Opening March 4th is Rango, Industrial Light and Magic’s first fully animated film. Written by John Logan, directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin and a slew of famed character actors, the film tells the story of Rango (Depp), a pet lizard lost in the desert who lies his way into becoming the sheriff of a western town. Things go well as he uses luck, gumption, and improvisational skills to fake his way through the job, but when someone steals the town’s water supply, Rango is forced to become a real hero.I was lucky enough to sit down with the film’s principal cast and Verbinski to discuss the film. We’ll have an interview every day this week, beginning tonight with Johnny Depp. We talked about his selectivity in animated projects, the existential origins of the film, the gonzo influences, and what's up with The Rum Diaries and Dark Shadows. Hit the jump to watch:For those excited about Dark Shadows, here's what I asked Depp and his answer. Or you can just watch the interview below:
You’ve been talking about Dark Shadows for a very long time. There have been a couple of different versions, there was an older TV series, a newer TV series, and then your film. What is your version of Dark Shadows going to be like and are you excited to film it?
DEPP: I’m very excited to film it. You know, it’s something that Tim and I have talked about for a number of years because we were both fans. As kids, you know, you run home at three ‘o clock in the afternoon to go watch this gothic soap opera on television with vampires and everything. So our version, I guess, there’s something that’s very interesting coming from the screenplay and from the talks that Tim and I have had which is it retains that sort of bizarre distance that everyone has with one another in terms of the characters. Maybe Barnabus, in this version, is maybe a little bit more, maybe waxes a little more poetic now and again, you know? But it’s definitely in keeping with the original series.
Here's the full interview. For more on how they made Rango, watch this great featurette.
Johnny Depp
- What made this film stand out from other animated film’s Depp has been offered.
- :56 – Depp talks about the Hunter S. Thompson influence in the film.
- 1:48 – Depp gives a quick update on The Rum Diaries and its’ planned US release.
- 2:27 – Depp gives an update on Dark Shadows and describes his take on Barnabas.
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