolittle, why did you green light this?
DZ Well there's no comparison. The Sound of Music was among the first pictures that I put into production and was a giant hit as every one knows. I tried to follow that magic with three flops: Hello Dolly, Star! And Dr. Doolittle - which did little! And I vowed never to go near a musical again 'til Tim said he would do Sweeney Todd. And having seen the show in person on Broadway years and years before I thought "well it's a wonderful piece, but it won't make a picture..." But when I heard Tim was passionately involved in it and wanted to do it - that was enough for me. He's the only person I would have wanted to do this picture.
TB: But what if I said I wanted Rex Harrison instead of Johnny?
Timothy Spall - Beadle Bamford
You're the only one on the panel who you don't see garrotted, I was wondering if you are upset about that and are you worried about the reputation you'll get in America because you've played several unsavoury characters?
TS: I don't worry too much about being typecast. But I mean although I don't get garrotted there's a nice shot of me shooting down the trapdoor and my head smashing on the ground and a bit of my brain comes out, so I didn't feel that left out. You play a disgusting, fat ugly sexual pervert who thinks he's rather lovely looking, but from where that came from, I don't really know!
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton talk about working together
http://www.news.com.auACCORDING to Tim Burton, there once was a time when he would have to convince studios to let him cast Johnny Depp as the star of a musical.
‘‘We're now at the point where they'll give him the lead role in a musical and they don't even know if he can sing,'' Burton says.
Also, Sondheim's scores are notoriously difficult, yet Depp reveals a remarkable voice and receives fine support from his co-stars.‘‘Nothing gets more surreal than that. It's fantastic.''
It's no surprise Burton uses Depp's stardom as yet another punchline.
Their byplay is never-ending.
The two have been trading off each other, both professionally and privately, for years now and it's been nothing but a joy for both.
Depp plays the title character, Sweeney Todd, in Burton's film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's hit Broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Despite the challenge of bringing a musical to the screen, neither saw any reason to lighten the mood or tone down the bizarre humour.
‘‘I think Tim only asked me to sing so he could get a good laugh,'' Depp says.
‘‘I was so scared that all it was going to be was me going up there to sing and him just losing it. Him just cackling.''
‘‘I nearly lost it,'' Burton says to Depp, ‘‘when you weren't singing, when you were pretending to be normal. There was one flashback where he was supposed to be a normal guy and I couldn't even be on the set.''
It was a scene in which Depp is pre-Sweeney Todd, simply a happily married barber with a new baby, all before his life is destroyed.
‘‘He just cracked,'' Depp says.
‘‘I had to leave the set. I couldn't even watch it,'' Burton says.
‘‘He was crying,'' Depp continues.
‘‘I almost had a heart attack. Because we did that near the end, after we'd been through everything else.
‘‘With that weird little yamaka wig. So you know,'' -- Burton is still laughing -- ‘‘it was very strange.''
This latest project has taken Depp and Burton's relationship into an uncharted phase -- the stage musical brought to screen.
Based on Sondheim's brilliant play, it's a huge gamble for any number of reasons.
Neither Depp nor any of his co-stars -- Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Sacha Baren Cohen and Timothy Spall -- are classically trained singers.
Whether a real Sweeney Todd actually existed in 19th-century London is still debated, but he has long been the stuff of legend, the story mushrooming after Sondheim gave it the musical treatment in the 1970s.
Though the legend had Sweeney Todd slitting the throats of those he shaved, Sondheim introduced the evil judge who sent Todd to Australia because he secretly coveted the barber's wife, which has become the fully finished version.
The mayhem then ensues when Todd returns, with a healthy helping of blood on his mind.
‘‘It's a story about revenge and how revenge eats itself up,'' Sondheim says.
Depp, typically, leaves all other versions of Todd dead in the water.
‘‘I thought it might be a good opportunity to find a new Sweeney, a different Sweeney. Almost like in a punk rock, contemporary way,'' he says.
The success of the movie is the innate relationship between Depp and Burton, partners in a crime spree that began with Edward Scissorhands and has trekked through Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
IT'S a friendship that clicked the moment the pair met in a Los Angeles coffee shop in the late 1980s, where they discovered a shared liking for the absurd.
‘‘This kind of fascination with understanding the absurdity of what was perfectly acceptable in the 1970s . . . for example macrame owls and resin grapes,'' Depp says.
‘‘Fake fruit. No one thought twice about that.''
Such is their trust that Burton has only to call to get Depp for a role.
‘‘Anything he asks me to do, I jump at the opportunity,'' Depp says.
‘‘Except a ballet,'' Burton says.
‘‘No, I actually would. I would try,'' Depp argues.
Depp is asked if he will sing again in the future.
‘‘Never again,'' he says.
‘‘He'll be on the West End, tomorrow evening,'' Burton says, once again laughing hysterically.
‘‘I'll never do it again, not for anyone,'' Depp says, starts to laugh himself now.
‘‘You're going to get all these musicals,'' Burton says.
‘‘Not for anyone,'' Depp says, the Burton laugh track starting to get to him. ‘‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat,'' he says, in fits himself by now.
Then Burton breaks into song: ‘‘Jesus Christ, superstar . . .''
Depp: ‘‘Oh boy.''