When Tim Burton announced his plans to film a live action version Lewis Carroll's
"Alice's Adventures In Wonderland," many questions were raised how the visionary director would distinguish his work from the classic
1951 Disney film, "Alice in Wonderland." Well the first images are out, and judging from the looks of Johnny Depp in the role of the Mad Hatter, audiences young and old are in for a treat next March when Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" hits theaters.
Alice's adventures down the rabbit hole have become a literary favorite since they were first published in 1865. Since then, Alice and here whimsical Wonderland counterparts have enjoyed many cinematic treatments, including a 1903
silent film directed by Cecil Hepworth. The best known version is Walt Disney's "Americanized" treatment of the
British text. Although it strays from the source text, it succeeds in creating a visual spectacle which has mesmerized audiences for the last 50 years.
The legacy and popularity of Disney's original "Alice in Wonderland" is unmatched, but Tim Burton is one director who is not afraid to tread on hallowed ground. Roald Dahl's whimsical "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" enjoyed an excellent film treatment with the 1971 musical which starred Gene Wilder as the eccentric Willy Wonka. While "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" has become a children's classic since its release, Burton felt that there was still something more to get from the original story. With the help of Johnny Depp and his Michael Jackson-esque portrayal of Wonka, Burton brought audiences back to the Chocolate Factory in his 2005 version of
"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
The most recent treatment of note for Alice was in 1999 with a TV version released by the
Hallmark company. The costumes and make up were pretty, but many critics complained that it lacked the punch of the Disney film. Ultimately, it left the door wide open for one more shot at a visual manifestation of Wonderland.
Disney had long desired to do more with the Alice story, and Joe Roth started putting the pieces together in 2007. It was not until later that year that the project solidified with the inclusion of Tim Burton as director. He originally stated that, "the goal is to try to make it an engaging movie where you get some of the psychology and kind of bring a freshness but also keep the classic nature of Alice." Fortunately, that freshness will come in
3D, as Disney and Burton believe that technology has progressed enough to offer the film in the exciting medium.
The film is already in the can, having been shot last winter over 40 days. All we are waiting on now is the CG to be finished. Starring Johnny Depp, Matt Lucas, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, and Mia Wasikowska as Alice, "Alice in Wonderland's" "important date" for release is March 19, 2010. Don't be late.
