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DARK SHADOWS opens in movie theaters in North America today!

Another passion project of Johnny Depp’s reaches movie theaters today, as Tim Burton’s re-imagining of Dark Shadows opens, with Johnny in the role of vampire Barnabas Collins. “Their affection for the original is clear, the performances are uniformly wonderful and it gives Burton room to breathe in a way we haven’t seen in years,” writes John Mitchell of MTV. “Depp’s Barnabas is an old-fashioned gentleman trapped in the body of a monster, and the actor never lets that fact get lost, even when the film’s myriad subplots pull him in a hundred different directions. In a testament to how winning Depp is, he’s able to play a 200-year-old vampire in (occasionally too obvious) white makeup without sucking all the air out the room, leaving room for the supporting players to soar.”

Box office competition will be tough, with the record-setting The Avengers entering its second week, but hopefully moviegoers will have time to investigate the quirky pleasures of Collinwood Manor, too.

Stephen Rea of the Philadelphia Inquirer calls the movie “merrily macabre” and notes that “Dark Shadows is a nutty romp that’s as much about celebrating a significant blip in the pop-cult continuum as it is a tale of bloodsucking, of grudge-holding, and the stress involved in maintaining a 200-room, two-century-old house.[. . .] Just when the whole vampire thing was beginning to feel old, Depp and Burton have come along to make it feel, well, very 1972 again,” Rea observes. “Cool.”

You can read much more about all things Dark Shadows on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

May 11th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

BREAKING NEWS–Johnny Depp wows the crowd at the London premiere of DARK SHADOWS–new photos!

Johnny Depp took Leicester Square by storm today as he thrilled the crowd gathered for the European premiere of Dark Shadows. He spent plenty of time with well-wishers, accepting gifts (including a couple of faux-Oscar statuettes — how charming!) and posing for pictures. Johnny even dried the tears of one female fan who was overwhelmed with emotion at meeting him. To see a larger version of the photo at left, CLICK HERE, and to see Johnny greeting the crowd, CLICK HERE, HERE, and HERE. The full cast of Dark Shadows was on hand for the London festivities — you can see Johnny posing with his leading ladies HERE. From left to right, the lovely ladies with Johnny are Chloe Grace Moretz, Bella Heathcoate, Eva Green (now a brunette), Michelle Pfeiffer, and Helena Bonham Carter. For a photo of the full cast clustered around director Tim Burton, CLICK HERE.

The Zone thanks Evochka for sharing the premiere photos; you can read much more about Dark Shadows on the Zone’s News & Views forum. For Zone reaction to the photos, see the Pit General Discussion forum.

May 9th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp jams at DARK SHADOWS afterparty–new photos!

When the world premiere of Dark Shadows concluded in Los Angeles on Monday night, Johnny Depp and his castmates adjourned to the nearby Egyptian Theatre for a rocking afterparty . . . and we mean that in the literal sense. Alice Cooper (whose music is prominently featured in Dark Shadows) and his band took the stage, and were joined by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry — and by Johnny! For photos of Johnny playing guitar at the Dark Shadows afterparty, CLICK HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Later, in his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Johnny talked about what that experience meant to him.

JIMMY: You had a big party next door to us last night here for Dark Shadows, [. . .] and you had some impressive musical guests. Normally they have a DJ over there playing Lady Gaga songs –

JOHNNY: He wasn’t available, so we had Alice Cooper instead.

JIMMY: Alice Cooper?

JOHNNY: And Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith.

JIMMY: And you, too. You jumped on stage with these guys.

JOHNNY: I was, you know, lucky enough to be invited up on stage as well.

JIMMY: Is that the best — is that, like, as much fun as it gets for you?

JOHNNY: Oh, yeah. I mean, it’s surreal as anything, because I started out as a musician, so these guys were my heroes growing up.

Many thanks to Moonbeam and to Cathy at Johnny Depp Rocks! for sharing the photos; readers particularly interested in Johnny’s musical career will find a treasure trove of information HERE. You can read more about the Dark Shadows premieres and promotion on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

May 9th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp tells Jimmy Kimmel about jamming with Paul McCartney

Johnny Depp appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live on May 9th, and the only uncivilized thing about the interview was the hour — after midnight! (If you missed any of the interview, the full show is available on the show’s website HERE.) Johnny and Jimmy engaged in a pleasant, thoughtful conversation about Dark Shadows, acting, music, and the various legends and geniuses Johnny numbers among his friends. Jimmy broke some news by announcing that he had recently conversed with Paul McCartney, and Sir Paul had happened to mention that he was “getting together” with Johnny the next day “to jam.”

JIMMY: I was curious as to how that happens. Do you invite him?

JOHNNY: Well, it doesn’t happen often. (chuckling) It’s a rare occurrence. You know, we’ve known each other on and off over the years, and he’s always been a real gentleman and somebody that I admire greatly, obviously. I did a music video with him and he called me up one day and said, “Why don’t you come by tomorrow and we’ll have some breakfast, and maybe just jam? Plunk around.” And . . . and . . . you go! [. . .] So I went, and we did just that. We sat around with a couple of acoustic guitars and played.

JIMMY: Did you feel that was his way of thanking you for doing his video?

JOHNNY: You know, there was no coherent thought. It was enough just to get my fingers to stay on the neck of the guitar.

JIMMY: Were you nervous? Sitting there playing with him?

JOHNNY: I was mesmerized. You know — I mean, he’s written some of the most beautiful music in the history of music.

JIMMY: You have some of the greatest friends.

The Zone thanks Theresa and Kim for sharing news about the show; you can read more on the Zone’s News & Views forum. For a photo of Johnny arriving to tape the broadcast, CLICK HERE.

May 9th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp appears on THE ELLEN DE GENERES SHOW–new photos!

Johnny Depp paid his first visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show this afternoon, where he and his host had a charming conversation about Johnny’s approach to his characters, and Ellen gave Johnny an engraved I.D. bracelet; then they were joined by Johnny’s Dark Shadows castmates Michelle Pfeiffer and Chloe Grace Moretz for some reminiscences about their experiences making the film. The atmosphere was warm and relaxed and the audience — which had just seen Dark Shadows and, according to Ellen, “loved it” — greeted Johnny with a roaring ovation. Here is a bit of their conversation:

ELLEN: You’ve played some really iconic characters. When you read a script, [. . .] do you look at it and go, “I know exactly how I want to look?” Do you start with a look? Is that where it starts for you?

JOHNNY: Generally, within the first ten pages of the script, something hits, something clicks, and you feel like there’s something you can add to the piece that might not have been done before. So it’s pretty much that. And then the images start to come. The look starts to come.

ELLEN: I love the humor that you add [to all your characters].

JOHNNY: Thank you.

ELLEN: Is that there, or do you add that?

JOHNNY: I’m a real sucker for anywhere that you can find a moment of irreverence or absurdity . . . I’ll stick it right in there. Sometimes to the dismay of the director, but –

ELLEN: Probably not, though.

JOHNNY: — and certainly the studio.

To see photos of Johnny conversing with Ellen, CLICK HERE, HERE, and HERE. For a photo of Johnny with his castmates and Ellen, CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks mytreasure for sharing the photos; you can read more about Johnny’s appearance on Ellen on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

May 8th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Jonathan Frid inspired his characterization of Barnabas, Johnny Depp tells ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT

In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Johnny Depp and Tim Burton talk about their working relationship and their latest collaboration, Dark Shadows. Although this is their eighth film together, Burton insists that the work “always feels special” and that Johnny brings a fresh approach to each role: “Even if there are some similarities with the characters, he’s always looking for something new with the character, which is good.”

Making a film of the 60s gothic soap opera was Johnny’s idea: “I’d always been sort of attracted to horror films and things like that even as a young kid,” he told ET. “I said to Tim, ‘We should do a vampire film together.’” But for the successful result, Johnny gives all the credit to his director. “Without Tim, we’d never have achieved what we did with it in terms of tone and quality and humor and just inventiveness, you know. He’s so brilliant.” To see a photo of Burton directing his Barnabas, CLICK HERE.

As for his interpretation of Barnabas, Johnny cites Jonathan Frid, who created the role on TV, as his inspiration. “For Barnabas, everywhere I searched, character-wise, I kept coming back to Jonathan Frid. He really did something beautiful in the Dark Shadows series back in the 60s and early 70s. There’s great humor in it, but great humor that comes out of very serious issues.”

Burton adds, “I think even before [Johnny] became an actor, he wanted to play Barnabas Collins. I think that has always been something that in his heart, he wanted to do.”

The Zone thanks Pixie for sharing the Entertainment Tonight video; you can read more about Dark Shadows on the Zone’s News & Views forum. You can watch the ET video clip HERE.

May 7th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

BREAKING NEWS–Johnny Depp arrives at world premiere of DARK SHADOWS–new photos!

A dapper, smiling Johnny Depp arrived at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles for the world premiere of Dark Shadows this evening, May 7, and spent plenty of time greeting well-wishers. For photos of Johnny outside the theater, CLICK HERE and HERE, and for portraits of Johnny CLICK HERE and HERE. You can see Johnny signing autographs, with security chief Jerry Judge in the background, HERE. The Zone thanks Aida, Mamabear, and Laura on Lockerz for sharing photos; you can read much more about the Dark Shadows premiere on the Zone’s News & Views forum and Pit General Discussion forum.

May 7th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

DARK SHADOWS is “a very commercial, accessible film . . . a really fun time,” says producer Graham King

Dark Shadows marks the third film produced by Johnny Depp’s Infinitum Nihil — The Rum Diary and Martin Scorsese’s multi Oscar-nominated Hugo were IN’s first two efforts — and he’s had Graham King’s GK Films as a partner on all three endeavors. A good thing, too, if you believe Johnny’s self-deprecating comment at the Dark Shadows press conference today: “It’s impossible to produce a project. I can barely produce a muffin.” Mr. King’s credentials as a producer are impeccable, of course: he has an Oscar on his mantel for The Departed, as well as Best Picture nominations for The Aviator and Hugo. In an interview with Geoff Boucher of the Los Angeles Times, King admitted that he was not familiar with Dark Shadows when Johnny first presented the idea, since the series had not aired in the UK, and he sees no stumbling block for moviegoers who come to the multiplex with no previous knowledge of Dark Shadows mythology. “I feel it’s a very commercial, accessible film for people to go to and have a really fun time. Tim and Johnny put their stamp on it and when that happens it’s special,” King declared. “[F]or me, to be involved in that —- and in a movie that is pure entertainment —- is really nice.”

King had high praise for Johnny’s performance as Barnabas. “[H]e’s so versatile that he can play any role,” King said. “What I love about Dark Shadows is his dry sense of humor. And, as you know, Johnny carries that with him 24/7. There are moments in the movie where his response to things —- just the look on his face —- are hilarious. I’ve seen it over and over again and I laugh every time. Johnny can deliver lines just without saying anything.”

King recalled that Johnny’s love for the role was clear from their first conversations about the film: “He was absolutely a man on a mission to play this role. He loved it when he was a kid and obviously it shows in the film. Johnny loved every minute of being Barnabas.”

The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the Graham King interview; you can read more about Dark Shadows on the Zone’s News & Views forum. The Geoff Boucher article is available HERE.

May 6th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

How Johnny Depp transformed into Barnbas Collins–Mark Salisbury goes behind the scenes of DARK SHADOWS

Today’s Telegraph Magazine (U.K.) has a fabulous, lengthy behind-the-scenes of Dark Shadows story by the always-marvelous Mark Salisbury–what an eye for detail he has! Among the many topics Salisbury investigates is the way Johnny Depp physically transforms into his character, the vampire Barnabas Collins: according to Salisbury, that “daily transformation required enlarged ears, a Caesar hairdo, a Roman nose and elongated fingers.” You can see the full effect HERE. “Throughout his career, and especially with Burton, Depp has often hidden his handsome features beneath heavy make–up,” Salisbury writes. “As Barnabas, his face is veiled behind a pallor that appears white but is a mix of blues, reds, blacks and purples. His look is a homage to Jonathan Frid [. . .],” the original Barnabas Collins. Tim Burton explains, “We talked about different things and different hairstyles, but at the end of the day you go back to what the inspiration was, and pay tribute to that.”

Johnny’s Barnabas-voice is not a pure Frid imitation, though, Salisbury reports; instead, Johnny “opted for a cross between Frid and Richard Burton.” For Zone readers too young to remember Burton’s glorious voice, Johnny specifies, “There was a slight amount of Welsh in it.” As for Barnabas’s extra-long fingers, that design detail came from director Burton, and “while it increased the time in make–up –- each prosthetic finger contains a golf tee beneath the skin –- the effect is dazzling,” Salisbury writes, “especially during the scenes when Barnabas uses them to hypnotize people.”

Johnny quickly became, so to speak, attached to his new digits. “It took some getting used to because there was probably a good two extra inches on my fingers, but they were leading Barnabas to things, as if they had their own brain, and they became very important.”

The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the Salisbury article; you can read more on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

May 5th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp in DARK SHADOWS on the cover of ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“Johnny Depp . . . Undead & Loving It” blares the headline on the cover of the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, which features a great photo of JD in costume as Barnabas Collins. EW carries a feature story on Dark Shadows (the magazine’s cover date, May 11, 2012, is also the date of the movie’s North American release). In an interview with EW, Johnny shared some reflections about his close collaboration with director Tim Burton. “I feel as though he’s my brother,” Johnny confided. “It’s a weird understanding, the kind of shorthand we have. I truly understand him, I think, just as well as anybody can. He certainly knows me as well as anybody can.”

Johnny also shared his thoughts on his meeting with the original Barnabas, the late Jonathan Frid: “When I finally met him on the set, hew was incredibly sweet about my taking on this character that he essentially created. He was quite fragile toward the end but had his faculties about him. He was blown away by the sets,” Johnny said. And what did Mr. Frid think of his successor? “[P]utting his eyeballs on me for the first time, all decked out as a slightly different version of him . . . it had to be pretty weird for him,” Johnny said.

The new Entertainment Weekly is on newsstands today; to see a larger version of the cover (courtesy of JustJared), CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks Emma for breaking the news; you can read more about Dark Shadows on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

May 4th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

TV ALERT–Johnny Depp to appear on THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW and JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE on May 8th!

Set your DVRs, Deppheads — you’ll have a double-dose of the man himself arriving on your television screens next week! As part of the Dark Shadows promotion — Dark Shadows has its world premiere in Los Angeles at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Monday, May 7th — Johnny will appear on Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Tuesday, May 8th! Here’s a comment posted on the show’s website: “It’s a show for the history books! JOHNNY DEPP, one of the most popular stars of our time, is making his first appearance on Ellen’s stage. The movies, the romance, the Oscars — there’s so much to talk about, we can only imagine what will happen when he sits down with Ellen for the first time!” Dark Shadows castmates Michelle Pfeiffer and Chloe Moretz will also be Ellen’s guests next Tuesday. Since the show is syndicated, check for the time and channel in your area.

Then stay up late to catch Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC at midnight, when Johnny will be Jimmy’s guest. Technically, that show will air on May 9th, since a new day will have begun, but for most of us watching it will still feel like Tuesday night. Fortunately for Johnny the show tapes earlier in the day, since he will be due in London for the Dark Shadows premiere in the early evening of May 9th. Busy, busy . . . but we’re loving it here at the Zone.

If you’re an early bird, you can catch a joint appearance of Johnny and Tim Burton — always hilarious together — on CBS This Morning on Wednesday, May 9.

Many thanks to Chocolat, Lou Lou 63, Theresa, and humiliatedgrape for sharing the news; you can read more about Johnny’s TV appearances on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

May 3rd, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Announcing the Zone’s 2012 Birthday Project!

One of the Zone’s most cherished traditions is our annual birthday gift for Johnny, called the Birthday Project. Each year we choose a charity which is connected to Johnny’s philanthropic interests, pool our modest contributions, and make a Zone donation to a worthy cause in his honor, as a way of celebrating and thanking Johnny for all the joy he has given us over the year.

Since Johnny is currently working on The Lone Ranger in the American Southwest and the Navajo people have shown him such a warm welcome, we thought it would be fitting to choose a charity devoted to improving the living conditions of the Navajo people. So the 2012 Birthday Project will benefit Project Pueblo.

Project Pueblo is a 100% student and volunteer-led 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that conducts short-term, low-cost service trips to impoverished areas while raising money and awareness for relevant projects and issues. Project Pueblo is currently focusing on improving living conditions for the Navajo people in the area known as the former Bennett Freeze, a 2 million acre region within the Navajo Indian reservation of 8000+ families where only 25% have adequate shelter, only 10% have running water, and only 3% have electricity. In addition, this area heavily suffers from issues relating to uranium contamination stemming from mining during the Cold War.

Project Pueblo is currently raising money to install water systems for Navajo families that have been drinking uranium-contaminated water because they have no other option. Each water system costs approximately $1,500, so with our Birthday Project we could provide clean water for two, three . . . maybe even four families! Wouldn’t that be a fantastic birthday present for Johnny?

To donate by Paypal, please use this yellow “Donate” button to link to our 2012 Birthday Project Paypal account:

If you prefer to donate by check, CLICK HERE to visit the Johnny Depp Zone’s Birthday Project forum for the mailing address.

We will be accepting donations through Johnny’s birthday, June 9, 2012. Please join us in saying “Thank you” and “Happy Birthday” to Johnny Depp. Your donation can bring comfort and support to the Navajo people: a gift of clean water is a gift of life itself.

May 1st, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

“A quest for justice”–Jerry Bruckheimer on THE LONE RANGER

In an interview with Anthony Breznican of Entertainment Weekly, Jerry Bruckheimer reflected on his new film, The Lone Ranger, which is currently filming in New Mexico with Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as the lawman. Is the Lone Ranger mythology intact? “We have the classic elements, the big white hat for The Lone Ranger, though he’s not wearing his blue suit,” the producer told EW. “But he has his black mask, and he has silver bullets, and of course he has his horse Silver. Everything else is slightly different.”

One important change, of course, is the telling of the story from Tonto’s point of view this time around. “Tonto and The Lone Ranger aren’t exactly in sync,” Bruckheimer explained. “They share the same quest for justice, but they approach it from two different points of view. The Lone Ranger is a prosecutor coming back to his home in Texas from back east, and he believes in the law of the courtroom, where Tonto has a whole different perspective on the law, and likes to take it into his own hands. They see justice completely differently.”

The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the interview; you can read the EW article HERE, and you can read more about The Lone Ranger on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

April 29th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Tonto in the spotlight: Jerry Bruckheimer talks about THE LONE RANGER

In an interview with MTV News at CinemaCon, producer Jerry Bruckheimer declared that Johnny Depp’s Tonto “will play a pivotal role in relating [the] story” in his new version of the Western classic The Lone Ranger, currently shooting under the direction of Gore Verbinski. “It’s him [Tonto] telling the story of the Lone Ranger. . . . It’s his voice,” Bruckheimer explained. Tonto is no longer “the servant that he was in the radio series and television series. He’s quite a different character.”

As for the plotline, Bruckheimer kept his statements vague but, as always, enthusiastic. The story “has some fantasy elements in it. It’s grounded, but there are spiritual elements to it,” the producer said. “It certainly has elements of humor, which Gore brings to everything he does, and great action as well. It’s kind of like The Odd Couple meets The Wild Bunch.”

Bruckheimer assured MTV News that the changes necessitated by Disney’s budget cuts last fall were “minor” and haven’t affected the scope of the film: “Minor things [were cut], nothing anybody will miss. The whole wonderful train sequences are still there. It’s a big movie,” Bruckheimer promised. “It really is.”

The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the interview; you can watch the video HERE. To see a larger version of the photo of Johnny and Jerry Bruckheimer backstage at CinemaCon, CLICK HERE. Many thanks to Mr. Bruckheimer for tweeting the photo. You can read more about The Lone Ranger on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

April 27th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Sneak peek of DARK SHADOWS featured on ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT

Entertainment Tonight tantalized us with a little behind-the-scenes glimpse of Dark Shadows on their April 25 broadcast; the photo at left shows Johnny Depp in the one moment in the segment when he was not in costume as Barnabas Collins (to see a larger version of the screencap, CLICK HERE.) As ET struggled to describe the tone of the film, calling it Johnny’s “wild new ride” and a “gothic comedy,” Johnny said, “It’s kind of a fine line between soap opera and reality.” ET showed brief, witty clips of Johnny’s Barnabas confronting Eva Green’s Angelique and of Helena Bonham Carter’s Dr. Julia Hoffman confronting Michelle Pfeiffer’s Elizabeth Stoddard. “Every actor is wild in this one,” ET commented, and Michelle Pfeiffer agreed. “Everybody was so funny and so weird,” she said. “We all tried to out-weird each other.”

The Zone thanks Theresa for the ET clip and Lou Lou 63 for the screencap. You can read more about Dark Shadows on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

April 26th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Tim Burton “never considered DARK SHADOWS a comedy,” he tells CinemaCon–new photos with Johnny!

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp were laughing — as usual — when they took the stage at CinemaCon 2012 in Las Vegas to promote their latest collaboration Dark Shadows, but the director insists that whatever humor is in the film stems from the unique predicament in which the film’s central character, Barnabas Collins, finds himself. The director didn’t set out to make Dark Shadows a comedy. “It’s not like I’m being campy with it or anything,” Burton told MTV News. “The guy’s been locked in a box for 200 years, and [when] he comes out … something weird is going to happen.”

MTV News asked Burton directly if he felt the Dark Shadows trailer — which is very funny — is reflective of his film, which hits theaters May 11. The director conceded that there are humorous elements in the movie — “Everything that’s in [the trailer] is in the movie,” he confirmed — but he doesn’t believe the film as a whole could be classified as a comedy. “It’s a funny film for me, because I never considered it a comedy,” Burton said. “I was always trying to capture the weird vibe of Dark Shadows, which is a weird thing to try to capture.”

When MTV asked for comparisons to Burton’s previous films, Burton said he can see a link with Edward Scissorhands, his first film with Johnny; but he asserts that there are many subtle differences between Barnabas Collins and any other character he’s put onscreen. “Edward Scissorhands was more of a naive character. Barnabas has been around the block a few times,” Burton told MTV News with a laugh. “There is something about a character who doesn’t quite fit into the world, which is similar,” but in the case of Barnabas, “he’s been around a long time.”

To see photos of Johnny and Tim on stage at CinemaCon, CLICK HERE and HERE; for a portrait of Johnny alone, CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks Emma for the Burton interview and Lu for sharing the beautiful photos; you can read more about CinemaCon on the Dark Shadows thread and the Lone Ranger thread on the News & Views forum.

April 25th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

“We want to make sure we get it right”–producer Jerry Bruckheimer on THE LONE RANGER

When producer Jerry Bruckheimer appeared at CinemaCon in Las Vegas to talk about his latest project, The Lone Ranger, he brought along a sure-fire audience attention-grabber: his star, Johnny Depp, who plays Tonto. Mr. Bruckheimer explained why he wanted to bring the Western saga, which debuted on radio in 1933, to a new generation: “It’s all about justice and we all love to have justice in our world around us.”

The producer is also concerned with showing justice and respect to the Native American culture represented in the film. Leaders of the Navajo nation have already visited the film site. “We’ve been working with the Navajos and the Comanches and a few others,” Bruckheimer said. “We want to make sure we get it right and make it as authentic as we can in the movie.”

Bruckheimer sounded delighted with his new screen team of Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, who plays the Ranger. “Armie’s such a gentleman. He’s so fun to be with,” Bruckheimer declared. “Johnny’s such a generous actor. They’re getting along great. And they are so fantastic together.” We can’t wait to see that chemistry on the big screen.

To see a larger version of the photo of Johnny with Jerry Bruckheimer, CLICK HERE, and to see a photo of Johnny waving to the crowd at CinemaCon, CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks Theresa for sharing the Bruckheimer interview and pictures; you can read more about The Lone Ranger on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

April 24th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Sad news: Jonathan Frid, the original Barnabas Collins, dies

Rest in peace to Jonathan Frid, who created the role of vampire Barnabas Collins in the original Dark Shadows TV series. Mr. Frid, who was 87, died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes in a hospital in Hamilton, Ontario after a life devoted to the theater. His performance as Barnabas was a television landmark, a character without precedent in the rather vanilla world of 1960s daytime fare. “Jonathan Frid was the reason I used to run home from school to watch Dark Shadows,” Johnny Depp wrote in an email to the Los Angeles Times after news broke of Mr. Frid’s death. “His elegance and grace was an inspiration then and will continue to remain one forever more.”

Mr. Frid made a cameo appearance in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, which filmed at Pinewood Studios last summer and opens next month. The photo above shows Mr. Frid standing next to Johnny Depp in his costume and makeup as Barnabas Collins; to see a larger version, including other original Dark Shadows cast members and Tim Burton, CLICK HERE. “When I had the honor to finally meet him,” Johnny told the LA Times, “[he] generously passed the torch of Barnabas.”

Geoff Boucher of the Times’ HeroComplex blog, who spent time on the set of Dark Shadows, has reflected that Jonathan Frid’s beloved Barnabas “may have been the bright north star that led Depp into a career of spooky mansions and gothic superstardom, which would explain why Depp was giddy when he met Frid for the first time.” Recalling that meeting, Boucher writes that Johnny described Mr. Frid in these words: “‘As elegant and magical,’ Depp remembered, ‘as I had always imagined.’”

And so he shall always be in the memories of the millions who saw and appreciated his work. Zoners everywhere send our condolences to Mr. Frid’s family and his Dark Shadows family. We thank Emma, LouLou and Theresa for sharing information; thanks also, and our deepest sympathies, to Kathryn Leigh Scott, who published a beautiful eulogy for her castmate on her blog HERE. Geoff Boucher’s LA Times article is available HERE.

April 19th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp meets with Navajo leaders in Monument Valley

While shooting The Lone Ranger in Monument Valley, Johnny Depp visited with Navajo leaders who paid a good-will visit to the filmmakers. In costume as Tonto, Johnny spoke with Navajo president Ben Shelly and vice president Rex Lee Jim, who presented Johnny and costar Armie Hammer with Pendleton blankets. You can see Johnny proudly wearing his blanket HERE, with Rex Lee Jim on the left and Ben Shelly on the right. For another photo of Johnny shaking hands with the Navajo president, CLICK HERE, and to see the Navajo leaders with Armie Hammer (nice costume!), CLICK HERE.

Johnny also met with Dr. Gayle Dine’ Chacon, the Navajo nation’s surgeon general; she is responsible for responding to public health problems among Navajos. “He is a very charming man, very gracious and very concerned as well,” she told the local press. Dine’ Chacon spoke to Johnny about preventing youth suicide, a leading cause of death among young Navajos. “He probably spent a good hour with us. Everybody else left the set, but he was still there.”

“He is so charming,” Dine’ Chacon confided. “You feel that you are the only one there — that he’s just focusing on you.” For a photo of Johnny with Dr. Dine’ Chacon, CLICK HERE.

Many thanks to Emma, FANtasticJD, and Theresa for sharing articles and photos; you can read more about Johnny’s visit with the Navajo in Monument Valley on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

April 16th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp performs in Paul McCartney’s new video, “My Valentine”

The photo at left shows Johnny Depp in a completely unexpected film role — the video for Paul McCartney’s song “My Valentine,” which was directed by Sir Paul himself. McCartney, working with Academy Award winning cinematographer Wally Pfister (Inception, The Dark Knight), filmed three different videos of “My Valentine:” one featuring Johnny alone, one featuring Oscar winner Natalie Portman, and one featuring both actors. “My Valentine” is one of two new compositions on McCartney’s recently released album of love songs, “Kisses on the Bottom.” In the video, Johnny and Ms. Portman perform the lyrics in sign language; Johnny also plays the guitar.

How did Johnny’s performance come about? “I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do the big, million dollar music video thing,” Sir Paul told Vanity Fair‘s Julie Miller at the video premiere, which took place at Stella McCartney’s West Hollywood store — fittingly enough, as the video was daughter Stella’s idea. “Stella suggested that I do something really simple. ‘You know Natalie,’ she said. ‘Ring Natalie up and just ask her if she will sign to your song.’ She agreed and then I realized that I needed [another person] so I asked Johnny and he was kind enough to agree to do it. A week after Stella had mentioned the idea, I was back here in L.A. filming it with the great cinematographer Wally Pfister.” Perfect!

While rock god Eric Clapton plays the guitar solo on McCartney’s album, Sir Paul confirmed that is our own JD playing on the video: he’s not faking it. “I must just point out also that Johnny is really playing the guitar solo,” McCartney declared to Vanity Fair. “That’s him playing. The boy is good.” To see photos of Johnny taken from the video, CLICK HERE, HERE, and HERE, and to see a photo of Johnny with Paul McCartney during the filming, CLICK HERE.

The Zone thanks Emma and FANtasticJD for sharing the news, and Theresa for the photos. You can read more about “My Valentine” on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

April 14th, 2012 by Part-Time Poet

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