ArkaEvren
Dark Shadows

FILM · 2012 · UK

Dark Shadows

24 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026

  • Dark Shadows — production image

24 Interesting Facts About Dark Shadows

Interesting Facts (18)

  1. #001

    Johnny Depp was a big fan of Dark Shadows (1966) in his childhood. When Warner Brothers acquired the rights from the estate of series creator Dan Curtis, they brought the property to Depp, who then convinced Tim Burton that it would be the ideal project for them.

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  2. #002

    When Michelle Pfeiffer heard about an adaptation of Dark Shadows (1966), she called Tim Burton and asked to be in the film, something she rarely did.

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  3. #003

    The producers traveled around England and Maine to find a suitable fishing village where they could shoot Collinsport but could not find one. So they built the entire town from scratch at Pinewood Studios.

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  4. #004

    Alice Cooper was transformed into a younger version of himself using careful makeup and lighting. No CGI was involved.

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  5. #005

    The scene in which Barnabas approaches Collinwood in 1972 is a direct copy of Barnabas's first scene in House of Dark Shadows (1970), in which he approaches Collinwood from the shadows.

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  6. #006

    Dr. Hoffman makes herself immortal by transfusing vampire blood from Barnabas Collins. This is the reverse of the Dark Shadows (1966) story, in which Barnabas was turned human by a human blood transfusion.

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  7. #007

    The character Victoria Winters in this film is based on her Dark Shadows (1966) incarnation (a governess at Collinwood Manor), but she also incorporates elements of Maggie Evans (Barnabas's former lover who resembles Josette duPres, who spent time in a mental institution and could see and communicate with ghosts). However, each girl meets the same fate as in the original series, throwing herself from Widow's Hill.

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  8. #008

    The vampire aspect of Dark Shadows (1966) was not part of the original story. It was introduced in the second season and was meant to last for a single storyline, but the character Barnabas Collins became so popular that he remained for the rest of the series.

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  9. #009

    One of the elements that is part of the character Barnabas Collins is his wolf's-head cane. On Dark Shadows (1966), crew members kept stealing the cane, which forced the producers to buy several dozen canes at a time and the actors to always lock their dressing rooms.

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  10. #010

    Eva Green described the role of Angelique as "Bette Davis and Janis Joplin mixed together."

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  11. #011

    According to costume designer Colleen Atwood, she designed eighteenth- and twentieth-century costumes and then layered and blended elements of both to create a smooth, similar feel suited to the film.

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  12. #012

    In the opening monologue, when the Collins family is seen boarding a ship bound for the new world, the figurehead on the ship's bow resembles Angelique.

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  13. #013

    When David first meets Barnabas, he looks at the portrait of his ancestor and notes the resemblance, just as in Dark Shadows (1966). While Barnabas denied any connection in the series, in this film he proudly points out the resemblance.

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  14. #014

    Eva Green also voices Angelique's unseen mother, who warns her daughter not to look after the Collins family.

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  15. #015

    When Willie first meets Barnabas, Jack's face appears on the scarecrow among the pumpkins at the mansion.

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  16. #016

    Tracy Curtis, daughter of Dark Shadows (1966) creator Dan Curtis, served as a consultant on this film.

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  17. #017

    A thirteen-meter-tall miniature of Collinwood Mansion was built, scaled at 1/3 of the mansion's actual set.

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  18. #018

    According to Dr. Hoffman, David believes his mother is an immortal being. In Dark Shadows (1966), Laura is described as a Phoenix, a fire-based immortal.

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Behind the Scenes (3)

  1. #019

    Tim Burton wanted the film to reflect the period in which it is set, and he showed cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel several 1970s vampire films to help him understand how the film should be shot.

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  2. #020

    The actor and actress worked with stunt coordinator Eunice Huthart for the sex fight scene and wore harnesses that spun them through the air. Eva Green did not enjoy this sequence much because she does not like heights.

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  3. #021

    In 1776 Josette has blonde hair and Angelique dark brown hair. In 1972 this was reversed: Josette/Victoria had dark brown hair and Angelique was blonde. In the Dark Shadows (1966) television series Angelique was blonde and had brown or dark hair only when she wore a wig under the alias Cassandra.

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Characters & Cast (2)

  1. #022

    Four members of the original cast of Dark Shadows (1966) appear in the film. The guests at the ball are (from left to right): Lara Parker (Angelique Bouchard), Jonathan Frid (Barnabas Collins), David Selby (Quentin Collins) and Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans/Josette). When Alice Cooper begins his second number, Elizabeth is seen talking with Scott, Selby and Parker. Selby's cameo role has something in common with his original role on Dark Shadows; his character (an evil ghost who controls children) had no lines at all throughout the entire season.

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  2. #023

    Tim Burton, who had no time to rehearse before shooting, found a way to get the entire main cast into the mindset of their roles: he gathered them on set for a photo shoot in which the famous image of the original Dark Shadows (1966) cast standing in the Collinwood foyer was recreated. This image became the film's teaser poster.

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Deeper Meaning (1)

  1. #024

    Production designer Rick Heinrichs designed Collinwood to reflect its maritime heritage (the mansion was close to the ocean and its owners had a fishing background); ocean motifs such as fish and mermaids appear throughout the house, including furniture with statues of seahorses and the sea god Neptune in the fireplace.

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Related pages

Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • IMDb IMDb title page (trivia)

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