An equation for success
Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter
Many web sites have had to yank the “Alice in Wonderland” trailer because of copyright issues, and several seasoned YouTube users have created fake “Alice in Wonderland” trailers. And some pranksters have done such brilliant and creative things as labeling a Rick Astley music video as “Alice in Wonderland trailer.”
However, I think I have found the real thing. Of course, even before I saw the trailer I was planning to spend the $9 to see it when the time comes. Tim Burton plus Johnny Depp plus one of my favorite children’s stories is sure to equal bizarre brilliance.
Alice in Wonderland all grown up
Tim Burton’s version of “Alice in Wonderland” does not follow the storyline of the original. Instead, IMDB reports:
“Alice, 17, attends a party at a Victorian estate only to find she is about to be proposed to in front of hundreds of snooty society types. Off she runs, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited 10 years before yet doesn’t remember.”
So maybe Alice isn’t all grown up. She’s not old enough to get a payday loan in Canada or anywhere else. But she’s not the little girl we read about in Lewis Carroll’s book.
A fun twist
I was delighted to read that Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” will follow a different plot line. Though I am sure that he and Johnny Depp would breathe fresh, new life into the story, just as they did with “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” surprises are always more fun.
Besides blockbuster actor Depp, the movie stars virtual unknown Mia Wasikowska. The Australian actress plays Alice, and producer Richard Zanuck had good things to say about her:
“There is something real, honest and sincere about her,” Zanuck says. “She’s not a typical Hollywood starlet.”
More stars, more dollars
As if the Tim Burton, Johnny Depp combination weren’t enough to ensure success at the box office, fans of Helena Bonham Carter will be lining up as well. The film also features Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen and Anne Hathaway.
Furthermore, this movie brings together several genres. It’s adventure, fantasay, comedy and according to IMDB, “Family.” I have my doubts about that last one, however. IMDB says:
There is the usual Burton-esque ghoulishness (Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen, whose favorite retort is “Off with their heads,” has a moat filled with bobbing noggins), but Zanuck assures most kids can handle it.
I guess if the parents and their children don’t have problems with severed heads, it’ll be fine. Zanuck has a point when he says:
“The book itself is pretty dark,” he notes. “This is for little people and people who read it when they were little 50 years ago.”
Details, details
Word on the street is that “Alice in Wonderland” will hit theaters March 5, 2010. It always makes me a tad skeptical when the release date is announced so far ahead of the release. Tim Burton must run a tight ship.
The “Alice in Wonderland” trailer was released through IGN, but it’s tough to find and play through that site, so check out the “Alice in Wonderland” trailer here.
