johnny depp

It's been a long time since I've read Alice in Wonderland. Long enough that the details are fuzzy even if the big picture and the major events remain pretty clear. Hopefully some kind soul can email me or leave a comment below explaining why I'm a moron who needs to do his research before he writes anything because I don't remember Alice in Wonderland looking or feeling anything like what I'm seeing in the new trailer (watch it after the jump). Why are there epic Lord of the Rings battles? Outside of Johnny Depp's casting, why is the Mad Hatter so incredibly prominent? Why is Alice wearing armor and wielding a sword at one point?

I'm definitely not opposed to changing things up for the film. In fact, the story needs a cinematic kick to the butt if it's going to work on the big screen at all. The original book is little more than a series of events with no narrative drive and reverses or turns to keep the story interesting. So if Tim Burton wants to shake things up, I say go for it.

From Cinematical

The first teaser trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland has arrived online via IGN, and the thing just looks bloody brilliant. Of course they save the best parts for the end, including a re-introduction to the Mad Hatter -- played this time by Johnny Depp, doing his best whimsical British accent. Starring Depp, Anne Hathaway (as the White Queen), Helena Bonham Carter (as the Red Queen), Alan Rickman (as the Caterpillar), Michael Sheen (as the White Rabbit), Stephen Fry (as the Cheshire Cat), Christopher Lee (as the Jabberwock), Crispin Glover (as the Knave of Hearts) and Matt Lucas (as both Tweedledee and Tweedledum), this version of Alice in Wonderland picks up ten years after Alice's original visit. This time she's a 19-year-old who decides to return for another magical adventure and embarks on a journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Burton really looks like he was in his element with this one, and after watching this trailer and looking at all the images and concept art, I think I'm anticipating Alice in Wonderland more than his last few big-screen efforts. What about you? Did Burton succeed here, or does it look like the film spent too much time making itself pretty instead of focusing on story and substance? Check out the teaser trailer after the jump and let us know what you think.

Alice in Wonderland hits theaters on March 5, 2010.

UPDATE: The trailer will return online tonight at 10pm EST where Moviefone will be among only a handful of sites debuting it in full, glorious HD fashion. We'll return at that time and bring it back to you ... so stay tuned ...

By: Peter Martin

Though it's still months away from release, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland has already generated considerable interest. Johnny Depp's star power can properly be credited -- who doesn't want to see him play The Mad Hatter? -- but I think most people would concede that the project wouldn't be 1/10 as promising if it wasn't Tim Burton at the helm. Burton has created more fantastical, wildly different worlds than most any other filmmaker, so the prospect of him unleashing his imagination on the world of Lewis Carroll is enough to make me giggle like a little boy.

All that to say that the official site for the filmmaker has a teaser gallery for The Art of Tim Burton, a massive book coming this fall that will provide "a comprehensive look at the personal and project artwork of Tim Burton," featuring more than 1,000 illustrations and 400 pages. A host of collaborators and friends, including Depp, Winona Ryder, and Christopher Lee, are contributing text to the book, which will have a number of fold-outs. Both standard and deluxe editions are promised.

Read the rest at Cinematical

Though these new images look a lot like the ones that were recently released, we thought you'd want to see them anyway. Featured in the upcoming edition of Vanity Fair are full-body images of Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen and Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Directed by Tim Burton, this version of Alice in Wonderland -- which picks up during Alice's teenage years, 10 years after her original trip to Wonderland -- will mix live-action and motion-capture, and arrive in 3D.

Personally, I've always felt Burton was at his best when he tackled an original story, instead of adapting someone else's work. Yes, this will be an original Wonderland tale, but it's still based on existing characters. I'd love to see Burton pull off another Beetlejuice or Edward Scissorhands -- a film that takes place inside a completely original (and creative) universe. In the meantime, we have Alice in Wonderland arriving on March 5, 2010. Check out the new images below and the rest over at Cinematical's gallery.