I am the walrus! Tim Burton and Johnny Depp Work Their Magic Again

by Cate Masters

The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things.
And, as noted above, I am the walrus. A very excited walrus! Koo koo kachoo!

Sorry if that’s an alarming visual, but alarming visuals are part of today’s topic.

Magical combinations. Is there a certain combination of people that makes your heart beat faster? Two people that, on their own, do great work, but when combined, you know the result is going to be like fireworks above a crazy roller coaster ride?
When I read in Wired that Tim Burton was directing Alice in Wonderland, I raced ahead to read, and yes! Johnny Depp. As the Mad Hatter – what fun! I can’t wait to travel Through the Looking Glass with those two.

Slated for release in March of next year, Alice in Wonderland promises to be one of those magical experiences. It’s generating some buzz already, from set design to contrasting the fashions of Alice of Old with the latest version. I love LA Weekly’s Gendy Alimurung’s description of the set: “The concept art for the world of Wonderland is just spectacular. It owes a lot to Mark Ryden. It's his jewel-toned, cool pastel, chiaroscuro color palette to a tee. Innocent with a hint of darkness, and a soupcon of psycho.”


The rest of the cast is equally stunning. Helena Bonham-Carter as The Red Queen, Matt Lucas as both Tweedledee and Tweedledum, an eerily gorgeous Anne Hathaway as The White Queen, and the White Rabbit, as imagined by Tim Burton, as the White Rabbit, with Michael Sheen providing the voice.
Who will play Alice, you ask? Teenage Aussie Mia Wasikowska, a relative unknown. She may have been off the radar before, but now she won’t escape the spotlight.

Would Lewis Carroll approve? Oh, I bet he and Tim Burton would get along really well. Though some of Tim’s art goes beyond visually arresting.
And if the news about Alice isn’t enough to send your pulse racing, rumors are a-swirl about Burton’s next project, a remake of Dark Shadows. Will Johnny Depp play Barnabus Collins? Yes, according to the Charlotte Observer. Now there's a vampire I'd invite in...

So what combination of dynamic duos does it for you? What two people make your heart leap with joy?

Cate Masters’ novels, novellas, short stories and flash fiction are published with various epresses and webzines. Visit her online at www.catemasters.com, www.catemasters.blogspot.com or follow her on Facebook or on Twitter.

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