Tim Burtons Alice In Wonderland

[Guest Michael89]

From the towering skyscrapers of Gotham City, to the foggy village of Sleepy Hollow, on into the candy-colored realm of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, director Tim Burton has built his reputation on bringing wildly imaginative worlds to life. It was just a matter of time before he ventured into one of the earliest and still beloved fantasy worlds in literature: Lewis Carroll's immortal "Alice in Wonderland."

Burton's movie version isn't simply a retelling of the original 1865 novel. It's a new story that has Alice returning to Wonderland as a teenager several years after the events of Carroll's books "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass."

But it's not just the story that will be new and innovative in Burton's adaptation. The film will digitally manipulate footage of real actors to create Wonderland's bizarre inhabitants. Burton told Disney's D23 Magazine, "It's kind of a mixture of some distorted live action and animation. I can't relate it to anything because I'm not sure what to relate it to. It's kind of new territory for me."

The visual style of Burton's take on "Alice in Wonderland" has been a closely-guarded secret up until now. Here are five photos revealing how the stars of the movie have been transformed into Carroll's classic characters.

 

Mia Wasikowska as Alice

http://pic.leech.it/i/34013/a004229alice.jpg

19-year-old Australian actress Mia Wasikowska earned critical praise in last year's HBO drama "In Treatment." She also appeared in the WWII drama "Defiance," and was named one of Variety Magazine's "10 Actors to Watch." Burton says he chose her because "she just had that certain kind of emotional toughness...that makes her kind of an older person but with a younger person's mentality." Alice will be the only character in Wonderland who isn't enhanced in some degree with makeup or digital manipulation.

 

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter

http://pic.leech.it/i/a8b78/c720652hatter.jpg

In the book, Carroll only ever calls the character "The Hatter," but he does appear in the chapter "A Mad Tea-Party." The look in the movie is a variation on the book's illustrations by John Tenniel, with his wild hair, oversized bowtie, and "10/6" label pinned to his giant hat. This is Burton's seventh time working with Depp over the past 20 years. He told the Los Angeles Times he likes to work with Depp because "[he] doesn't like to be the same way twice. That's good, it always keeps it fresh and all."

 

Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen

http://pic.leech.it/i/224ae/e36e5f8bred.jpg

The Red Queen is the villain of the second book, "Through the Looking Glass," though in many adaptations the character is combined with the Queen of Hearts from the first story. In the original illustrations, she is depicted as a legless chess piece. For the movie, Bonham Carter's head will be digitally enlarged to about three times its actual size. She has worked on five previous movies with Burton, and they have two children together.

 

Anne Hathaway as the White Queen

http://pic.leech.it/i/d8d4e/c822e381white.jpg

In "Through the Looking Glass," the White Queen claims to be over one hundred and one years old, but she seems to experience time backwards. So it follows Carroll's twisted logic that when Alice returns the Queen would be young. While Anne Hathaway looks very different in the role with her long white hair, her appearance will not be digitally manipulated. Hathaway told MTV that while she was happy to get a chance to work with Burton, she was most excited to share scenes with Johnny Depp. She said, "I wish I could be so cool about it [but] I am such a huge fan, I felt really embarrassed. He would catch me staring at him."

 

Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum

http://pic.leech.it/i/ab0bc/5355254tdtdum.jpg

Tweedledee and Tweedledum appear in several versions of "Alice in Wonderland," including Walt Disney's 1951 animated film, though they actually don't appear until "Through the Looking-Glass." Carroll never specifies they are twins, but that is how Tenniel drew them. English comedian Matt Lucas plays both roles in the movie. Lucas is well known in the U.K. as half of the sketch comedy team on the show "Little Britain."

 

There are, of course, many more signature characters from the books that will appear in the movie that are yet to be revealed. Michael Sheen plays the White Rabbit, Crispin Glover is the Knave of Hearts, Alan Rickman is the Caterpillar, Steven Fry is the Cheshire Cat, and Christopher Lee will be the Jabberwock. Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" opens on March 5, 2010.

 

Full size pics : http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/movie-stills/gallery/1864/alice-in-wonderland-stills#photo0

Edited June 26, 2009 by Michael89

[Guest Jayfunk]

boy this could be as bad as Willy Wonka's chocolate factory which was a really bad remake

[Paul 584]

boy this could be as bad as Willy Wonka's chocolate factory which was a really bad remake

 

Other than being better acted, better filmed, and closer to the source material.

[Guest Jayfunk]

Other than being better acted, better filmed, and closer to the source material.

 

of course that is debateable, Johnny didn't cut it in my eyes compare to wilder

[Guest MastersGonads]

boy this could be as bad as Willy Wonka's chocolate factory which was a really bad remake

 

Roald Dahl...You know the guy that actually wrote the book, hated the original film, he said the look was totally against what he had pictured...

 

And...for the record, it wasnt a remake...just a different adaptation of the novel...

[Guest Jayfunk]

Roald Dahl...You know the guy that actually wrote the book, hated the original film, he said the look was totally against what he had pictured...

 

And...for the record, it wasnt a remake...just a different adaptation of the novel...

 

it was still a terrible film

[Guest MastersGonads]

it was still a terrible film

 

In your eyes....

 

Oh and nice avoidance, to the fact that Burton's version was far closer to Dahl's view of what Wonka was than Mel Stuart's

Edited June 26, 2009 by MastersGonads

[Guest Jayfunk]

In your eyes....

 

well yes, whose eyes would they be otherwise?

[Guest MastersGonads]

well yes, whose eyes would they be otherwise?

 

For someone who has trouble spelling 'And' your attempts at being clever are commendable...

 

Anyway back on topic....

 

Cant wait to see Alan Rickman as he Catepillar and Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat

[Guest Jayfunk]

Oh and nice avoidance, to the fact that Burton's version was far closer to Dahl's view of what Wonka was than Mel Stuart's

 

no i didn't in DS comment i hightlighted what was debateable, it might be closer Althought not perfect to the book but that doesn't make it a better film

[Guest MastersGonads]

no i didn't in DS comment i hightlighted what was debateable, it might be closer Althought not perfect to the book but that doesn't make it a better film

 

I didnt say it did...Just I would prefer to watch a film that has more context to the original scripture, like the Burton one has...

 

Although I much prefer the Wilder's Oompa Loompa's!!

[Guest John Hancock]

I'm too excited about this film for words. Alice In Wonderland is my favourite book of all time, and add to that my love of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry and Matt Lucas. GAH! So excited. There's also a few stills of concept art for the sets that have been released. Example:

 

http://i499.photobucket.com/albums/rr358/HelpLions/alicewmain3.jpg

 

It just looks BEAUTIFUL.

 

Oh, and Burton's version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was utter greatness.

[Guest Nemesis Enforcer]

Is Johnny Depp in some sort of bigamist relationship with Burton and Bonham Carter? :lol

 

Anyway I will give it a go, I didn't like Burton's take on Willy Wonka (not comparing it to the old film or even the book just as a film didn't like it) but I shall see wha he does with this film before I say if its good or not

[Paul 584]

of course that is debateable

 

it was still a terrible film

 

*sigh*

[Guest Fiona]

boy this could be as bad as Willy Wonka's chocolate factory which was a really bad remake

 

Sir your taste is appalling. Johnny Depp didn't cut it, blasphemy I tell you. Consider yourself smacked.

 

This new movie looks great, and plus if Depp is in it then I'm there.

Edited June 27, 2009 by Fiona

[Guest Springsteen]

I didn't like the Depp version of Charlie and the Chocolate factory personally, but as an individual thing, not in comparison to the other film and the book, I much prefer him in more dark sinister roles.

 

As for this film, probably won't watch it as I'm not really a fan of the book.

[Guest NeonShadowCat]

I don't know Tim Burton will always have a special place in my heart. Do you know who is doing the soundtrack??? Is it Elfman????

[Dead Crow 370]

Yes, it is Elfman.

[Nimf 324]

My youngest sister is having a cow over this film - not only is Alice her favourite fictional character ever, she worships Tim Burton and adores Johnny Depp. It looks amazing - the casting just seems utterly spot on. And the colours and everything just look awwesome!

[Dead Crow 370]

I can't wait for this, as someone who has been fascinated with the story for a number of years and who loves the book and even the made-for-TV film from around 99/00 (was shown on Channel 4, I think) which first got me into it. Plus, Burton, Depp and Carter in the same movie yet again always makes me happy. Loved Sweeney Todd and the Charlie film, so I know I'm going to love this too.