Well it was mentioned in Variety today, and I put the news in the “Ripped from the Headlines” section of the site, but now we get the full story straight from Warner Bros. announcing the casting news for Tim Burton‘s Corpse Bride.
Oscar nominated actors Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean, Sleepy Hollow), Helena Bonham Carter (Big Fish, The Wings of the Dove) and Emily Watson (Punch-Drunk Love, Breaking the Waves) have been tapped to provide voices for the lead characters in the Tim Burton-produced animated film Corpse Bride for Warner Bros. Pictures, currently in production in London.
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 Tim Burton and Allison Abbate, and executive produced by Jeffrey Auerbach. The film is co-directed by Michael Johnson and Tim 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 carries on in the dark, romantic tradition of Burton’s classic films Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Set in a 19th century European village, this stop-motion, animated feature 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. It’s a tale of optimism, romance and a very lively afterlife, told in classic Tim Burton style.
Corpse Bride is scheduled for release in October, 2005. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
