News Round-up

Donna McKechnie (Amanda) will be performing her acclaimed one-woman show My Musical Comedy Life at New York's Laurie Beechman Theatre on April 4. For more information, click here.Amazon are currently offering the two recent Dark Shadows compilation DVDs, The Vampire Curse and The Haunting of Collinwood at a bargain price, reduced by 40 percent. To order, click on the hyperlinked titles.Ragged

Cross-Hatched Shadows

It's a delight to share these wonderful Dark Shadows illustrations, courtesy of site reader Jack Kusler. The images are the work of comic book artist Bret M. Herholz, reinterpreting some of Collinwood's finest in a style somewhere between Edward Gorey and Tim Burton. Pictured right are Cassandra, Adam, Barnabas and Nicholas Blair menacing Victoria Winters, and below is Bret's take on the classic

Jonathan Frid Video Interview

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation has just released an extensive new interview with Jonathan Frid (Barnabas) as part of their Archive of American Television initiative. The programme is working to create an oral history of television from key contributors across the industry.This two-hour discussion, conducted in 2008, covers Jonathan's career in detail for posterity, including

Movie to Feature Young Barnabas

Deadline New York reports that Thomas McDonell has been cast to play a young Barnabas Collins in the new Dark Shadows movie. The actor is soon to be seen in the upcoming Disney film Prom, and has appeared in Twelve and The Forbidden Kingdom. Deadline also says that Michael Sheen is in discussions to play Roger Collins, following speculation over the weekend. To read the full article, click

More Movie Appointments

As pre-production continues, IMDB has reported more behind the scenes personnel for the new Dark Shadows movie. Rupert Smith is the production's visual effects co-ordinator. His other credits include The Wolfman and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Nikeah Ford is visual effects assistant co-ordinator, having also worked on Dawn Treader and the mini-series The Pacific.

Picture of the Week: Jungle Fever

This week, here's a rare still of Diana Millay (Laura Collins) from Tarzan and the Great River, which was released in 1967 and filmed prior to her first stint on Dark Shadows. Produced on location in Brazil, backed up with some rather obvious stock wildlife footage, the movie has become a minor schlock classic and was recently released on DVD.If you would like to submit an image for Picture of

Michael Sheen for Dark Shadows Movie?

Online entertainment blog The Playlist reports that Welsh actor Michael Sheen is in talks to join the cast of Tim Burton's Dark Shadows movie. Playlist has "confirmed with sources close to the production" that the actor is "in early discussions for supporting role in the film, though it's not yet clear just who he'll been playing."Michael Sheen is an acclaimed character actor, with a

Movie Scriptwriter Speaks

Collider has interviewed writer Seth Grahame-Smith about his upcoming screen projects, including the new Dark Shadows movie, which begins filming in May. In the article, Grahame-Smith confirms that revisions on the script are still underway and that he has worked closely with Johnny Depp on the character of Barnabas Collins:"I could meet with Johnny and sit down with him and hear him say these

Movie Set Construction Begins

British newspaper The Guardian ran a piece on England's Pinewood Studios earlier this week, confirming that work has begun on building sets for the new Dark Shadows movie. The feature says that: "projects underway... [include] a huge gothic entrance hall being built as the centrepiece for Tim Burton's latest offering, Dark Shadows." The article also goes on to say that the studio backlot's "

Picture of the Week: Short-Lived Servant

This week it's a rare shot of Matt Czuchry as Willie Loomis from the 2004 Dark Shadows pilot episode produced by Warner Bros. Targeting a more youth-orientated audience this time around, the modern Willie was re-imagined as a teen pin-up, even gaining a girlfriend to act as his grave-robbing partner in crime. Alas the network passed on a Dark Shadows redux and the unfinished pilot episode was

More From Eva Green

Black Book magazine has interviewed actress Eva Green this week about her movie Cracks, with the talk turning to her upcoming role as Angelique in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows feature film, which is due to start shooting in May.Asked about the Dark Shadows screenplay, Eva reveals: "I'm not allowed to say too much about it. It's extremely well written, very, very funny, in a Tim Burton way. It's very

Eva Green Talks Angelique

While promoting her new movie Cracks, actress Eva Green has spoken briefly about her role as the witch Angelique in the new Dark Shadows feature film, a part originally played by Lara Parker.In a video interview for website Cinema Blend, the actress revealed "I'm shooting Dark Shadows in a month in London. It's a great piece, an amazing crazy role. I'm looking forward to it." Speaking of her

Treasures Of The Night

Site reader Allen Hendrix has written in to share some memorabilia owned by his parents, who were on set for the filming of Night of Dark Shadows at Tarrytown's Lyndhurst estate in 1971. "My mom was the main tour guide during filming and my dad was on-set security, and were given a few items," says Allen. "The glasses are shown early in the movie and the painting is the one of Charles Collins."

From the Archives: March 1969

Here's a great interview recently added to the Google news archives, "Dark Shadows Director Crosses Into Male World". First published in the March 12 1969 edition of Charleston's The News and Courier, it showcases one of the show's greatest contributors, lead director Lela Swift. Lela oversaw more episodes than anyone else, eventually taking the reins as the show's producer in 1970. I love the

Movie Costume News

London-based fabrics specialists Schultz + Wiremu have announced that they will be working on the new Dark Shadows movie, as pre-production continues apace. The company's credits include the Harry Potter film series, along with many theatre and television productions.Speaking on their Twitter feed, they report: "We started on Monday setting up Dark Shadows, ready for the team to come over from LA

Picture of the Week: An Uplifting Role

This week, it's a nightmare scenario for Jonathan Frid (Barnabas) in a rare post-Dark Shadows film role. Seizure marked Oliver Stone's directorial debut, featuring Jonathan as a horror novelist tormented by his own creations. Incidentally, the actor doing the hoisting is Henry Baker, who appeared on Dark Shadows as Istvan the gypsy in 1969.If you would like to submit an image for Picture of the

The Audio Dramas: A Chronology

As regular readers will know, one of my main connections to the Dark Shadows world is my work on Big Finish's series of officially-licensed Dark Shadows audio dramas, which I've been working on, variously, as producer, writer and director since 2006. Over the past five years, we've recorded over 20 new installments in CD format, reuniting over a dozen original Dark Shadows actors, including David

Bella Heathcote Joins Twitter

Bella Heathcote, the actress recently cast as heroine Victoria Winters in the new Dark Shadows movie, has joined the micro-blogging site Twitter. She's already touched briefly on Dark Shadows, promising that the film is "gonna blow your socks off!" To follow her updates click here.Speaking of Bella, original Dark Shadows actress Kathryn Leigh Scott tells us that, as with the 1991 revival series,

Coming Soon...

Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins. This isn't an official design, but I thought it'd be fun to create something based on the new Dark Shadows movie. Click on the picture for a larger view.

New Audio Dramas For May

Big Finish Productions have released cover artwork and synopses for May's Dark Shadows audio releases. The Blind Painter features Roger Davis as Charles Delaware Tate and The Death Mask stars Jerry Lacy as Tony Peterson with Lara Parker as Cassandra Collins. Both CDs can be pre-ordered by clicking on the hyperlinked titles.The Blind PainterThe year is 1893, and struggling artist Charles Delaware

Kathryn Leigh Scott Writes Shadows-Inspired Novel

Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans) is marking the 45th anniversary of Dark Shadows with the publication of her original novel Dark Passages, which draws on her experiences of working on the show, adding a fantasy twist. Here's a teaser synopsis:New York City, 1962. Midwest farm girl and local beauty queen Meg Harrison, a vampire raised by her mother to resist the temptation of human blood,

Vintage Look For Dark Shadows Movie?

The new Dark Shadows movie looks set to feature a distinctly retro look, if a recent Tweet from the Ballyhoo Vintage Clothing company is any indication: "We had fun providing a lot of vintage clothing for Dark Shadows and can't wait to see what Tim Burton creates," posted the company on their Twitter feed a few days ago. Ballyhoo specialises in authentic wardrobe from the 1930s-1970s. To visit

More From Helena Bonham Carter

Helena Bonham Carter has confirmed that she will be joining the cast of Tim Burton's Dark Shadows movie, playing Dr. Julia Hoffman. The actress has been linked with the part of the psychiatrist who becomes involved with the Collins family over recent weeks, speaking briefly about the character at the Oscars last Sunday. In an interview with UK newspaper the Daily Mail, Carter says that she will

Picture of the Week: Come Spy With Louis

Picture of the Week is a new feature on this blog, showcasing unusual images from Dark Shadows and beyond. To kick things off, here's a lobby card for groovy 60s flick Come Spy With Me. The movie featured Louis Edmonds (Roger Collins) playing a ruthless assassin with typical flair, and was filmed just before he started work on Dark Shadows. Incidentally, this week marks the tenth anniversary of

Movie Visual Effects Staff Announced

IMDB has reported two new visual effects appointments for the new Dark Shadows movie. The production's visual effects producer will be Barrie Hemsley, whose credits include The DaVinci Code and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. His television work on Rome and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers netted him two Emmy awards.Angus Bickerton joins Dark Shadows as visual effects

Classic Movies DVD Update

Easily the most frequent question I get from readers is when are the original Dark Shadows movies coming to DVD? With the show riding high in the ratings, the first big screen Dark Shadows spin-off was made in 1970, with the television cast retelling the story of Barnabas Collins' release into the present day. The film was produced while new episodes were still taping, with the actors juggling

Movie Makeup Head Appointed

IMDB reports that Joel Harlow will be the makeup department head for the new Dark Shadows movie. Harlow has worked with Johnny Depp on several projects, including the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Alice in Wonderland and The Tourist. His other credits include Mad Men, Inception and the recent Star Trek redux, for which he won an Oscar.

Dark Shadows Movie Updates

While promoting his new animated feature film Rango, Johnny Depp has spoken briefly about the upcoming Dark Shadows movie. Talking to Collider, Depp said: "I'm very excited to film it... It's something Tim [Burton] and I have talked about for a number of years, because we were both fans." Touching on the script, Depp added that: "There's something very interesting coming from the screenplay...