A Burton/Depp Sweeney Todd?

[randy_byers]

There is a rumor that Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are going to do an adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's dark musical, Sweeney Todd. Don't know how reliable the rumor is. It's also harder to get enthusiastic about it after the disappointment I felt at Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But Sweeney Todd is one of the great musicals of all time, and it seems like prime material for Burton & Depp (although so did Charlie.)

Then again, I didn't much care for Sleepy Hollow when I saw it in the theater, and I've come to love it on DVD. Maybe the same will happen with Charlie.

Can Johnny Depp sing? I think I've heard he was in a band, but that doesn't prove anything.

Comments

[numbat.livejournal.com]

Bit predictable innit? I suspect any such attempt will be disappointing because it's such an obvious fit that Burton will be tempted to sleepwalk through it. And it's not as though he's an especially good director. At least I've been underwhelmed by nearly all the films of his I've seen: Mars Attacks, Edward Scissorhands, Planet of the Apes,Batman, the only one I recall as being halfway good was Beetlejuice, (though it may be I've managed to see his weakest moments rather than his strongest).

Anyway, while I'm willing to believe Burton has some potential I doubt we'll see any of it unless he picks a subject where all the work hasn't already been done for him. For example rather than Sweeney Todd how about he tackle the story of Sawney Bean instead and tread on (almost) virgin ground?

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Well, I certainly like Burton more than you do! My favorites are Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, and Sleepy Hollow, in that order. Notably all star Depp. Ed Wood may be the only truly great movie of that trio, but Edward Scissorhands is pretty much perfect in its own way. Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Beetle Juice (which I've only seen once), The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Mars Attacks are all extremely entertaining trifles, and I'm happy to watch any of them again. The Batman movies have amazing production design, but otherwise they join Planet of the Apes and Big Fish in the complete bollocks category, and I have no interest in seeing them again. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory wasn't complete bollocks, but Depp's performance seemed way off to me. Haven't decided what I think about The Corpse Bride.

As for the rumored adaptation of Sweeney Todd, the grounds for interest for me is that it is an adaptation of Sondheim's musical, which I'd love to see a good cinematic adaptation of. I've never seen it live, but I have the original Broadway soundtrack, which I have loved for twenty years (thanks to college girlfriend, Molly). There's no other musical like it that I know of -- rich and dark and full of furious black humor.

I actually don't know that Burton is the best director for this. I almost think Jean-Pierre Jeunet would be better. (With Audrey Tautou as Sweeney Todd! No, that can't be right. I meant Jean-Claude Dreyfus, who plays the butcher in Delicatessen and the opium-smoking assassin in City of Lost Children.) Still, Burton's a better choice than Sam Mendes, who was previously attached to project according to the linked rumor. Ick! But wait, that's it: Sweeney Todd played by ... Kevin Spacey!

Hm. Actually Baz Luhrmann might be a good choice to direct. He has experience with musicals, for one thing.