Johnny Depp had wanted to be involved in a 'Dark Shadows' project ever since he was a boy according to the forthcoming film's director Tim Burton. The pair sat down to talk about their forthcoming project together. The film is an adaptation of the gothic soap opera of the same name that ran between 1966 and 1971; it sees Depp play Barnabas, a vampire who is set free from imprisonment and returns to protect his relatives who are going through somewhat of a tough time.
In an interview with Collider, Burton commented "We've talked about it for many years, but this was the first project that I ever remember Johnny saying that he'd wanted to play this ever since he was a little boy." Depp, who was also interviewed, went on to explain "It's a strange thing because, as a child, I certainly had a fascination with monsters and vampires, as did Tim. There's this darkness, this mystery, this intrigue. And then, as you get older, you recognize the erotic nature of the vampire and the idea of the undead."
For Burton meanwhile the film meant working with Michelle Pfeiffer for the first time in 20 years and 'Batman Returns,' and he recalled "It was weird because it reminded me how much I loved working with Michelle. It was a long time ago, but it just flooded back." Continuing he added, "I never really watch the movies again, but how impressed I remember being with Michelle just flooded back. She learned how to use a whip and jump around on roofs in high-heeled shoes, let live birds fly out of her mouth, and let cats eat her. It was very impressive stuff."