JohnnyDepp-Zone.com

Johnny Depp playing Barnabas Collins, the angst-ridden vampire of Collinsport? Yes–that’s not just a dream of DARK SHADOWS fans anymore. According to Michael Fleming of Variety, Warner Bros. is joining Infinitum-Nihil (Johnny’s production company) and Graham King’s Initial Entertainment Group to develop a feature film based on DARK SHADOWS, the unique gothic daytime drama which ran for 1,225 episodes on ABC from 1966-1971. Writes Fleming, “A rights deal just closed with the estate of Dan Curtis, the producer/director who created the soap [. . .] . Depp and King will produce with David Kennedy, who ran Dan Curtis Prods. until Curtis died last year of a brain tumor. Infinitum-Nihil’s Christi Dembrowski served as the point person on the deal.”

Johnny Depp has spoken frequently of his affection for DARK SHADOWS, especially the character of Barnabas Collins as played by Jonathan Frid–to see a photo of Frid as Barnabas, click here: http://tinyurl.com/2s9wo7 “Depp has said in interviews that he has always been obsessed with DARK SHADOWS and has wanted to play Collins, the vampire patriarch of the series,” notes Fleming. Coincidentally, series creator Dan Curtis gave his blessing to Johnny playing his most famous character in an interview given on September 18, 2002. Responding to a suggestion that a DARK SHADOWS remake would work if Johnny Depp were cast as Barnabas, Curtis replied: “I agree that Johnny Depp would be great as a new Barnabas.”

We have an accord! Congratulations to everyone involved–we can’t wait to see Johnny as Barnabas Collins. Thanks to Theresa for breaking the story and FANtasticJD for the Dan Curtis interview. You can read the full Variety article, and a spirited discussion of DARK SHADOWS, on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet