Fans of Johnny Depp and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise had a special reason to enjoy the big football game on Sunday — a glimpse of our favorite pirate in a charming trailer for Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides. According to the official synopsis from Disney, when Captain Jack Sparrow encounters “the enigmatic Angelica (Penelope Cruz), he’s not sure if it’s love — or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn’t know whom to fear more: Blackbeard or Angelica, with whom he shares a mysterious past.”

You can see the new extended trailer here:

The Zone thanks Tndixie and Theresa for sharing the trailer, and Erin Kirkpatrick for the synopsis. You can read much more about On Stranger Tides on the Zone’s News & Views forum. Be sure to visit the official website HERE.

One of the highlights of this year’s crop of Super Bowl commercials was the hilarious and visually arresting spot for Gore Verbinski’s animated film Rango, which stars Johnny Depp as the title character and Isla Fisher, Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina and Abigail Breslin as the denizens of a desert town called Dirt . . . a town where strangers like Rango don’t last long.

You can see the Rango commercial here:

Rango, which has been rated PG, will be released in theaters in North America on March 4, 2011. A press junket for the film is scheduled for February 11th through February 13th in Los Angeles — expect to read many excited tweets from participants! The Zone thanks Theresa for sharing the video and Emma for the press junket news.

Two weeks ago, Tinseltown was buzzing with the news that Johnny Depp was in talks with Disney to fill in for the departing Robert Downey, Jr. in the Wizard of Oz prequel Oz, the Great and Powerful. Oz, to be directed by Sam Raimi, is a high-priority project for Disney and was due to shoot in the latter half of 2011. Johnny Depp has now said “No” to playing Oz; the Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit reports that “after several meetings,” Johnny “ultimately passed last night [Thursday, February 3].” Disney is now pursuing James Franco for the role of the wizard-to-be. Johnny’s next project will be playing Barnabas Collins in Dark Shadows for Tim Burton.

The Zone thanks Theresa for sharing the news; you can read more on the Zone’s News & Views forum. The Hollywood Reporter story is HERE.

Tim Burton’s version of Dark Shadows, starring Johnny Depp as vampire Barnabas Collins, is due to start filming in the spring with a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith, and we’re starting to hear that pivotal roles are being cast. Jackie Earle Haley is in talks to play Willie Loomis, according to Deadline; for those unfamiliar with the Dark Shadows canon, Loomis is a con artist who plans a bit of grave-robbing and thus becomes the person who opens Barnabas Collins’ coffin and sets the vampire free. And becomes his minion. Oops. Slight miscalculation there.

Eva Green, who created a sensation when she played Vesper Lynd, the girl who broke James Bond’s heart in Casino Royale, is negotiating to play Angelique, the role played by Lara Parker in the original series. Angelique “was a powerful witch who was alternately tormented and bewitched by her love-hate relationship with Barnabas Collins,” says Deadline.

Australian actress Bella Heathcote, 23, a Heath Ledger scholarship winner, is in early talks for an important role in Dark Shadows, although there is some confusion in the media about which character she will play. According to Deadline, Ms. Heathcote would play Victoria Winters, the young governess of the Collins estate, but Justin Kroll in Variety reports that she would play a local waitress whom Barnabas Collins “takes a shine to because she resembles his long-lost love.” Dark Shadows historians will recall that the waitress, Maggie Evans, eventually became the governess at the estate; we’ll have to wait for clarification about whether Ms. Heathcote is playing Victoria Winters or Maggie Evans.

The New York Times is reporting that Helena Bonham Carter will play Dr. Julia Hoffman, the role originated by Grayson Hall; this seems logical casting although it has not been confirmed elsewhere. And in news sure to delight long-time Dark Shadows fans — including Johnny Depp himself — Jonathan Frid, the original Barnabas Collins, has announced on his website that he will be making an appearance in the movie. Perfect!

Many thanks to SeaGoddessCalypso, Emma, Songstress, and Shadowydog for casting news; you can read more about Dark Shadows on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

That’s a smiling Johnny Depp — still sporting Captain Jack Sparrow’s shiny gold teeth — as he was photographed out in public in Los Angeles on Monday, January 31st. To see a larger version of the photo, CLICK HERE. Johnny is wearing his Viper Room beanie, a familiar pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses, a denim shirt over a brown t-shirt, and jeans. For full-length views of Johnny, CLICK HERE and HERE, and for a close-up, CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks HonestGirl and JayGrl for sharing the photos; we’ve really been enjoying the opportunity to see Johnny.