'Alice in Wonderland 2'? Tim Burton's take on 'Alice' could get a sequel
Dark Shadows and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith is putting together a script, to tempt back听Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton and director Tim Burton. Both of those gentlemen have expressed interest in resurrecting 鈥楾he Ghost with the Most,鈥� .
However, if Disney gets its way, Burton鈥檚 next film could be a different sequel 鈥� namely, a followup to听. That Oscar-winning hit听was written by Linda Woolverton (The Lion King, Mulan) and features a cast that includes Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, among others.
奥辞辞濒惫别谤迟辞苍鈥檚 Alice screenplay draws from Lewis Carroll鈥檚 classic novel 鈥淎lice鈥檚 Adventures in Wonderland鈥� and its followup 鈥淭hrough the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There.鈥� However, it abandons the episodic madness of Caroll鈥檚 source material for a hero鈥檚 journey narrative where nineteen-year old Alice (Wasikowska) flees a prospective marriage in the real world 鈥� only to discover that Wonderland has been awaiting her return, to lead a revolution against the tyrannical Red Queen (Carter). In other words, it鈥檚 Alice in Wonderland meets Chronicles of Narnia.
听听is reporting that Disney has Woolverton penning a sequel, which is also in the process of becoming a stage musical. There鈥檚 no mention of Burton鈥檚 possible involvement (yet), but he will be made an offer. The same goes for Depp, who is starring in the House of Mouse鈥檚听 next year 鈥� and (probably) is going to make sometime in the foreseeable future.
Longtime Screen Rant readers are aware that several members of our staff , for reasons that run deeper than the distracting post-converted 3D and its recycling of Burton/Depp tropes; such as, how it trades in the discernible characters and satire of Carroll鈥檚 novels for an ambitious (but, sadly, non-compelling) fantasy allegory where many dark Underland inhabitants and CGI backgrounds blurr together.
However, such complaints didn鈥檛 prevent Alice from grossing $1 billion worldwide in theaters and snagging Academy Awards for its Art Direction and Costume Design (which is quite macabre and gorgeous). Moreover, it propelled production designer Robert Stromberg on to direct Disney鈥檚 鈥� which is to Sleeping Beauty what Wicked is to The Wizard of Oz, based on a script created by Woolverton; not to mention, the success of听Alice听seemingly influenced the approach on director Sam Raimi鈥檚 Oz prequel Oz The Great and Powerful (as illustrated by ).
Burton鈥檚 film didn鈥檛 exactly leave the door open for an Alice sequel, as it brought its heroine鈥檚 arc to a satisfying conclusion; in addition, what 鈥榟eart鈥� it has arises from the suggestion that Alice must leave Underland (re: her childhood) behind her and make her own way in life. A followup kind of seems to defeat the purpose of that, just on principle. Similarly, the universe doesn鈥檛 seem ripe for further exploration 鈥� unlike, say, Disney鈥檚听Wreck-It Ralph, which is also听.听Nonetheless, an Alice followup is happening, so expect to learn more over the forthcoming year.
Meanwhile, Burton鈥檚 currently got his eye on two scripts听from screenwriter Jane Goldman (X-Men: First Class,听The Woman in Black): the听听adaptation and听Pinocchio, a project co-written by听Pushing Daisies听creator Bryan Fuller (with Robert Downey Jr.听).
Sandy Schaefer blogs at .
