Meet the cast: Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland'

 

Work is underway on Tim Burton's decidedly un-Disney adaptation of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," and the principal cast has been announced. The latest additions to be made public are Anne Hathaway (pictured above), who catapulted to fame in "The Princess Diaries" and will reportedly portray the White Queen, and Crispin Glover (center), who is coming off of "Beowulf" (and was so memorable in "Back to the Future") and is slated for the Knave of Hearts role. Johnny Depp (right) is the Mad Hatter in a movie that Burton told me he hoped would have "a gravity that most film versions haven't had."

The filmmaker turns to Depp a lot, of course, (this is their seventh project together) and he also is steady in his screen devotion to his partner, Helena Bonham Carter (pictured below, at left) who will be the Red Queen in "Alice." (Burton's movie, like the 1950s Disney adaptation, will apparently combine the Queen of Hearts from "Alice's Adventures" with the Red Queen from "Through the Looking Glass," but that's a conversation for another day.) The title "Alice" role belongs to Aussie newcomer Mia Wasikowska (middle picture, and you can see some photos of her in the role in England in September right here) while British funny guy Matt Lucas (pictured at right, of the U.K. sketch show "Little Britain") will play the rotund dimwits Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Lots more to come on this film....

 

-- Geoff Boucher

RELATED Tim Burton talks about acting chameleon Johnny Depp: "Yeah we have a big dress-up clothes trunk here. We take it with us wherever we go."

ALSO Johnny Depp will be Tonto, but who will be the Lone Ranger?

Credits: Anne Hathaway photo by Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times. Crispin Glover photo by Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times. Johnny Depp photo by Frank Robichon / Getty Images. Helena Bonham Carter in the film "Conversations with Women." Mia Wasikowska in Getty Images photograph. Matt Lucas photo courtesy of Virgin Media.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this post suggested that Crispin Glover was in more than one of the "Back the the Future" movies. Spliced footage of Glover and a look-a-like was used in the sequel.

Comments

[JD]

I can't wait! I'm sooo exited. Who can resist another movie with the wonderful and talented Johnny Depp, Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter.

[Pissed off.]

This cast is an all time suck, they are in NO way capable of playing the roles put infront of them, this movie is going to suck.

[jackfrost]

nah, the cast doesn't suck. not everyone has good taste.
the film will do fine and i am quite sure it doesn't need everyone's money to pass the muster.

[oomingmak]

Gee, let me guess.....Alice in Wonderland goes goth, right? After seeing what Tim did to Batman and Willy Wonka (Charly and chocolate factory), I can only imagine how this will turn out. Tim's "I'm a misunderstood loner who was misunderstood and alone in high school" schtick worked in the 80s and 90s, but it's old hat now. Of course, if he's aiming this at high school girls and college art majors.....

[Lawrence]

Technically, Crispin Glover was only in the first "Back To The Future" movie. There was that whole controversy where the filmmakers of "Part 2" used outtake footage of him from "Part 1" since he declined to appear in the sequels, and famously sued them for infringement of his likeness.

[pamela fruendt]

some of you people expect far too much from a film. look, we'll plop down our money, sit in the dark and be transported to another world for 2 or so hours...we'll forget all the distractions in our lives...which is what movies are supposed to do. burton's vision always makes for an interesting ride!

[Arian]

This looks like it is going to be a rip off of American Mcgee's Alice. Which should have been made back when the game was and Christina Ricc was young enough to play alice

[Rita Staples]

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp together are my version of a 'white knuckle ride', sit down hold on tight and come out gasping. stuff of dreams and nightmares. keep them coming!!!

[gay]

not alice in wonderland!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sarah Jackson]

Ugh NOOOO Alice should be Anna Sophia Robb or Mary Kate Olsen Them Two would be the best And Helena IS DEFINATLEY THE RIGHT PERSON TO PLAY THE RED QUEEN WOOO!!!! AND YES JOHNNY DEPP HE HAS THE BEST PART!!!

[Jason]

I'm getting tired of him using Depp and Carter. Play a new tune, dude. I know they're great...but...ugh. And I agree with Arian...I would love to have seen a young Ricci play as Alice, especially if we're giving it a darker theme. I'll go see it, dunno if it will suck. People thought Willy Wonka wouldn't, but I disagree.

[annoyed]

Anne Hathaway! The rest of the cast is fantastic but there in lies a bad choice.... She cannot act, especially not for the role of the white queen, argh. I was so looking forward to this but now i'm just dreading seeing a movie with Anne Hathaway in it! Good call casting a newcomer as Alice though.

[Hannah East]

I am a HUGE Alice In Wonderland fan, every time I come across a new website complimenting the theories of Lewis Carroll, I get chills. I am completely looking forward to this new production. Best wishes!

[Janna]

Johnny Depp in a Tim Burton film? Imagine that!

But, seriously, I bet it will be really good! I am excited!

[Kyle]

So when is someone going to put out an Alice movie and use the correct characters? Tweedledee and Tweedledum were in 'Through the Looking Glass' not 'Adventures in Wonderland.'

I would think it to be a good idea to make two different movies to represent each book. Both books have continuing themes while providing their own uniqueness as well.

[Lily]

Depp is ok; his wife is soooooo boring

[poptart]

Kyle- Burton is combining the films which is why the movie itself is called Alice.

Im really really excited for the film because a) alice in wonderland and through the looking glass are my favorite stories in the whole world. b)depp and burton are a wonder team know matter how many people feel its overplayed. c) helena is a great actress and I think she will do an amazing job as the red queen/queen of hearts.

The only two downfalls are that Disney is in charge(or so i hear) of production so that worries me and also its going to cause a whole pirates of the carribean/twilight/harry potter hot topic following that will get old real quick. Right when I see a tshirt with johnny depp as the mad hatter on it with one of his lines from the movie, im going to scream.

[Sara]

Tim Burton will bring a whole new persona to alice an woderland and he is the only one whoe can bring out the realy trippy and creepy side that it always has had. now it will come to life. of course with great actors as johnny depp playing a perfect part as well as helena carter..perfect roles..not sure about alice but again if this is produced by tim burton it will definitely be something to experience and the real acid trip story will come to life...

[Elle]

I am so sick of people assuming if it isn't cheerful it's automatically goth and therefore you have to be depressed or psuedo-deep to like it. You're calling *him* old hat? Loose the stereotypes, man.

*cough* enough of that... this should be pretty good, though I'm worried Tim's developing a sort of repetion in his work... at least this has it's own set storyline, so he can add his style to it, and keep the interesting progress... but since Disney's making it, I'll buy the DVD and American Mcgee's Alice on DVD, then watch them one after the other. Mix whimsy, style, violence, and Johnny Depp. Yummy.

[Candi]

Burton, Depp and Carter... cant possible go wrong

[jenni]

Firstly, i would like to say that this film was originally ment to be being produced by someone else but upuntil recently all the cast were going to do it but have now chosen not to and the company helping to fund it have pulled out as well, this is THEREFORE WHY TIM BURTON IS NOW PRODUCING. and ORIGINALLY IT WAS MENT TO BE BASED ON THE AMERICAN MCGEE'S GAME VERSION but now tim burtons in on it it's more than likely going to be changes to his ideas and concept and become the same as all his works, as much as i love the guy we've seen it all TOO MUCH...his ideas are really not original anymore . i do agree that Christina Ricc would have been ideal, and pissed off that johnny depp's being used he doesn't deserve the role of the madhatter. However, having said this i will still watch it as i am a huge fan of Alice

[Jilli]

I have been forced to comment. Send help or I shall say something unnerving resulting in a firing squad and my utter and complete annihilation, on second thought I shall call the Red Rider for a second opinion.

[Tuula]

Re. Jenni, Why don't you think the great Johnny Depp deserves to be the Madhatter?
I on the contrary think he'll be superb. I'm also an old fan of them both, Johnny and Madhatter!
http://www.alice-in-wonderland-book.com

[lexi]

Well, yes Time burtons vision is getting to be a tad bit generic, but its not like we are going to stop him!! I agree that Willy Wonka was a piece of crap, we cannot neglect the fact that all the movies he does boost him to instant popularity!! All the merchandise seen is just monetary value for him... Its a must for the companies to do so that they can gain money off of a brilliant mind and masterpiece...
Hopefully this work will not follow in the footsteps of the past and will be a new break through for burton, carter and depp... who can say that we all didn't get swept away with his dark and 'gothic' themes in Nightmare and Corpse Bride...
As long as depp continues to be his ultimate sexi self, then this movie should go pretty well. =)

P.S. What is with this Alice?? I have not seen this girl before, and I predict a very lame pick in actress...

[Jane Air Poetry]

Am really excited about seeing this film - great casting and locations.

'I am eating BOTH sides of the mushroom' - Jane Air

Love Alice in Wonderland - my favourite classic and my biggest influence.