Articles from February 2008



Depp wit and compassion on display backstage at the Oscars

Oscar tradition claims that nominees are supposed to be nervous, but the backstage stories about Johnny Depp’s appearance at the ceremony this year show his trademark wit and compassion much in evidence. Photos show him hugging longtime friends like Best Director nominee Julian Schnabel (THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY), who directed Johnny in BEFORE NIGHT FALLS, and last year’s Best Actor winner Forest Whitaker, who appeared with Johnny in Oliver Stone’s Best Picture winner PLATOON. To see a photo of Johnny Depp with Julian Schnabel, click here: http://tinyurl.com/2p7o67 and for a larger version of the photo at left, click here: http://tinyurl.com/2tqbmd

Anthony Breznican of USA Today shares this backstage tidbit: “SWEENEY TODD lead-actor nominee Johnny Depp greeted film editing presenter Renee Zellweger backstage as the actress tiptoed around in bare feet. ‘I like your shoes,’ he said, tapping the glittering high heels she held in her hand. She rolled her eyes and groaned. ‘Well, thanks man. . . . I used to like these shoes, too,’ she said, wrinkling her sore toes after a long night of walking. ‘Ah, yes,’ Depp said, nodding with understanding. ‘Past tense, now.'”

Asked to identify what he was wearing on the red carpet, Johnny replied, “Clothes.” For the record, the elegant tuxedo was by Giorgio Armani. The Zone thanks Bonnie and AnaMaria for the photos and Gilbert’s Girl and emjaytee for the USA Today story. –Part-Time Poet

Daniel Day-Lewis and Marion Cotillard win Best Actor and Actress Oscars

Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance in THERE WILL BE BLOOD was honored with the Oscar for Best Actor at the 80th Academy Awards; the Academy’s choice, while not unexpected, was not widely approved by the members of the Johnny Depp Zone. Regrettably, we’re not members of the Academy. Johnny Depp could be seen smiling and applauding enthusiastically as Mr. Day-Lewis ascended to the podium in the Kodak Theatre to accept his Oscar from Helen Mirren. The screencap at the left, where Johnny has his eyes closed, shows his reaction to having his performance of “Epiphany” aired on the giant screen at the Kodak Theatre as Ms. Mirren announced the Best Actor nominees: he couldn’t bear to look.

French actress Marion Cotillard won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as Edith Piaf in LA VIE EN ROSE; Mlle. Cotillard’s next movie role will be opposite Johnny Depp in Michael Mann’s PUBLIC ENEMIES. She will play Billie Frechette, the girlfriend of bank robber John Dillinger. The Zone congratulates her on her Oscar win and her delightful acceptance speech, and sends best wishes for her new venture. –Part-Time Poet

Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo win Best Art Direction Oscar for SWEENEY TODD

The husband-and-wife design team of Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo won their second Oscar Sunday night for Best Art Direction for their haunting and beautiful creation of the settings for SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. They had previously won for Art Direction in 2005 for Martin Scorsese’s THE AVIATOR. One highlight of the evening was hearing Mr. Ferretti offer a thank-you to Johnny Depp, and seeing Johnny respond by kissing his hand to Mr. Ferretti and Ms. Lo Schiavo. That’s the moment captured in our screencap; to see a larger version, click here: http://tinyurl.com/2sx47u The Zone thanks MA Depp for sharing her screencap.

In the press room, Francesca Lo Schiavo could not lavish praise enough on her director, Tim Burton: “Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic,” Lo Schiavo said, describing the experience of working with Burton on SWEENEY TODD. “He opened my mind, he’s (such) a great artist. Really, working with him, it was an award.” Congratulations to Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo! –Part-Time Poet

BREAKING NEWS–Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis arrive at the 80th Academy Awards

Wearing his familiar tortoiseshell glasses, a custom tuxedo by Giorgio Armani and custom shirt by Anto Beverly Hills, Johnny Depp has arrived at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles for the 80th Academy Awards ceremony, where he is nominated as Best Actor for his role in Tim Burton’s SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. Johnny graced the red carpet with his partner, Vanessa Paradis, who wore an elegant black silk crepe gown by Chanel Haute Couture. Vanessa’s stunning necklace, composed of 18k white gold and diamonds, is by Chanel Fine Jewelry and is called “Camelia.” To see a larger version of the portrait of Johnny at left, click here: http://tinyurl.com/2k5hfc and to see a photo of Johnny and Vanessa together, click here: http://tinyurl.com/33k2xb Many thanks to Carasun, Bonnie and AnaMaria for the pictures!–Part-Time Poet

"We'll do SHANTARAM next year," Mira Nair promises, regarding delayed Johnny Depp film

In a recent interview with Lisa Tsering of India-West, director Mira Nair–who will soon begin filming AMELIA with Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart–answered a question about her project with Johnny Depp, SHANTARAM, which was scheduled to start filming this month, but was postponed by the writers’ strike. Nair assured the reporter that SHANTARAM is “still a priority” and that the epic film will be made. “After AMELIA’s done, I’ll definitely get back to SHANTARAM,” the director told India-West. “We’ll do SHANTARAM next year.” Great news–we are very eager to see SHANTARAM underway!

The Zone thanks Emma for the Mira Nair interview; you can read it in full here: http://tinyurl.com/2jyvzw –Part-Time Poet

Thousands of would-be movie extras try out for roles in Michael Mann's PUBLIC ENEMIES, starring Johnny Depp

Wisconsin residents turned out by the thousands at the open casting call for extras for the Michael Mann film PUBLIC ENEMIES last Saturday in Madison. One hopeful, Kristian Knutsen, went to the casting call at the Exhibition Hall at Monona Terrace: “The primary portion of the call was very brief, starting with a brief speech from [extra casting director Joan] Philo about the basics of the process, the physical requirements for extras in this film,” writes Knutsen. “[S]he emphasized the need for this film’s extras to really look as if they were from the early 1930s, specifically no close-cropped hair, no facial hair, and especially no tanning salons. This is doubly the case given the fact that Mann is helming the production, the director well-known for his fastidious approach to filmmaking.”

Joan Philo will have plenty of potential extras in the casting pool. “I wanted to be an extra in this movie as soon as I heard about it,” said Lori Bass-Edgar. “How often does something like this happen in Wisconsin?” Extras will be informed by phone if they have been selected, a few days before their scheduled shoot. The production schedule for PUBLIC ENEMIES runs from March 17th through June, so the phone may take a while to ring for the lucky ones who are chosen. But the hopefuls are prepared to be patient. “Getting any experience we can is pretty important,” Lorah Haskins told Knutsen. Haskins, a theater and communication arts major at UW-Madison, admitted to an additional motivation: “We heard that Johnny Depp is in it, and we would love to be an extra in one of his movies.”

The Zone thanks Emma for posting the Knutsen article, which has a very detailed account of the casting call; you can read the entire article on the Porch forum. –Part-Time Poet

Colin Farrell "honoured" to join THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS, he tells reporters

Adding further confirmation to the rumors that Heath Ledger’s last film will be completed by having Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell cover different sections of Ledger’s role, Irish actor Colin Farrell confirmed his participation in Terry Gilliam’s THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS to reporters in Europe today. Promoting his latest release, IN BRUGES, Farrell said, “I will be honoured to be part of that,” in answer to questions about the Gilliam film.

“It makes me feel uncomfortable to think about it too much,” Farrell told reporters. “[I]t’s an incredibly painful honour to have, you know, and an honour I wish wasn’t bestowed, but an honour nonetheless.” The actor has not yet begun filming IMAGINARIUM and could not offer any details about how the script is being reworked to cover Ledger’s absence. Clearly Farrell views the revived project as a tribute to his late colleague. “It’s about getting Heath’s work out there,” he said. “He’s too good for any of his work not to be seen, you know, and I’m really keen and looking forward to doing it and just doing the best job I can do.”

Although no deals have been signed as yet, both Farrell and a spokewoman for Jude Law have made remarks to the press indicating their intent to participate; there has been no comment from Johnny Depp or his press representatives. The Zone thanks Theresa for sharing the interview with Colin Farrell; you can read it in its entirety here: http://tinyurl.com/ywoay3 –Part-Time Poet

8 Saturn Award nominations for SWEENEY TODD, 4 for POTC: AT WORLD'S END

Movies starring Johnny Depp scored an even dozen nominations for the 2008 Saturn Awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET received 8 nominations, while PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END received 4 nods. Only 300, with 10 nominations, and HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, with 9, had higher totals than SWEENEY TODD.

SWEENEY TODD received nominations for Best Horror Film; Best Actor (Johnny Depp); Best Actress (Helena Bonham Carter); Best Supporting Actor (Alan Rickman); Best Director (Tim Burton); Best Writing (John Logan); Best Costume (Colleen Atwood); and Best Makeup (Ivana Primorac). PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END received nominations for Best Fantasy Film; Best Costume (Penny Rose); Best Makeup (Martin Samuel); and Best Special Effects (John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson, John Frazier). Congratulations to all these wonderful artists on their achievements!

We’ll have to wait a while to learn the winners; the 34th Annual Saturn Awards will be presented on Tuesday, June 24, 2008. Many thanks to Theresa for breaking the news; you can read more on the News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

No fooling–SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET to be released on DVD in region 1 on April 1st

SWEENEY TODD lovers in region 1 won’t have long to wait to obtain the movie on DVD: Paramount will be releasing Tim Burton’s film on April 1, 2008 “in single disc, 2-disc Special Edition, and gasping-for-breath HD-DVD versions.” Among the extras on the 2-disc Special Edition are a couple of special treats: the London press conference for the film (held in November 2007) and Moviefone’s Unscripted interview with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, in which they asked one another questions submitted by the public (including questions submitted by members of the Zone). Unfortunately, there is no commentary track listed among the extras. Perhaps that’s just an oversight. For a full list of features and samples of the cover art, click here: http://tinyurl.com/24vlwd The Zone thanks Messiah for breaking the news.

Amazon.com is currently offering the 2-disc SWEENEY TODD Special Edition as a pre-order for $23.99 plus shipping (a savings of $11). Enjoy! –Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell to complete Heath Ledger's final film, Law's spokeswoman tells the BBC

Media outlets including Variety, BBC News, CNN, FoxNews, and MTV News are all reporting that Heath Ledger’s final film will be completed, with Ledger’s role being divided among a trio of actors: Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell. The film, Terry Gilliam’s THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS, has been on hold since Ledger’s tragic death. According to Variety, Ledger’s character, Tony, is transported into three separate dimensions during the course of the film as he passes through a magic mirror; presumably in each new world the role of Tony will be taken up by a different actor.

Negotiations are still in process and nothing official has been announced, but Jude Law’s press representative did confirm the plan: “A spokeswoman for Law confirmed the three [actors] would play the role of Tony in the film, but said she did not know how the role would be restructured,” reports the BBC. There has been no comment from Terry Gilliam, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, or their representatives, and no word on when production of THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS might resume. Production in Vancouver shut down at the time of Ledger’s death.

The Zone thanks all of our members who have been avidly following this breaking story and posting articles on the News & Views forum, including deb0360, emma, Ventoux, and Madly. To read the BBC story, click here: http://tinyurl.com/yr3udh and for the Variety article, click here: http://tinyurl.com/3dureg –Part-Time Poet

TIME's Richard Corliss says Johnny Depp deserves an Oscar for SWEENEY TODD

Yes, he’s seen Daniel Day-Lewis in THERE WILL BE BLOOD, but Richard Corliss would award the Best Actor Oscar to Johnny Depp in SWEENEY TODD. In an article entitled “The 800 lb. Golden Gorilla,” TIME’s film critic Richard Corliss ponders the Oscars’ track record for rewarding “stuffed turkeys and middling domestic dramas,” films “at the high end of mediocrity,” and actors who excel at the familiar rather than those who break new ground. “In judging movie acting, the Academy is often slow to notice the arrival of talent ready to shake up or reshape a staid industry,” writes Corliss. He also observes that actors working in any genre other than “serious dramas for Oscar-winning directors” are likely to be denied the golden statuette–those in comedy, musicals, or genre films will watch a colleague in a drama (say, Sean Penn in Clint Eastwood’s MYSTIC RIVER) claim the prize.

Regarding the current handicapping of the Best Actor Oscar race, Corliss writes:

Should Win–Johnny Depp (SWEENEY TODD) He’s fierce, wondrous, haunted, funny, scary–and on key.

Shouldn’t Win–Daniel Day-Lewis (THERE WILL BE BLOOD) A superb actor in an opaque role–it’s all snarl, no soul.

The Zone thanks FANtastic JD for sharing Mr. Corliss’s thoughts–you can read his article, and a lot of lively commentary about it, on the Zone’s Porch forum. To see the Corliss article, click here: http://tinyurl.com/36z89r –Part-Time Poet

"I feel like a fifth-grade girl at a Hannah Montana concert"–author Bryan Burrough on the filming of his book PUBLIC ENEMIES

Best-selling author Bryan Burrough gives an inside view of what it’s like to have your book chosen for “a major motion picture” in a refreshingly candid entry on the Vanity Fair blog. “Suddenly, [. . .] I’ve found myself immersed in a project with the likes of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, and while I’m trying to stay cool about the whole thing, there are moments I feel like a fifth-grade girl at a Hannah Montana concert,” writes Burrough, whose PUBLIC ENEMIES starts filming in March with Michael Mann directing and Johnny Depp playing John Dillinger. He cheerfully admits he didn’t write the screenplay: “Mann and others did. (And it’s terrific.) No, no, I’m not some big-ticket consultant. In fact, my sole ongoing involvement is my humiliating devolution into a kind of Super Fan Boy,” the author concedes. In words with which Zoners can identify, Burrough confesses, “At least three times a day, I swear, I log onto IMDb, the movie site, to see what people are saying on the new PUBLIC ENEMIES bulletin board.”

Welcome to our world, Mr. Burrough–it’s a pleasure to have you along for the ride.

Further endearing himself to Deppheads everywhere, Burrough confides that although he has no role in the filming, he would love to watch his work come to life; he would especially cherish the chance to be an extra in the background of one of Dillinger’s exploits. “If I’m lucky, I may get to visit the set at some point,” writes Burrough. “In my dreams I might even get a cameo. The last time I took my 13-year-old to Taco Bell, he told me he had the perfect role for me. He wants me to play a corpse.” Good luck, Mr. Burrough–we hope your dream comes true.

The Zone thanks emma for finding Bryan Burrough’s blog entry and posting it on the Porch; you can read the article in its entirety there, or on the Vanity Fair site here: http://tinyurl.com/2egh2k

Bryan Burrough’s PUBLIC ENEMIES: AMERICA’S GREATEST CRIME WAVE AND THE BIRTH OF THE FBI, 1933-1934 is the current ONBC selection–stop by our book club’s forum and enjoy the discussion! –Part-Time Poet

Stephen Graham, Rory Cochrane and Bill Camp join the PUBLIC ENEMIES cast

Three more cast members–Stephen Graham, Rory Cochrane, and Bill Camp– have joined Michael Mann’s PUBLIC ENEMIES, starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, Oscar nominee Marion Cotillard as his girlfriend Billie Frechette, and Christian Bale as FBI Agent Melvin Purvis. Stephen Graham is a British actor whose most recent film, THIS IS ENGLAND, just won Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards. Rory Cochrane is well-known to U.S. audiences for his role as the ill-fated Tim Speedle on CSI:MIAMI, a character he played from 2002-2004. Bill Camp was scheduled to appear in the off-Broadway play DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE, opposite Mary-Louise Parker, but a scheduling conflict with PUBLIC ENEMIES forced him to drop out. Camp’s most recently released film is RESERVATION ROAD.

The Zone thanks Emma and FANtastic JD for the news. –Part-Time Poet

ONBC begins its discussion of Bryan Burroughs' PUBLIC ENEMIES today!

Today Oprah Noodlemantra’s Book Club begins its discussion of Bryan Burrough’s book PUBLIC ENEMIES: AMERICA’S GREATEST CRIME WAVE AND THE BIRTH OF THE FBI, 1933-34. This is the source of the script of Michael Mann’s upcoming film PUBLIC ENEMIES, starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger and Christian Bale as FBI Agent Melvin Purvis.

ONBC moderators Liz and DeppintheHeartofTexas invite you to the discussion–it’s a great chance to learn about Dillinger’s career as a bank robber and see why he’s such a fascinating subject for a movie. Be sure to check out the tidbits, too–meticulously researched bits of history and background on Dillinger, his cohorts, the other bank robbers, the FBI, and the Midwestern locales that feature prominently in the story. It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to discuss PUBLIC ENEMIES just as Johnny is preparing to play Dillinger, and Liz and DITHOT have done a fantastic job preparing this discussion. Hats off to ONBC! –Part-Time Poet

Johnny Cash video, "God's Gonna Cut You Down," wins a Grammy–congratulations!

The Johnny Cash video “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” won the Grammy for best short form video at the 50th Grammy Awards, held on February 10th in Los Angeles. The first release from Cash’s posthumous album AMERICAN V: A HUNDRED HIGHWAYS, the video was shot as a tribute to Johnny Cash and features 36 celebrities (mainly musicians) wearing black and mouthing the words to the song over Mr. Cash’s vocal. Johnny Depp appears very briefly near the end of the track; he is standing in a theater box in front of a curtain, playing his guitar. The photo at left is from the black-and-white video. The Zone thanks Endora for breaking the news, and congratulates all the artists who participated in the video of “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” –Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp on cover of THE BIG ISSUE magazine

Tim Burton’s film of SWEENEY TODD is “an intensely atmospheric and stomach-churningly gruesome horror movie that recreates Victorian London in black, white and plenty of scarlet,” writes Miles Fielder in THE BIG ISSUE, which features Johnny Depp on its current cover. “But beyond that,” Fielder says, “SWEENEY TODD is also a tragic romance and a passionate tale of revenge.” Johnny Depp agrees with the latter statement: “It’s the story of a man who becomes obsessed with avenging the horror of what happened to him,” Johnny explains. “The idea of revenge is something most people don’t want to admit to. But I think we all have it, secretly somewhere in there. I’m a big fan of revenge,” Johnny adds with playful humor. “But I can’t give you an example, because I don’t want to implicate myself.”

As for singing the notoriously difficult Sondheim role, Johnny tells Fielder that he has never sung on screen before because “Tim’s the only person brave enough to let me try to sing. I’d never even sung in the shower; I was too mortified. But once I got over the initial fear it was kind of enjoyable. Sondheim’s melodies and lyrics are a real pleasure. It’s really beautiful stuff. So I enjoyed it.” Don’t look for Johnny Depp to devote himself exclusively to musicals, though. “Would I ever do it again?” Johnny responded to that question with a laugh, Fielder notes, before he said, “No.”

The Zone thanks Gilbert’s Girl for breaking the news, and Emma for the cover photo and the transcript of the article. You can read it in full on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

Mira Nair to direct AMELIA, starring Hilary Swank

Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank will play pioneering aviatrix Amelia Earhart in a a biographical film called AMELIA, reports Michael Fleming of Variety. AMELIA will be directed by Mira Nair, who “became available to direct after Warner Bros. postponed the Johnny Depp starrer SHANTARAM,” Fleming writes. The movie is scheduled to begin shooting in April from a script that Ron Bass delivered before the writers’ strike began. There is no word on when AMELIA will wrap, or how Ms. Nair’s involvement will affect a possible start date for SHANTARAM. In interviews in January 2008, Mira Nair said she expected to begin filming SHANTARAM in fall 2008, in New Mexico and India. She will be directing Swank while Johnny Depp is playing John Dillinger in Michael Mann’s PUBLIC ENEMIES. The Zone thanks RumLover for the news; you can read the full Variety article on AMELIA here: http://tinyurl.com/2mqydr –Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END nominated for Kids' Choice Awards

Will Johnny Depp get slimed again? Maybe . . . he has once again been nominated as Kids’ Choice Male Movie Star for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END. Other nominees in the category include Ice Cube in ARE WE DONE YET?, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in THE GAME PLAN, and Eddie Murphy in NORBIT. Keira Knightley received a nomination as Kids’ Choice Female Movie Star, along with Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore, and Kirsten Dunst. Competing against AT WORLD’S END for Kids’ Choice Movie are ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, ARE WE DONE YET?, and TRANSFORMERS.

Nickelodeon’s 21st annual Kids’ Choice Awards will be hosted by Jack Black and will air live from UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion on March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

The Zone thanks Emma for breaking the news–you can read a full list of all the Kids’ Choice nominees on the News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

PUBLIC ENEMIES to shoot in Richland Center, Wisconsin–and maybe Aurora, Illinois

Good news for residents of Richland Center, Wisconsin–the M & I Bank in their town has been chosen as a location for a bank robbery in Michael Mann’s 1930s gangster film PUBLIC ENEMIES, starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger. M & I Bank was built in the 1920s and still features its original trim, ornate chandeliers, glass windows, and marble floors. “In speaking with the producer, he was just amazed that the old bank atmosphere was still here,” said M & I’s Carol Burke. It will be one of four banks to be robbed on camera, the Richland Observer reports. The other three have yet to be determined. Here’s a video of the bank shot by the NBC affiliate in Madison, Wisconsin: http://tinyurl.com/2v3ze7

In other location news, director Michael Mann and several associates spent a few hours at the historic Paramount Theater in downtown Aurora, Illinois, scouting it as a possible location for the pivotal scene in which John Dillinger is shot by FBI agent Melvin Purvis. Readers of Bryan Burrough’s PUBLIC ENEMIES know that Dillinger was gunned down outside Chicago’s Biograph Theater on the evening of July 22, 1934 . . . but the Biograph has had a facelift or two since then, and it no longer looks the way it did in Dillinger’s day. However, Aurora’s Paramount retains its period detail, as you can see from the photo at left, so it may substitute for the Biograph when cameras roll. Although the movie theater’s executive director, Diana Martinez, downplayed the possibility, stressing that the PUBLIC ENEMIES crew is checking out many vintage theaters, she did concede that Michael Mann liked their site. “It’s a maybe,” Martinez said. “They came and checked it out. He [Michael Mann] liked it a lot and spent a lot of time here. [. . .] Who knows what could happen?”

Aurora’s mayor Tom Weisner would be delighted to welcome the filmmakers to town, and told reporter Matt Hanley that he is glad to see the painstakingly preserved Paramount theater, which opened its doors in 1931, appreciated by Hollywood. “This would be really cool,” the mayor said. “My only concern would be keeping my wife 400 feet from Johnny Depp.”

The Zone thanks Emma for the location news, photos, and video–you can read more about the search for PUBLIC ENEMIES locations on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

SWEENEY TODD DVD release scheduled for April 1st in region 1

It’s not an April Fools’ joke, my friends–the release of SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET appears to be scheduled for April 1, 2008 in the United States and Canada, according to Hi-Def Digest.com. SWEENEY TODD will be appearing in standard DVD format and also in HD. Expect a full media announcement with information on the DVD extras in a few days. For our readers in region 2, the SWEENEY TODD DVD release in Europe is scheduled for May 19, 2008, according to Amazon.uk, and they are listing a 2-disc release, which would mean lots of extras. Amazon.uk is also advertising a release in Blu-Ray format. The Zone thanks Theresa and Gilbert’s Girl for breaking the DVD news–you can read more details on the News and Views forum. –Part-Time Poet