Alice is Everywhere!

The master cultural re-mixers at Disney have teamed up with Tim Burton to interpret yet another piece of cultural history – this time is (yet another) film adaption of Lewis Carrol’s classic novel ‘Alice in Wonderland‘.

To muster up enthusiasm for the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp/Anne Hathaway movie, Disney asks you to choose sides on Facebook – Are you loyal to the Red Queen, White Queen or an un-loyal subject of the Mad Hatter? Whichever camp garners the most fans gets first peek at the Alice in Wonderland Teaser Trailer.

Disney’s Official Alice contest:

The Loyal Subjects of the Red Queen, the Loyal Subjects of the White Queen, and the Disloyal Subjects of the Mad Hatter are all building armies on Facebook. The fan page with the biggest army at 4PM PDT on Thursday, July 24 will get to see an exclusive new trailer from Disney’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND before anyone else. So be sure to log onto Facebook and choose a side.

• The Loyal Subjects of the Red Queen
• The Loyal Subjects of the White Queen
• The Disloyal Subjects of the Mad Hatter

Disney’s Official Alice Synopsis:

As a prelude to Comic Con in San Diego this week, Disney released the official synopsis, along with other blurbs about the film, the personnel and the characters’ place in culture:

From Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton comes an epic 3D fantasy adventure ALICE IN WONDERLAND, a magical and imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. JOHNNY DEPP stars as the Mad Hatter and MIA WASIKOWSKA as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror. The all-star cast also includes ANNE HATHAWAY, HELENA BONHAM CARTER and CRISPIN GLOVER.

Capturing the wonder of Lewis Carroll’s beloved “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (1865) and “Through the Looking-Glass” (1871) with stunning, avant-garde visuals and the most charismatic characters in literary history, ALICE IN WONDERLAND comes to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D™ on March 5, 2010.

Tim and Johnny … Again:

This film will see Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s collaborations (likely) top “One Billion Dollars(!)” in box office receipts. Here’s how Disney explains their relationship:

Director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp reunite for this new adventure. The pair first worked on the 1990 hit “Edward Scissorhands,” and quickly became close friends. Together they continue to create extraordinary and unusual films including “Ed Wood,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Corpse Bride” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

Who’s making this Wonderland?

Impress your friends with your vast knowledge before you go down the rabbit-hole with your knowledge of this oddly trippy endeavor with this cheatsheet:

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (In Disney Digital 3D™) Released by: WALT DISNEY PICTURES

Site: Disney.com/wonderland

Genre: Fantasy Adventure

Cast: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Marton Csokas, Tim Pigott-Smith, Lindsay Duncan, Geraldine James, Leo Bill, Jemma Powell, Mairi Ella Challen and Mia Wasikowska as Alice

Voice Cast: Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse, Barbara Windsor

Director: Tim Burton

Producers: Richard D. Zanuck, Joe Roth, Suzanne Todd, Jennifer Todd

Co-producers: Katterli Frauenfelder, Tom Peitzman

Executive producer: Peter Tobyansen, Chris Lebenzon

Screenplay by: Linda Woolverton, based on the books “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking-Glass” by Lewis Carroll

More Alice Coverage on MovieSet

Here’s a recap of Alice in Wonderland content on MovieSet:

• Mia Wasikowska as Alice in Wonderland – New Tim Burton adaptation with Johnny Depp - Sept. 26, 2008
• Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, maybe – Nov. 17, 2008
• Crispin Glover is a knave – Friday, October 24, 2008
• Burton’s Wonderland finds two queens – Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Co-starring in the new production is Michael Sheen as The White Rabbit,  Mia Wasikowska as Alice Kingsley,  Matt Lucas as the famous pair of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts, Stephen Fry as The Chesire Cat and Alan Rickman as The Caterpillar. The traditional tale has been freshened with a blast of girl power, courtesy of writer Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast).

By Quinn Bender
movieset.com

Before fans get a sneak peak of it at San Diego Comic-Con Thursday, there’s been a lot of talk about how Tim Burton will handle — or mishandle — his adaptation of the classic novel Alice in Wonderland. But the folks over at MTV caught up with the director and found some answers. Not surprisingly, Burton found major flaws in earlier adaptions and ventured with a movie, starring Johnny Depp, that picks up after Alice’s original voyage, when she once again falls down the rabbit hole.

“For me, that’s always been a problem with the movie versions of it,” Burton told MTV. “It’s always been a girl going from one weird adventure to another, and for me it didn’t have much of an impact in the versions I’d seen before. Everyone’s crazy. We tried to take the ‘Alice’ mythology and characters and make a story out of it and be true to the spirit of what ‘Alice’ is about. The other versions for me suffer because there’s no movement to it. It’s just one weird event after another. We’re trying to ground it a little a bit.”

Read the full story here.

Directors Zemeckis, Burton to take part in first ever 3D Panel

* COMIC-CON’S FIRST EVER 3D PANEL — Veteran directors Robert Zemeckis and Tim Burton join TRON producers Sean Bailey and Steve Lisberger on Thurs., July 23 at 11 a.m. for an unprecedented presentation featuring behind-the-scenes filmmaker insights about the highly anticipated 3D adventures DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and TRON. In addition to Q&A opportunities with each of the filmmakers, the 90-minute panel will feature never-before-seen concept art, trailers, actual 3D film footage and other Comic-Con-only footage debuts. In a groundbreaking technical feat, this is the first time ever that 3D footage will be shown at Comic-Con. Patton Oswalt will moderate.

Animations Legends Miyazaki & Lasseter to Anchor Animation Panel

* ANIMATION PANEL — Animation legends Hayao Miyazaki and John Lasseter join veteran animation directors Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements and John Musker on Fri., July 24 at 12:45 p.m. for an animation panel which will highlight upcoming animated films, including Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY/TOY STORY 2 double feature, Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY 3 , Walt Disney Animation Studios’ BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ half-hour holiday TV special PREP & LANDING, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG and Miyazaki’s PONYO. John Lasseter will host the panel and Patton Oswalt will moderate a group Q&A following the presentation, which will include filmmaker insights, trailers and select film sequences.

Disney to Showcase Key Titles
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PONYO

From the Academy Award®-winning director and world-renowned Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki comes PONYO, a story inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Mermaid.” Already a box-office success in Japan, the story of a young and overeager goldfish named Ponyo (voiced by NOAH CYRUS) and her quest to become human features an outstanding roster of voice talent, including CATE BLANCHETT, MATT DAMON, TINA FEY, FRANKIE JONAS, CLORIS LEACHMAN, LIAM NEESON, LILY TOMLIN and BETTY WHITE. PONYO opens in U.S. theaters on Aug. 14, 2009.

DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL, a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3D motion picture event. Ebenezer Scrooge (JIM CARREY) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (GARY OLDMAN) and his cheery nephew (COLIN FIRTH). But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late. Opens in theaters nationwide on Nov. 6, 2009.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

Walt Disney Animation Studios presents the musical THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, an animated comedy set in the great city of New Orleans. From the creators of “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin” comes a modern twist on a classic tale, featuring a beautiful girl named Tiana (ANIKA NONI ROSE), a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG marks the return to hand-drawn animation from the revered team of John Musker and Ron Clements, with music by Oscar®-winning composer Randy Newman. Opens on November 25, 2009 in NY and LA, and on December 11, 2009 nationwide.

PREP & LANDING
PREP & LANDING is ABC’s first television special produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The half-hour holiday special reveals the never-before-told tale of an elite unit of Elves known as Prep & Landing. Every Christmas Eve, this high-tech organization ensures that homes around the world are properly prepared for a visit from the Big Guy (aka Santa Claus). After working tirelessly on Prep & Landing for 227 years, an elf named Wayne (voice of Dave Foley) is upset when he doesn’t receive an expected promotion to be the Director of Naughty List Intelligence. Instead, Magee (voice of Sarah Chalke), the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center Coordinator (NPCECCC for short), partners Wayne with Lanny (voice of Derek Richardson), an idealistic rookie who has an undying enthusiasm for Christmas. During their Christmas Eve mission, Wayne and Lanny encounter unexpected challenges that push them to their limits.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (In Disney Digital 3D™)

Walt Disney Pictures’ magical animated classic BEAUTY AND THE BEAST returns to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D™, introducing a whole new generation to the Disney classic with stunning new 3D imagery. Opening Feb. 12, 2010, the film captures the fantastic journey of Belle (voice of PAIGE O’HARA), a bright and beautiful young woman who’s taken prisoner by a hideous beast (voice of ROBBY BENSON) in his castle. Despite her precarious situation, Belle befriends the castle’s enchanted staff—a teapot, a candelabra and a mantel clock, among others—and ultimately learns to see beneath the Beast’s exterior to discover the heart and soul of a prince. Featuring unforgettable music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and an enormously talented vocal ensemble, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was the first—and only—animated feature to receive a Best Picture nomination from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (In Disney Digital 3D™)

From Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton comes an epic 3D fantasy adventure ALICE IN WONDERLAND, a magical and imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. JOHNNY DEPP stars as the Mad Hatter and MIA WASIKOWSKA as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror. The all-star cast also includes ANNE HATHAWAY, HELENA BONHAM CARTER and CRISPIN GLOVER; Linda Woolverton wrote the screenplay. Capturing the wonder of Lewis Carroll’s beloved “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (1865) and “Through the Looking-Glass” (1871) with stunning, avant-garde visuals and the most charismatic characters in literary history, ALICE IN WONDERLAND comes to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D™ on March 5, 2010.

TOY STORY 3 (In Disney Digital 3D™)

The creators of the beloved “Toy Story” films re-open the toy box and bring moviegoers back to the delightful world of Woody, Buzz and our favorite gang of toy characters in TOY STORY 3. Lee Unkrich (co-director of “Toy Story 2” and “Finding Nemo”) directs this highly anticipated film, and Michael Arndt, the Academy Award®-winning screenwriter of “Little Miss Sunshine,” brings his unique talents and comedic sensibilities to the proceedings. TOY STORY 3 comes to theaters nationwide in Disney Digital 3D™ on June 18, 2010.

TRON (title not final) (In Disney Digital 3D™)

TRON is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (GARRETT HEDLUND), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (JEFF BRIDGES), looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant (OLIVIA WILDE), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?” -Alice In Wonderland.

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton (again)

Actor Johnny Depp while sporting bright orange hair, pink lipstick and a ghost-white face re-teams up with director Tim Burton – who he worked with on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, Edward Scissorhands, (a partnership which has grossed close to a billion dollars in just 6 films) – and whose style of eerily creepy characters is set to continue in the new adaptation of Alice of Wonderland.

Adapting Through the Looking Glass

“An author doesn’t necessarily understand the meaning of his own story better than anyone else.”

Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is based on the Lewis Carroll’s book “Through The Looking Glass“, which is a sequel to Alice In Wonderland set 10 years after Alice’s first venture into the strange world. Through the Looking Glass follows Alice again, now 17, returning to Wonderland for the second time despite having no recollection of her first visit.

“Mad” Concept Art

Check out new images from Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland featuring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. Also included are three more pieces of Alice of Wonderland concept art.

“We’re all mad here.” – The Mad Hatter

Characters and Co-Stars

Like many other movie fans, MovieSet has been eagerly anticipating what who will act in the film and announcing the stars as they were announced from usual suspect Johnny Depp to newcomer Mia Wasikowska to oddball Crispin Glover to the queen-like like Anne Hathaway.

Here’s a recap of Alice in Wonderland content on MovieSet:

Mia Wasikowska as Alice in Wonderland – New Tim Burton adaptation with Johnny Depp - Sept. 26, 2008

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, maybe – Nov. 17, 2008

Crispin Glover is a knave – Friday, October 24, 2008

Burton’s Wonderland finds two queens – Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Co-starring the new production is Michael Sheen as The White Rabbit,  Mia Wasikowska as Alice Kingsley,  Matt Lucas as the famous pair of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts, Stephen Fry as The Chesire Cat and Alan Rickman as The Caterpillar.

The traditional tale has been freshened with a blast of girl power, courtesy of writer Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast).

“It would be so nice if something made sense for a change.” – Alice

“Alice In Wonderland” is set for a March 19th, 2010 release.

Alice In Wonderland News

The latest in the Rabbit Hole from the Playlist Blog’s Original Article “Tim Burtons ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Still has a long way to go:

Mixture of live-action, motion-captured imaging and CGI for Alice Project

Shooting for the film began in September of last year with a mixture of live-action, motion-captured imaging and CGI planned for the feature. How it will all come together, though, is still a mystery even for Burton himself: “I’m not quite sure yet – doing a big budget movie is an organic process and gives the opportunity to experiment.

It’s something that was presented to me and I’d never seen really a movie version of the story that I like, so I thought I’d just give it a shot.”

Alice is also set for a release in 3D with Burton having announced a two picture 3D deal with Disney.
“I like the 3-D aspect of it, I think it fits the material very well, and it doesn’t give me a headache like it used to – I think it’s good for anything. There are other uses than having spears stuck into your face – I think there are more visceral, emotional uses, especially if you use lots of textures.”
If anything, this film should be an absolute visual delight as Burton portrays his dark, gothic worlds with every technological advancement known to cinema.

A Walk trough Memory Lane..

MTV Blog recently Published a great article by Adam Rosenberg

In which he acknowledges some of the 20 film adaptations of Lewis Carroll’s story, including several foreign versions, an anime reinterpretation and a pornographic film. (Not included sorry boys)

He takes us down memory lane trough some of the more famous adaptations of the story all the way from 1933 to the recent Disney adaptation that is obviously the most famous of the bunch.

Take a look at this 1933 version of the film stars Charlotte Henry in the titular role.

Here we see her sitting with the King of Hearts (Alec B Francis), discussing important matters.

This following is, without a doubt, the most well-known “Alice” of all-time. Disney’s 1951 musical version.

This is definitely one to watch.

This is Fiona Fullerton in the 1972 film, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”

Definitely check out ‘Alice in Wonderland Trough the Years’ by Adam Rosenberg on the MTV Blog

We’re not sure if this photo via Filmonic and JohnnyDepp.org is the first authentic photo of Depp as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, but it’s definitely worth a peek. Johnny Depp looks anemically undead in his make up and ultra-creepy with the bunny in his arms and complex wardrobe.

I hope it’s the real thing. Even if it isn’t it’s pretty creative.

Here’s a recap of Alice in Wonderland content on MovieSet:

Alice In Wonderland adaptation is “Way Down The Rabbit Hole” ~ Burton + Depp Create Creepiest Adaptation Yet – Thursday, Jun 25th, 2009

Mia Wasikowska as Alice in Wonderland – New Tim Burton adaptation with Johnny Depp - Sept. 26, 2008

Crispin Glover is a knave – Friday, October 24, 2008

Burton’s Wonderland finds two queens – Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Co-starring the new production is Michael Sheen as The White Rabbit,  Mia Wasikowska as Alice Kingsley,  Matt Lucas as the famous pair of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts, Stephen Fry as The Chesire Cat and Alan Rickman as The Caterpillar.

The traditional tale has been freshened with a blast of girl power, courtesy of writer Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast).

Above, and coming to us from INF (more pictures there), is one of the first photos of the relatively unknown 17 year old Mia Wasikowska starring as Alice in Tim Burton’s film adapation of the English literature classic written by Lewis Caroll, Alice in Wonderland. It just makes  sense that Tim Burton is adapting a live action version of Alice. Well known for tackling the dark and fantastic with films like Beetlejuice, Sleepy Hollow, Ed wood and Mars Attacks this long rumoured Burton project has his name written all over it.

Just yesterday THR announced that Johnny Depp will be playing the inconic Mad Hatter in the film. Also not a surprise as Depp and Burton have worked together many times before.

Co-starring the new production is Michael Sheen as The White Rabbit,  Mia Wasikowska as Alice Kingsley,  Matt Lucas as the famous pair of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts, Stephen Fry as The Chesire Cat and Alan Rickman as The Caterpillar.

The traditional tale has been freshened with a blast of girl power, courtesy of writer Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast).

The buzz for this project is growing daily. Too bad that fans of the film will have to wait until March of 2010 for it’s release. Who knows, the media and marketing savvy Disney just may capitalize on the momentum and release the flick early.

We can always hope.

Here’s a recap of Alice in Wonderland content on MovieSet:

Alice In Wonderland adaptation is “Way Down The Rabbit Hole” ~ Burton + Depp Create Creepiest Adaptation Yet – Thursday, Jun 25th, 2009

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, maybe – Nov. 17, 2008

Crispin Glover is a knave – Friday, October 24, 2008

Burton’s Wonderland finds two queens – Tuesday, October 07, 2008