Tim Burton was awarded a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival and as a treat for those in attendance he unspooled an eight-minute sneak peek of his Sweeney Todd adaptation. Here is a description as given by Variety‘s Nick Vivarelli:
The clips, in sharp desaturated color, consisted largely of a key scene in the Stephen Sondheim musical in which Todd, played by Johnny Depp, is handed a razor case by Mrs. Lovett, played by Helena Bonham Carter.
Singing “My Friends” Depp proved he can carry a tune, dueting delightfully with Bonham Carter, herself debuting as a chantoosie.
A white streak in his hair, a mad twinkle in his eye, Depp — in his sixth Burton pic — seemed in fine form in the quick sneak, which, while entertainingly eerie, displayed no violence. Pic is reportedly headed for an “R” rating.
So, while they got a taste of Depp, it appears a taste of the much talked about blood and gore was hidden. Ain’t It Cool News has another description and pics here.
Burton told the audience, “I am just trying to make an old-fashioned horror movie with music in it… It’s quite uncharted territory. I don’t think there are that many horror movie musicals out there these days. It will be interesting to see what happens with it.”
Depp was on hand to award Burton his prize and said, “Tim is a rare breed in today’s cinema: he is a true original, a true artist, a true auteur. He’s my favorite director and friend. So … let’s give him the thing, man.”
Sweeney Todd is set to hit theaters on December 21, 2007, for more on the film click here.
