LOS ANGELES - Johnny Depp is going from woozy buccaneer to murderous barber.


Depp is reuniting with director Tim Burton ("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") to play the title role in a film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical "Sweeney Todd," about a 19th-century barber seeking bloody revenge over his wrongful imprisonment.

The star of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," this year's biggest hit with a domestic gross of $400 million, is expected to do his own singing, said Marvin Levy, spokesman for DreamWorks, which is co-producing "Sweeney Todd" with Warner Bros.

"Sweeney Todd" marks the sixth collaboration between Depp and Burton, who scored a blockbuster in summer 2005 with "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," in which the actor played the reclusive candyman Willy Wonka.

Their other films together are "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride," "Edward Scissorhands," " Ed Wood" and "Sleepy Hollow."

The filmmakers plan to start shooting "Sweeney Todd" early in 2007.

pray that they cast either meryl streep or cyndi lauper as mrs. lovett, the other lead in this musical.

cborgman said:

just please not helena bottom parter.

Anx said:

...who will likely be cast, unfortunately.

although it would make more sense to cast her as the beggar woman, a juicy role... if she can sing that is.

i am really really really hoping they cast cyndi. she was up for the part in the revival here on broadway. came down to her and patti lupone (ugh...) and they stupidly went with lupone. cyndi is freaking perfect for playing mrs. lovettt, and can sing it beautifully.

meryl would rock it too, and is a good singer
[Edited 8/17/06 7:26am]

cborgman said:

burton's repertory of choice seems pretty limited. i can see joanna lumley playing the role, though i'm not sure if she sings.

Anx said:

while i LOVE her, she actually did a non-musical version of it a few years back on british tv, and it didnt work for me. she never seems very maternal and loveable, which is really essential to the role. which is why patti lupone was awful in the revival. we saw it again two weeks ago with judy kaye playing mrs. lovett, and it was SOOOOO SO SO much better. the entire crux of that show is that the audience has to love mrs. lovett, despite the fact she is duping people into being cannibals. if they dont connect to her, they have no one else to connect to in the show. you sort of root for him, but you are aware of how evil and wrong he is. you sort of connect to tobey, but he's too crazy and weird to really fully connect to. it's all about mrs. lovett. him offing her is the biggest part of it too, and if you arent just completely smitten with her, then the show falls flat.

THIS IS SO COOL!!! I've always hoped this would be turned into an excellent movie!!!!!

Cool.... and before anyone asks... that is NOT where my name came from.

But still , I think he'll be great.

cborgman said:

i thought joanna lumley was kinda maternal and loveable in 'cold comfort farm', but then again i'm weird.

Anx said:

i'd have to watch it again. have not seen it since it first came out, and the memory is hazy

and in other movie musical news, they cast christopher walken in the HAIRSPRAY movie, but arent sayin waht part he is playing. considering all the leads have already been cast, i am clueless as to what he could be playing unless it's just a cameo...

cborgman said:

corny collins? the john waters/psychiatrist part? oh god. i may actually BOYCOTT this movie. "1-3-5-9, G-RATED MOVIES ARE MIGHTY FINE!"

Anx said:

"But ze producers of zis film believe that today's audiences are mature enough to accept ze fact that some things in life just plain stink."

I WILL NOT SEE "Hairspray - The Movie of the Musical" the whole thing is fucking absurd to me!

applekisses said:

only if uncle johnny himself comes out waving flags and tooting horns in support of it will i go. i'm sure he's happy enough with the money not to badmouth it, but sometimes silence says just as much...

Anx said:

corny is going to be james martsers.

could be the psychiatrist, but that's a nothing cameo...

Anx said:

so far he's been talking it up.

i didnt think i would like the stage version, but it's REALLY good. i doubt the movie will work though... i mean seriously. TRAVOLTA as edna?!?!?

cborgman said:

It's just horrible...I can't believe they're actually going through with it. What's next a "Hairspray" ride at Disney?

applekisses said:

though casting michelle pfiefer as mama von tussle and queen latifah as motormouth maybelle was GENIUS.

cborgman said:

mumblegrumbleDEBBIEHARRYWASGENIUSmumblegrumble

Anx said:

have you seen the stage show? she becomes a much much much bigger character than she was in the movie. factors into the plot a lot more.

Yayyyyy

this is gonna be interesting.
heard about this awhile back but wasn't sure if it was rumor or fact.

i don't really know what this is about, but i'll probably go see it anyway since I love Johnny Depp in anything he does

cborgman said:

TMPletz said:

maybe they'll just cut to him with a cowbell during one of the numbers.

This will be brilliant.

TMPletz said:

rainbowhead should be in ALL movies.

Anx said:

I love her, I think she's a brilliant actress.

LleeLlee said:

she is an incredible actress, i just think she would be the wrong choice for that character. provided she can sing, she would be a brilliant choice for the role of the begger woman, a role that is essential to the plot and drives the emotion and tragedy of the show home at the end.

LleeLlee said:

i like her too, but she's the latest actress/lover/whatever of tim burton's who he has to cram in every movie he directs. let her rest. it's good for her skin.