Tim Burton is one of those directors that many love to hate. While I was not in the camp that despised Dark Shadows and Alice In Wonderland, I admit that they feel more like dull rehashes of the same stuff Burton has been doing since the 1990s. So this next piece of news about Burton’s latest project makes me all kinds of happy. Burton will be stepping behind the camera for Big Eyes, from Ed Wood writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. The even better news? Big Eyes will star Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams.
I think I want to point out that neither of those people are named ‘Johnny Depp.’ Waltz and Adams replace Ryan Reynolds and Reese Witherspoon, who were attached to Big Eyes when Burton was only set in a producing role. Now that he has stepped up as director, the film is being produced and distributed by the Weinsteins, and my excitement for the project has officially increased.
Waltz and Adams will play Walter and Margaret Keane, who became famous in the 1960s for “pop-eyed paintings.” It sounds like a somewhat typical tale of art and fame, for it became apparent that Walter took all the credit and Margaret did most of the work. But still: great subject for a Burton film.
The combination just sounds like a winner to me: Burton and the Ed Wood writers back together; Burton working with two new actors in a slightly different milieu than his usual tales of suburban weirdness. What’s more, with the Weinstein Company backing him, this is the first time that Burton has not worked with one of the major studios. I have high hopes that it will mean a different type of film, perhaps heavier on the plot and lighter on the quirk. I look forward to what comes of it.
What do you think of Burton working with Waltz and Adams? Does Big Eyes sound like a winner? Let us know in the comments.
