Sweeney Todd

This just in....Filming Begins on Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd, in London.

I saw the revival of Sweeney Todd in NYC, back in 2005. I'm no theater queen, but I was completely blown away by the entire cast's performances. The cast played all of their own music (no orchestra), sang their lines, and not one mistake was made. The choreography was flawless. Who knew Patti Lupone could play the tuba? I'm really interested to see how the film will be adapted, but with Tim Burton running the show, it'll be a dark and creepy Victorian England, indeed.

The Sweeney Todd film, in which Tim Burton will direct Johnny Depp (as Sweeny Todd) and Helena Bonham Carter (as Mrs. Lovett), has begun filming in London, according to an official announcement. The DreamWorks Studios/Warner Bros. film adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical is underway at London's Pinewood Studios for the film, which is slated to be distributed domestically by Paramount for a late 2007 release and distributed internationally by Warner Bros.

"I've always wanted to do a musical and Sweeney Todd is my favorite," said Tim Burton in the release. "Stephen's blend of humor, horror and emotion is something that has always connected with me."

Sweeney Todd follows the story of a wrongfully imprisoned barber in Victorian England who sets out to seek revenge on the judge who imprisoned him. The film will also feature Alan Rickman (Professor Snape of the Harry Potter films), Timothy Spall (Wormtail of the Harry Potter films), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) and Christopher Lee (The Lord of the Rings). All the stars will do their own singing from Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics. I'm looking forward to seeing this!