03.11.10 By: John Gholson
Audiences seem split right down the middle on Tim Burton's take on Alice in Wonderland. I'm in the camp that found it a tedious mess of production design with very little in the way of story or character for me to cling to, and this is coming from a lifelong Burton fan. What I thought would be a perfect marriage of director and material was not so perfect, so why am I willing to root for him to take on the wonderful world of Oz?
The L.A. Times reports that Warner Brothers is looking at L. Frank Baum's Oz series as the next big fantasy franchise, and while no director has been announced, Alice's $210 milllion worldwide opening weekend has probably put Burton on their short list of dream directors for the series. Warners has a couple of Oz screenplays at the ready, one a traditional tale and the other a post-modern spin that sounds an awful lot like the failed Lost in Oz pilot that Burton produced in 2002.
I don't want to be let down again, but Oz has a couple things going for it -- it's easier to adapt than Alice (due to stronger plotting) and there are more novels to pull from, so there's a much richer, established fantasy world to work within. No matter how boring I may have found Burton's 3-D Disney flick, I'd be there opening day if he signed on to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Of course, there's a part of me that realizes his original projects (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands) are far better than his films based on pre-existing properties (Planet of the Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mars Attacks).
What do you think? Is Tim Burton the man for the job or should he start exploring his own original material again?
Filed under: News/Reactions, Discussion Posts, Fan Picks
Tags: alice in wonderland, AliceInWonderland, L Frank Baum, LFrankBaum, lost in oz, LostInOz, tim burton, TimBurton, wizard of oz, WizardOfOz
Seth Hallat 3-11-2010
Short answer, no.
Long answer, noooooooooooooooo.
Some movies should NOT be remade. Besides, I'm sick of remakes in general. Burton's original works are his best by far. Everyone's original ideas are better. The only remake that was better was Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead.
I just want to see more original and new ideas from film makers.
Creeped Outat 3-13-2010
Personally, I am gettting sick and tired of Tim Burton's versions of everyting. He takes masterpieces and turns them into an acid trip. If he wants to do this to his own work, fine, but he needs to lay off the works like "Alice" and "Oz". I saw Alice this weekend, and while it had some visual values, I thought the story in general was garbage, and Burton went way too far with his charactors special effects and make up work. He needs to re-think his paths. All of his work seems the same old crap with different titles these days...
when movies were moviesat 3-13-2010
The days of original ideas in Hollywood are long gone. No brains out there anymore, just young people taking the old classics, changing a few scenes around, (and story plots)to make a name for themselfs. The average age that go to the movies anymore are teenagers and people in their young twenties, that is what brings in the money at the box office. Remember Hollywood today is a money game now a days. There are no idols to look up to, songs from movies that you'ed remember, etc. I should know, because I worked in a major studio's classic film department years ago in Hollywood. What memories !!!!!!!!!!!!!
vikkiat 3-13-2010
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I thought it was me. This guy makes the crappiest stuff and yet people watch it. My daughter (10) wants to see Alice in Wonderland. I told her I will sit through anything PG or PG13 (if appropriate) with her but I refuse to go to a Tim Burton anything. His stuff is pure crap in my opinion.
Johnat 3-13-2010
I would like to a version of F. Baum's book that is true to the original story!!
Erika Bat 3-13-2010
I think that the concept is a good idea, but he should maybe think about tackling Wicked instead of Wizard of Oz. Besides Wizard of Oz being too classic to repeat, Wicked would give Burton so much more to work with and keep to his darker side, which is where some of his best work comes from. Not even mentioning there are 2 books that follow which could lead to a trilogy.
Howard Nashat 3-13-2010
Hello all.. I'm a filmmaker, and a tremendous fan of Tim Burton (someday)..Could y'all become a fan of my recent film? We're trying to get the word out. Thank you so much, Howard
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Legends-of-Nethiah/249122841810?ref=ts
walterat 3-13-2010
Yes - and Johnny Depp should play all the male leads, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and the Wizard ala Peter Sellers. It would be an acting tour de force. And Helena Bonham Carter would make a great Wicked Witch of the West. All of Burton's regulars would fit nicely into a revisionist version of this classic.
Jimat 3-13-2010
Are you kidding? And how would they stroll down the yellow brick road together? Use the overused CGI special effects? Enough with the remakes. Show some originality. Besides, some movies should not be remade and the Wizard of Oz is one of them.
skunkworks385at 3-13-2010
Oh joy, yet another Tim Burton flick, the guy who ran out of original ideas years ago, and then decided to have the grand ole idea to do crappy remakes of good classic films. and Walter let's figure it out. Chances are Johnny Depp would jump at the chance to play Dorthy, we know ever since he got sucked into the bed in the Original Nightmare on Elm Street, he refuses to play second fiddle. It would give him a chance to wear the creepy Michael Jackson makeup that he wore in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Alice, again.
Oral Annieat 3-13-2010
Bad casting, Walter. Depp and Bonham should be Munchkins.....all of the munchkins.
Gingerat 3-13-2010
I just can't imagine a good remake of the "Wizard of OZ" I think if they did one it would have to be above and beyond perfect. I did enjoy SyFy's version "Tin Man". The story was excellent and the casting was great. They did not try to remake it but continued the story. I just can't figure out what else can be done with it. I am not sure if musicals are still "in", it seems the Disney channel has jumped off that bandwagon, they are making a new Camp Rock but I think people are getting tired of musicals, they had a good run, but I think it is over.
Burton does have a very unique take on things, and I wonder who Depp would play, Tin Man-no, Scarecrow-maybe, Cowardly Lion-maybe, the wiz-no. Who would play Dorthy? I realy like Zooey Deschanel's portrail of Dorthy's granddaughter "DG".
Loriat 3-13-2010
Oh yes that will be very interesting! I will look forward to see his wife play the wicked witch of the east and see how it played out. Looking forward to his genius work!!!
Jimat 3-13-2010
Personally, I am gettting sick and tired of Tim Burton's versions of
everyting. He takes masterpieces and turns them into an acid trip. If
he wants to do this to his own work, fine, but he needs to lay off the
works like "Alice" and "Oz". I saw Alice this weekend, and while it
had some visual values, I thought the story in general was garbage,
and Burton went way too far with his charactors special effects and
make up work. He needs to re-think his paths. All of his work seems
the same old crap with different titles these days...
mooreagat 3-13-2010
A new 3D OZ by Burton would be awesome...just as Wonderland is!!!...
John F.C. Taylorat 3-13-2010
If Burton is brought in to do Wizard Of Oz, I won't be going to see it. I can't think of anything he's done that's been worth even watching on TV.
John F. C. Taylorat 3-13-2010
You use the screen name and password assigned, but your post disappears. How many have had that happen? I won't be going to see a new OZ if Burton is brought in to work on it. I haven't seen anything of his that was good enough to even watch on TV.
Joyce Buckleyat 3-13-2010
Willy Wonka was a flop as is Alice which has little to do with Alice and a lot to do with Johnny in radical makeup. Was there a plot? Burton seems to have run out of original ideas. Find a new muse and an interesting story line please.
sunnyat 3-13-2010
Noooooooooooo!!!!!
(Sobbing)
No no..PLEASE!
Noooooooooooo!!!!
jmslotnickat 3-13-2010
Absolutely NOOOOO! He destroyed Willy Wonka. I have not yet seen Alice in Wonderland because it has been hyped to the max and I have lost interest. Leave the Wizard of Oz alone. It is the unmatched classic and should remain so. Tim Burton should try new stories, not old....