Here’s a huge surprise from the rumor mill–a report that Tim Burton’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND will be filming at several historic buildings in the English port city of Plymouth in September. Source for the rumor is a local casting call for 250 extras, with the auditions set for the New Continental Hotel in Plymouth on August 6th and 7th. Although casting director Ilenka Jelowicki will not confirm that the movie is in fact Burton’s ALICE, she does confirm that the film is “a Disney production set in Victorian England.” Reporter Amol Rajan, writing in The Independent, is less coy; “Burton discovers his WONDERLAND–in Plymouth,” writes Rajan.

Noting the upcoming auditions, Rajan reports that “casting director Ilenka Jelowicki said filming would take place for a fortnight in September in and around Plymouth,” and that “Burton has chosen the western city because of the ease with which it will accommodate his plans for a Victorian setting.” Although the only confirmed casting is that of the 18-year-old Australian Mia Wasikowska as Alice, Johnny Depp is rumored to be playing the Mad Hatter for his longtime friend and frequent collaborator. The September shooting dates are also a surprise, since press reports on Ms. Wasikowska’s casting listed a November start for the film. As always, time will tell . . . .

The Zone thanks Silent and Emma for breaking the audition news; you can follow the developing story on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet