Johnny Depp, who plays Willy Wonka in Tim Burton's upcoming adaptation of Roald Dahl's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, has just been tapped as one of the voice over leads in Burton's stop-motion animated feature, CORPSE BRIDE, currently in production in London for Warner Bros. Pictures. Tim Burton Animation Co. in London and Vinton Studios in Portland, Oregon, are listed as animation producers.
Depp, who previously starred in Burton's EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and ED WOOD, will co-star with Helena Bonham Carter (BIG FISH, THE WINGS OF THE DOVE) and Emily Watson (PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, BREAKING THE WAVES).
Set in a 19th century European village, CORPSE BRIDE follows the story of Victor (Depp), a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride (Bonham Carter), while his real bride, Victoria (Watson), waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love.
The puppets are reportedly the finest ever made -- all with mechanical armatures (unlike the replacement puppets of Burton's THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS) and incredibly intricate.
Rounding out the film's voice cast are five-time Oscar nominated actor Albert Finney (BIG FISH, TRAFFIC), Richard E. Grant (GOSFORD PARK, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE), Joanna Lumley (television's ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH) and Christopher Lee (LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, SLEEPY HOLLOW).
CORPSE BRIDE is produced by Burton and Allison Abbate, and exec produced by Jeffrey Auerbach. The film is co-directed by JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH animator Michael Johnson and Burton, from a screenplay by Caroline Thompson and Pamela Pettler. The director of photography is Peter Kozachik, the production designer is Alex McDowell and the film is edited by Jonathan Lucas. The score will be composed by Danny Elfman.
CORPSE BRIDE is scheduled for release in October 2005. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. will release CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, also in production this summer in London, on July 15, 2005.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
