View source for Dark Shadows (film)



{{Infobox film
| name           = Dark Shadows
| image          = Dark Shadows (2012 film) poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Tim Burton]]
| screenplay     = [[Seth Grahame-Smith]]
| story          = {{plainlist|
* [[John August]]
* Seth Grahame-Smith
}}
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Dark Shadows]]''|[[Dan Curtis]]}}
| producer       = {{plainlist|
* [[Richard D. Zanuck]]
* [[Graham King]]
* [[Johnny Depp]]
* Christi Dembrowski
* [[David Kennedy (film producer)|David Kennedy]]
}}
| starring       = {{plainlist|
* Johnny Depp
* [[Michelle Pfeiffer]]
* [[Helena Bonham Carter]]
* [[Eva Green]]
* [[Jackie Earle Haley]]
* [[Jonny Lee Miller]]
* [[Chloë Grace Moretz]]
* [[Bella Heathcote]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Bruno Delbonnel]]
| editing        = [[Chris Lebenzon]]
| music          = [[Danny Elfman]]
| studio         = {{plainlist|
* [[Village Roadshow Pictures]]
* [[Infinitum Nihil]]
* [[GK Films]]
* [[The Zanuck Company]]
}}
| distributor    = {{plainlist|
* [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] (United States)
* [[Roadshow Entertainment]] (Australia)
}}
| released       = {{Film date|2012|5|7|Los Angeles premiere|2012|5|10|Australia|2012|5|11|United States}}
| runtime        = 114 minutes<ref name="BOM">{{cite web | url = https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=darkshadows.htm | title =Dark Shadows (2012) | publisher = [[Box Office Mojo]] | date =May 15, 2012}}</ref>
| country        = {{plainlist|
* United States
* Australia<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/50c307f0eab37 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310020205/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/50c307f0eab37 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 10, 2017 |title=Dark Shadows (2012) |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=March 20, 2022}}</ref>
}}
| language       = English
| budget         = $150 million<ref name="BOM"/>
| gross          = $245.5 million<ref name="BOM"/>
}}
'''''Dark Shadows''''' is a 2012 [[Gothic film|Gothic]] [[dark fantasy]] [[comedy horror]] film<ref>{{Cite web |last=Movie & TV reviews for parents |title=Dark Shadows Movie Review {{!}} Common Sense Media |url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/dark-shadows |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=www.commonsensemedia.org}}</ref> based on the [[Gothic fiction|Gothic]] television [[soap opera]] [[Dark Shadows|of the same name]]. Directed by [[Tim Burton]], the film stars [[Johnny Depp]] alongside [[Michelle Pfeiffer]], [[Eva Green]], [[Jackie Earle Haley]], [[Jonny Lee Miller]], [[Chloë Grace Moretz]], [[Helena Bonham Carter]], and [[Bella Heathcote]] in a dual role.<ref>{{cite news|title=Review: 'Dark Shadows' is a lesson in Tim Burton's quirks|url=https://www.latimes.com/la-xpm-2012-may-11-la-et-dark-shadows-20120511-story.html|access-date=September 4, 2012|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=May 11, 2012|author=Kenneth Turan}}</ref> [[Christopher Lee]] has a small role in the film, marking his 200th film appearance and his fifth and final collaboration with Burton. [[Jonathan Frid]], star of the original ''Dark Shadows'' series, makes a cameo appearance, and died shortly before the film was released. One of the film's producers, [[Richard D. Zanuck]], died two months after its release. As of 2026, it is also Burton's last movie with frequent collaborators Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

The film had a limited release on May 10, 2012,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=77504 | title=Dates Set for ''Dark Shadows'', ''Journey 2'' and ''Rivals'' | website=ComingSoon.net | date=May 13, 2011 | access-date=November 14, 2019 | archive-date=October 17, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017094949/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=77504 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and was officially released the following day in North America.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://collider.com/news-on-batman-3-superman-dark-shadows-and-the-hobbit-december-2013-imax-and-warner-bros-sign-up-to-20-picture-deal/ | title=News on ''Batman 3'', ''Superman'', ''Dark Shadows'', and ''The Hobbit'' (December 2012!) – IMAX and Warner Bros. Sign Up to 20 Picture Deal! | publisher=Steve "Frosty" Weintraub | date=April 28, 2010 | access-date=November 14, 2019 | archive-date=June 8, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608103235/https://collider.com/news-on-batman-3-superman-dark-shadows-and-the-hobbit-december-2013-imax-and-warner-bros-sign-up-to-20-picture-deal/23355/ | url-status=live }}</ref> It performed poorly at the United States box office, but did well in foreign markets. Reviews for the film were mixed; critics praised its visual style and consistent humor, but felt it lacked a focused or substantial plot and developed characters.<ref name="rotten tomatoes" />

==Plot==
In 1760, a young [[Barnabas Collins]] and his wealthy family immigrated from [[Liverpool]] to [[Maine]] to expand their family’s empire in the fishing industry, where they established the town of [[Collinsport]] and constructed the [[Collinwood Mansion]]. Sixteen years later, Barnabas is engaged to [[Josette du Pres|Josette]]. He had been having an affair with family servant [[Angelique Bouchard Collins|Angelique]], but he refuses any further advances from Angelique and breaks off their relationship.

Enraged, Angelique, secretly a witch, murders his parents using magic and curses Barnabas. She then casts a spell on Josette, making her jump to her death from the cliff called Widows' Hill. A distraught Barnabas attempts to fall to his death but fails, discovering that Angelique's curse has transformed him into a [[vampire]]. She rallies the town against him, and Barnabas is buried alive in a hidden tomb.

In 1972, Maggie Evans, under the [[Pseudonym|alias]] [[Victoria Winters]], is hired as [[governess]] for the Collins family, now consisting of matriarch Elizabeth, her teenage daughter Carolyn, Elizabeth's brother Roger, and his young son David, who believes he is being visited by his late mother's [[ghost]], and a live-in alcoholic psychiatrist, Dr. [[Julia Hoffman]]. Meanwhile, a construction crew unwittingly frees Barnabas from his tomb and he drinks their blood to restore himself.

At Collinwood, Barnabas hypnotizes the caretaker, Willie, to become his [[familiar]], and reveals to Elizabeth that the family curse is true. He asks to rejoin the family and shows her the manor's secret passages and hidden treasure. He is taken by Victoria’s strong resemblance to Josette. Meanwhile, an older Angelique has displaced the Collins family fishing business by starting her own company, Angel Bay Seafood. Once discovering that Barnabas has escaped, she goes to Collinwood to confront him, reminding him of her powers and popularity within the town before she leaves.

While adjusting to modern life and falling for Victoria, Barnabas uses his powers and the family treasure to restore his family's finances. Dr. Hoffman learns of his true nature while she is under hypnosis and offers to try to turn him mortal by removing his corrupted blood and giving him [[Blood transfusion|transfusions]] of human blood. Angelique arranges another meeting with Barnabas. She begs him to love her back, but after having supernatural [[sexual intercourse|intercourse]] with her, he refuses. She vows to destroy his family and Victoria.

Barnabas hosts a "[[happening]]" at Collinwood for the entire town. He talks with Victoria, who reveals she has been seeing Josette's ghost her whole life. When her parents assumed she was delusional, they committed her to an [[Lunatic asylum|asylum]] for it. However, she eventually escaped, and Josette directed her to Collinwood. Determined to be human again, Barnabas goes to Dr. Hoffman's office, where he discovers that she deceived him to turn herself into a vampire and avoid death from old age. Barnabas kills her, and he and Willie dump her body at sea.

After catching Roger attempting to break into the secret passage that leads to the hidden fortune, Barnabas confronts him, offering him a choice: become the loving father David deserves or leave Collinwood with financial gain; Roger chooses the latter. Heartbroken, David is nearly struck by a falling [[disco ball]], but Barnabas saves him before catching fire in the daylight, revealing himself as a vampire to the whole family and Victoria.

Believing they will never accept him, Barnabas meets with Angelique, who goads him into confessing to his murders and demands he join her as her paramour. He again refuses, so she again traps him in a [[coffin]]. Angelique destroys the Collins' cannery and, with a recording of Barnabas' confession, rallies the town to storm Collinwood Manor.

David frees Barnabas, who confronts Angelique at Collinwood. They battle, and the townspeople learn that she is a witch. Carolyn, who is revealed to be a [[werewolf]], joins the fight, and Angelique uses her enchantments to subdue them, damage the house and start fires.

Angelique admits she was responsible for the werewolf that bit Carolyn as an infant and for the death of David's mother. Her ghost appears and incapacitates the witch, and the family escapes the burning manor. Angelique offers Barnabas her heart, but he refuses; she then crumbles into dust.

Barnabas races to Widows' Hill and finds Victoria, who says she has to be a vampire if they are to be together. When Barnabas insists that he could not do that to her, she falls off the cliff. Barnabas leaps after her, biting her neck. Now a vampire, she awakens as Josette, with his curse lifted. Meanwhile, Dr. Hoffman, bound and on the sea floor, is resurrected by Barnabas' blood and becomes a vampire.

==Cast==
<!-- Order per closing credits scroll -->
* [[Johnny Depp]] as [[Barnabas Collins]], an 18th-century vampire who awakens in 1972<ref name="begins"/>
** Justin Tracy as young Barnabas
* [[Michelle Pfeiffer]] as [[Elizabeth Collins Stoddard]], the family matriarch<ref name="begins"/>
* [[Helena Bonham Carter]] as [[Julia Hoffman|Dr. Julia Hoffman]], the family's vain and often inebriated live-in psychiatrist, who was hired to treat David's trauma over his mother's death<ref name="begins"/>
* [[Eva Green]] as [[Angelique Bouchard Collins|Angelique "Angie" Bouchard]], a vengeful witch who plots a vendetta against Barnabas and his family. She is still alive in the 20th century, having posed as five successive generations of women who own a seafood business called Angel Bay, which has outcompeted the Collins family business.<ref name="begins"/> Her face and body begin to crack during the latter part of the film, resembling a [[Bisque doll|porcelain doll]].
** [[Raffey Cassidy]] as young Angelique
* [[Jackie Earle Haley]] as [[Willie Loomis]], caretaker of [[Collinwood Mansion]]<ref name="begins"/>
* [[Jonny Lee Miller]] as Roger Collins, Elizabeth's [[ne'er-do-well]] brother<ref name="begins"/>
* [[Bella Heathcote]] as [[Victoria Winters]] / [[Josette du Pres]]. Heathcote plays both Josette, Barnabas' 18th-century love, and Victoria, David's governess and Barnabas' 20th-century love-interest.<ref name="begins"/> In the end of the film she becomes Josette and a [[vampiress]] when Barnabas bites her on the neck as they fall off the cliff. Victoria and Maggie Evans' roles from the original series were combined for the film, and, in her first scene in the film, Maggie adopts the [[Pseudonym|alias]] of "Victoria Winters", inspired by a poster on the train to [[Collinsport]] advertising winter sports in [[Victoria, British Columbia]].
** Alexia Osborne as young Victoria
* [[Chloë Grace Moretz]] as [[Carolyn Stoddard]], Elizabeth's rebellious 15-year-old daughter, who is later revealed to be a werewolf<ref name="begins"/>
* [[Gulliver McGrath|Gully McGrath]] as [[David Collins (Dark Shadows)|David Collins]], Roger's precocious 10-year-old son, who is regularly visited by the ghost of his dead mother
* [[Ray Shirley]] as Mrs. Sarah Johnson, Collinwood's elderly maid who is oblivious to Barnabas' nature<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/09/22/johnny-depps-true-dark-shadows-vampire/ | title=Johnny Depp's true 'Dark Shadows' vampire revealed! – Exclusive First Look | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | date=September 22, 2011}}</ref>
* [[Christopher Lee]] as Silas Clarney, a "king of the fishermen who spends a lot of time in the local pub, The Blue Whale"<ref name="weird">{{cite magazine |url=http://ollyrichards.net/2011/12/04/dark-shadows-preview-feature-empire-nov-11/|last=Richards |first=Olly |title=The Weird Bunch|magazine=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |date=November 2011 |page=70}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=April 29, 2012 |title=Dark Shadows Production Notes |url=http://darkshadowsmovie.warnerbros.com/assets/img/_downloads/_pdf/Dark_Shadows_Production_Notes.pdf |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903070617/http://darkshadowsmovie.warnerbros.com/assets/img/_downloads/_pdf/Dark_Shadows_Production_Notes.pdf |archive-date=September 3, 2014}}</ref>
* [[Alice Cooper]] as himself<ref name="weird"/>
* [[Ivan Kaye]] as Joshua Collins, the father of Barnabas Collins<ref>{{cite news | url=https://darkshadowsnews.blogspot.com/2011/07/joshua-collins-cast-in-dark-shadows.html | title=Dark Shadows Movie Casts Joshua Collins | publisher=Dark Shadows News Page | date=July 26, 2011}}</ref>
* [[Susanna Cappellaro]] as [[Naomi Collins]], the mother of Barnabas Collins<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.coretalentinternational.com/profile/tp009060/ | title=Susanna Cappellaro | publisher=Core Talent International | date=April 29, 2012 | access-date=April 29, 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904000351/http://www.coretalentinternational.com/profile/tp009060/ | archive-date=September 4, 2014 | url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Josephine Butler as Laura Collins, David's mother, whose ghost has been appearing to her son since she drowned in a shipwreck caused by Angelique
* [[William Hope (actor)|William Hope]] as Sheriff Bill (credited as Sheriff), the sheriff of Collinsport
* [[Shane Rimmer]] as board member 1
* [[Guy Flanagan]] as bearded hippie
* [[Sophie Kennedy Clark]] as hippie chick 1
* [[Hannah Murray]] as hippie chick 2
* [[Jonathan Frid]] as guest 1<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Couch |first=Aaron |date=April 19, 2012 |title=Johnny Depp Honors 'Dark Shadows' Star Jonathan Frid |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/johnny-depp-dark-shadows-jonathan-frid-314295/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jonathan Frid |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/66165%7C88543/Jonathan-Frid |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201150206/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/66165%7C88543/Jonathan-Frid/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 1, 2012 |access-date=2023-01-04 |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref>

At the 2011 [[San Diego Comic-Con]], it was confirmed that four actors from the original series would appear in the film. In June 2011, [[Jonathan Frid]], [[Kathryn Leigh Scott]], [[Lara Parker]], and [[David Selby]] all spent three days at [[Pinewood Studios]] to film [[cameo appearance]]s. They all appeared as guests during the ball held at Collinwood Manor and can be seen arriving as a group.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://darkshadowsnews.blogspot.com/2011/07/alice-cooper-confirms-dark-shadows.html | title=Alice Cooper Confirms ''Dark Shadows'' Cameo | publisher=Dark Shadows News Page | date=July 3, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://dreadcentral.com/news/45908/san-diego-comic-con-2011-dark-shadows-panel-highlights-original-cast-cameos-confirmed-tim | title=San Diego Comic-Con 2011: Dark Shadows Panel Highlights; Original Cast Cameos Confirmed for Tim Burton's Dark Shadows Film | work=Dread Central | date=July 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://johnnydeppreads.com/index.php?s=4c4e3fe7ebfb6462b14711e322602374&showtopic=10789&st=0&#entry8414702Q | title=Jdr Talks To Kathryn Leigh Scott, Our Q&A – ''Dark Shadows''{{'}} Actress & Author | publisher=Johnny Depp Reads | date=March 2, 2012}}</ref> Frid died in April 2012, making this his final film appearance.

==Production==
In July 2007, [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] acquired film rights for the Gothic soap opera ''[[Dark Shadows]]'' from the estate of its creator, [[Dan Curtis]]. [[Johnny Depp]] had a childhood obsession with ''Dark Shadows'', calling it a "dream" to portray Barnabas Collins, and ended up persuading [[Tim Burton]] to direct.<ref>{{cite web | last=Fleming | first=Michael | url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/depp-lights-up-dark-shadows-2-1117969246/ | title=Depp lights up 'Dark Shadows' | work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=July 26, 2007 }}</ref> The project's development was delayed by the [[2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike]]. After the strike was resolved, Burton was attached to direct the film.<ref>{{cite web | last=Kroll | first=Justin | url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/dark-shadows-ready-for-the-light-1118031422/ | title='Dark Shadows' ready for the light | work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=February 2, 2011 }}</ref>

By 2009, screenwriter [[John August]] was writing a screenplay for ''Dark Shadows''.<ref>{{cite web | last=Siegel | first=Tatiana | url=https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/john-august-to-pen-preacher-film-1117998904/ | title=John August to pen 'Preacher' film | work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=January 21, 2009 }}</ref> In 2010, author and screenwriter [[Seth Grahame-Smith]] replaced August,<ref>{{cite web | last=McNary | first=Dave | url=https://variety.com/2010/film/news/wb-moves-on-depp-s-shadow-1118021794/ | title=WB moves on Depp's 'Shadow' | work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date=July 15, 2010 }}</ref> but, on the finished film, August did receive story credit with Smith for his contributions to the film.

Filming began in May 2011. Production took place entirely in England, at both [[Pinewood Studios]] and on location.<ref name="begins">{{cite news | url=https://comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=77724 | title=Filming Begins on Tim Burton's ''Dark Shadows'' | website=ComingSoon.net | date=May 18, 2011 | access-date=November 14, 2019 | archive-date=September 3, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903091823/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=77724 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Depp attempted to emulate the "rigidity" and "elegance" of [[Jonathan Frid]]'s original portrayal, but also drew inspiration from [[Max Schreck]]'s performance in ''[[Nosferatu]]''.<ref name="radish">{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/johnny-depp-tim-burton-dark-shadows-interview/|title=Johnny Depp and Tim Burton Talk DARK SHADOWS, Pulling from the TV Series, Deleted Scenes, a Sequel and More|author=Radish, Christina|website=Collider|date=May 8, 2012|access-date=May 8, 2012|archive-date=May 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511043640/http://collider.com/johnny-depp-tim-burton-dark-shadows-interview/164615|url-status=live}}</ref>

A number of Burton's frequent collaborators worked on the film's crew, among them production designer [[Rick Heinrichs]], costume designer [[Colleen Atwood]], editor and executive producer [[Chris Lebenzon]], and composer [[Danny Elfman]].<ref name="begins" /> French cinematographer [[Bruno Delbonnel]]—known for his work in ''[[Amélie]]'', ''[[A Very Long Engagement]]'' and ''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)|Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''—also worked on the project.

==Music==
===Score===
The film was scored by long-time Burton collaborator [[Danny Elfman]]. An album featuring 21 tracks of compositions from the film by Elfman was released on May 8, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Shadows-Original-Danny-Elfman/dp/B007KL8UW2/ref=pd_sim_m_1|title=Amazon: Dark Shadows: Original Score: Danny Elfman: Music|publisher=Amazon |access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref>

====Track listing====
{{Track listing
| headline = ''Dark Shadows: Original Score''
| title1 = ''Dark Shadows'' Prologue
| note1 = Uncut
| length1 = 7:52
| title2 = Resurrection
| length2 = 2:54
| title3 = Vicki<!-- Spelt as 'Vicki' here, despite being spelt 'Vicky' in the series--> Enters Collinwood
| length3 = 1:21
| title4 = Deadly Handshake
| length4 = 2:14
| title5 = Shadows (Reprise)
| length5 = 1:08
| title6 = Is It Her?
| length6 = 0:43
| title7 = Barnabas Comes Home
| length7 = 4:18
| title8 = Vicki's Nightmare
| length8 = 1:26
| title9 = Hypno Music
| length9 = 0:47
| title10 = Killing Dr. Hoffman
| length10 = 1:14
| title11 = Dumping the Body
| length11 = 0:58
| title12 = Roger Departs
| length12 = 2:33
| title13 = Burn Baby Burn / In-Tombed
| length13 = 2:49
| title14 = Lava Lamp
| length14 = 2:17
| title15 = The Angry Mob
| length15 = 4:40
| title16 = House of Blood
| length16 = 3:38
| title17 = Final Confrontation
| length17 = 2:20
| title18 = Widows'<!-- Debatable placement of apostrophe, but that is how it's rendered on the album --> Hill (Finale)
| length18 = 3:47
| title19 = The End?
| note19 = Uncut
| length19 = 2:42
| title20 = More the End?
| length20 = 1:55
| title21 = We Will End You!
| length21 = 1:09
}}

===Soundtrack===
{{Infobox album
| name       = Dark Shadows: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
| type       = Soundtrack
| artist     = Various artists
| cover      =
| alt        =
| released   = May 8, 2012
| recorded   = 1966–2012
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Progressive rock]], [[psychedelic rock]], [[hard rock]], [[Pop music|pop]], [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[orchestra]]l
| length     = 44:43
| label      = WaterTower Music, [[Sony Music Entertainment|Sony Music]]
| producer   = Various, [[Tim Burton]]
| chronology = ''Dark Shadows'' music
| prev_title = Dark Shadows: Original Score
| prev_year  = 2012
| next_title =
| next_year  =
}}
A number of contemporaneous early-1970s [[Rock music|rock]] and [[Pop music|pop]] songs appear in the film, along with others from earlier and slightly later. These include "[[Nights in White Satin]]" by [[The Moody Blues]], "I'm Sick of You" by [[Iggy Pop]], "[[Season of the Witch (song)|Season of the Witch]]" by [[Donovan]], "[[Top of the World (The Carpenters song)|Top of the World]]" by [[The Carpenters]], "[[You're the First, the Last, My Everything]]" by [[Barry White]] and "[[Get It On (T. Rex song)|Get It On]]" by [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]]. [[Alice Cooper]] makes a cameo in the film and sings "[[No More Mr. Nice Guy (song)|No More Mr. Nice Guy]]" and "[[Love It to Death|Ballad of Dwight Fry]]". A cover of the [[Raspberries (band)|Raspberries]]' song "[[Go All the Way (song)|Go All the Way]]" by [[The Killers]] plays over the end credits.

''Dark Shadows: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' was released on May 8, 2012, as a [[Music download|download]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Shadows-Original-Picture-Soundtrack/dp/B0080T9RA2/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1337590050&sr=8-10|title=Amazon: Dark Shadows: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Various artists|publisher=Amazon |access-date=May 21, 2012}}</ref> and on various dates as a [[Compact Disc|CD]], such as on May 22 as an import in the United States<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Soundtrack-Dark-Shadows/dp/B007QEO176/ref=sr_1_37?ie=UTF8&qid=1336800700&sr=8-37|title=Amazon: Soundtrack: Dark Shadows: Music|publisher=Amazon |access-date=May 12, 2012}}</ref> and on May 25 in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/soundtracks/dark-shadows-ost/666604|title=Dark Shadows – OST|publisher=[[JB Hi-Fi]]|access-date=May 12, 2012|archive-date=May 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527112228/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/music/soundtracks/dark-shadows-ost/666604|url-status=dead}}</ref> It features 11 songs, among them two score pieces by Danny Elfman and a recitation by Depp as Barnabas of several lines from "[[The Joker (Steve Miller Band song)|The Joker]]" by [[Steve Miller Band]]. Songs not featured on the soundtrack that are in the film include "[[Superfly (song)|Superfly]]" by [[Curtis Mayfield]], "[[Crocodile Rock]]" by [[Elton John]], "[[Paranoid (Black Sabbath song)|Paranoid]]" by [[Black Sabbath]] and "[[Monster (Skillet song)|Monster]]" by [[Skillet (band)|Skillet]].

====Track listing====
:<small>''Included next to each track is the year of the song's original release, excluding the score pieces.''</small>
{{Track listing
| headline      = ''Dark Shadows: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
| extra_column  = Artist
| title1        = [[Nights in White Satin]]
| note1         = 1967, re-released 1972
| extra1        = [[The Moody Blues]]
| length1       = 4:26
| title2        = ''Dark Shadows'' – Prologue
| extra2        = [[Danny Elfman]]
| length2       = 3:56
| title3        = I'm Sick of You
| note3         = 1977
| extra3        = [[Iggy Pop]]
| length3       = 6:52
| title4        = [[Season of the Witch (song)|Season of the Witch]]
| note4         = 1966
| extra4        = [[Donovan]]
| length4       = 4:56
| title5        = [[Top of the World (The Carpenters song)|Top of the World]]
| note5         = 1973
| extra5        = [[The Carpenters]]
| length5       = 3:01
| title6        = [[You're the First, the Last, My Everything]]
| note6         = 1974
| extra6        = [[Barry White]]
| length6       = 4:35
| title7        = [[Get It On (T. Rex song)|Bang a Gong (Get It On)]]<!-- As written on the soundtrack and in the credits of the film; it IS the official US title -->
| note7         = 1971
| extra7        = [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]]
| length7       = 4:26
| title8        = [[No More Mr. Nice Guy (song)|No More Mr. Nice Guy]]
| note8         = 1973
| extra8        = [[Alice Cooper]]
| length8       = 3:08
| title9        = Ballad of Dwight Fry
| note9         = 1971
| extra9        = Alice Cooper
| length9       = 6:36
| title10       = The End?
| extra10       = Danny Elfman
| length10      = 2:30
| title11       = The Joker
| note11        = original song from 1973
| extra11       = [[Johnny Depp]]
| length11      = 0:17
}}

==Reception==
===Box office===
The film grossed $79.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $165.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $245.5 million.<ref name="BOM" />

For a Burton film, ''Dark Shadows'' achieved below-average domestic box office takings,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/05/johnny-depp-dark-shadows-tim-burton-box-office.html|title='Dark Shadows': Has America fallen out of love with Johnny Depp? - latimes.com|author=Zeitchik, Steven|date=May 14, 2012|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=May 26, 2012}}</ref> with many commentators attributing that to the domination of ''[[The Avengers (2012 film)|The Avengers]]''.<ref name="EOnline">{{cite web|url=http://eonline.com/news/avengers_assembles_1_billion_box_office/315839|title=The Avengers Assembles $1 Billion at Box Office, Overshadows Johnny Depp's Dark Shadows - E! Online|author=Ryan, Joal|date=May 13, 2012|publisher=[[E!|E! Online]]|access-date=May 26, 2012}}</ref> It made $29.7 million in its first weekend, then $12.8 million in its second.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-battleship-avengers-dictator-326981 |title= Box Office Report: 'Battleship' Capsizes With $25.3 Mil Launch, Universal Faces Big Loss |first=Pamela |last= McClintock |date=May 20, 2012|work= The Hollywood Reporter|access-date= February 24, 2021}}</ref>

===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Dark Shadows'' holds an approval rating of 35% based on 263 reviews, with an average rating of 5.30/10; the site's critical consensus reads: "The visuals are top notch but Tim Burton never finds a consistent rhythm, mixing campy jokes and gothic spookiness with less success than other Johnny Depp collaborations."<ref name="rotten tomatoes">{{cite web|url=https://rottentomatoes.com/m/dark-shadows-2010/|title=''Dark Shadows''|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=July 14, 2024}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 55 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://metacritic.com/movie/dark-shadows|title=Dark Shadows Reviews|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=May 22, 2012}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|title=Find CinemaScore|format=Type "Dark Shadows" in the search box|publisher=[[CinemaScore]]|access-date=February 24, 2021}}</ref>

Some critics felt the film lacked a focused or consistent plot or [[genre]] (as either [[Horror film|horror]], [[Comedy film|comedy]] or [[Drama film|drama]]),<ref name="TWP" /> pointing to problems with Grahame-Smith's script, and that some jokes fell flat.<ref name="About">{{cite web |url=http://horror.about.com/od/2012theatricalreviews/fr/Dark-Shadows-Movie-Review.htm |title=Dark Shadows Movie Review - Tim Burton Film Starring Johnny Depp |author=Harris, Mark H |publisher=[[About.com]] |access-date=May 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118210952/http://horror.about.com/od/2012theatricalreviews/fr/Dark-Shadows-Movie-Review.htm |archive-date=November 18, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some claimed that Burton and Depp's collaborations had become tired.<ref name="Guardian" /><ref name="SMH">{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/back-for-another-bite-20120512-1yixi.html|title=Dark Shadows: Johnny Depp, Tim Burton: Film, Movie Review, Trailer |author=Gibbs, Ed |date=May 13, 2012 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |access-date=May 26, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://screencrush.com/tim-burton-johnny-depp-divorce/ |title=The Magic is Gone: Tim Burton and Johnny Depp Need to Divorce |author=Hayes, Britt |date=May 11, 2012 |publisher=ScreenCrush |access-date=May 26, 2012}}</ref> Many of these same critics, however, noted that this film's visual style was impressive.<ref name="NYT" /><ref name="Ebert" /><ref name="RS" />

Positive reviewers, on the other hand, opined that the film successfully translated the mood of the [[soap opera]]<ref name="Time" /> and that its '70s culture [[pastiche]] worked to its advantage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voices.yahoo.com/tim-burtons-dark-shadows-full-whimsy-camp-11341608.html |title=Tim Burton's 'Dark Shadows' Full of Whimsy and Camp - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com |author=Whittington, Mark |date=May 12, 2012 |publisher=[[Yahoo!]] |access-date=May 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729030116/http://voices.yahoo.com/tim-burtons-dark-shadows-full-whimsy-camp-11341608.html |archive-date=July 29, 2014 }}</ref> There was also acclaim for the characters and actors, most notably Depp as Barnabas—who several critics said was the stand-out character due to his humorous [[culture shock]]<ref name="Ebert" />—and Pfeiffer.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web |url=https://ign.com/articles/2012/05/09/dark-shadows-review-2 |title=Dark Shadows Review - IGN |author=Vejvoda, Jim |date=May 9, 2012 |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=May 26, 2012}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and said: "[The film] offers wonderful things, but they aren't what's important. It's as if Burton directed at arm's length, unwilling to find juice in the story." He went on to note that "Much of the amusement comes from Depp's reactions to 1970s pop culture," and concluded that the film "begins with great promise, but then the energy drains out".<ref name="Ebert">{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120509/REVIEWS/120509983 |title=Dark Shadows :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews |publisher=rogerebert.com, [[Chicago Sun-Times]] |access-date=May 22, 2012 |date=May 9, 2012 |archive-date=March 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315185132/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20120509%2FREVIEWS%2F120509983 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Manohla Dargis]], in a mostly-positive review written for ''[[The New York Times]]'', said that the film "isn't among Mr. Burton's most richly realized works, but it's very enjoyable, visually sumptuous and, despite its [[Melancholia|lugubrious]] source material and a sporadic tremor of violence, surprisingly effervescent," and opined that Burton's "gift for deviant beauty and laughter has its own liberating power."<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2012/05/11/movies/johnny-depp-stars-in-tim-burtons-dark-shadows.html?smid=tw-nytimesmovies&seid=auto |title=Johnny Depp Stars in Tim Burton's 'Dark Shadows' - NYTimes.com |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=May 22, 2012 |first=Manohla |last=Dargis |date=May 10, 2012}}</ref>

''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s [[Peter Travers]] gave the film a mixed two-and-a-half stars out of four, claiming that "After a fierce and funny start, ''Dark Shadows'' simply spins its wheels," and adding that "the pleasures of ''Dark Shadows'' are frustratingly hit-and-miss. In the end, it all collapses into a spectacularly gorgeous heap."<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/dark-shadows-20120510 |title=Dark Shadows - Movie Reviews |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=May 22, 2012}}</ref> In ''[[The Washington Post]]'', [[Ann Hornaday]] dismissed the film, awarding it just one-and-a-half stars out of four and explaining that "Burton's mash-up of post-'60s [[kitsch]] and modern-day knowingness strikes a chord that is less self-aware than fatally self-satisfied. ''Dark Shadows'' doesn't know where it wants to dwell: in the eerie, subversive [[Umbra|penumbra]] suggested by its title or in playful, go-for-broke [[Camp (style)|camp]]."<ref name="TWP">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/dark-shadows-an-imax-3d-experience,1229895/critic-review.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512105525/http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/movies/dark-shadows-an-imax-3d-experience,1229895/critic-review.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 12, 2012 |title=Critic Review for Dark Shadows: An IMAX 3D Experience on washingtonpost.com |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=May 22, 2012}}</ref>

[[Richard Corliss]] of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' pointed out that "[Burton]'s affection is evident, and his homage sometimes acute," and reasoned: "All right, so Burton has made less a revival of the old show than a hit-or-miss parody pageant," but praised the star power of the film, relenting that "attention must be paid to movie allure, in a star like Depp and his current harem. Angelique may be the only demonic among the women here, but they're all bewitching."<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2012/05/10/johnny-depp-in-tim-burtons-dark-shadows-death-warmed-over/ |title=Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows: Death Warmed Over |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=May 22, 2012 |date=May 10, 2012}}</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]], in the British newspaper ''[[The Guardian]]'', weighed the film in a mixed write-up, giving it three stars out of five, and pointing out his feeling that "the Gothy, jokey 'darkness' of Burton's style is now beginning to look very familiar; he has built his brand to perfection in the film marketplace, and it is smarter and more distinctive than a lot of what is on offer at the multiplex, but there are no surprises. There are shadows, but they conceal nothing."<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/may/10/dark-shadows-review |title=Dark Shadows – review |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=May 22, 2012 |location=London |first=Peter |last=Bradshaw |date=May 10, 2012}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable" rowspan=5; style="text-align: center; background:#ffffff;"
!Award!!Category!!Recipient!!Result!!Ref.
|-
|[[Young Artist Award]]||[[34th Young Artist Awards#Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor|Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor]]||[[Gulliver McGrath|Gully McGrath]]||{{nom}}||<ref name="Young Artist Awards 3">{{cite web|url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms34.html|title=34th Annual Young Artist Awards|access-date=March 31, 2013|work=YoungArtistAwards.org}}</ref>
|-
|[[2013 Kids' Choice Awards|Kid's Choice Award]]||Favorite Movie Actor||[[Johnny Depp]]||{{won}}||
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Saturn Awards]]
| Best Performance by a Younger Actor
| Chloë Grace Moretz
| {{nom}}||
|-
| Best Production Design
| Rick Heinrichs
| {{nom}}||
|-
| BMI Film & TV Awards
| Best Film Music
| Danny Elfman
| {{won}}||
|-
| British Society of Cinematographers
| GBCT Operators Award
| Des Whelan
| {{nom}}||
|-
| Empire Awards
| Best Horror Film
| 
| {{nom}}||
|-
| rowspan="3" |[[Golden Trailer Awards]]
| Best Animation/Family Poster
| [[Warner Bros.]]<br>Ignition Creative
| {{nom}}||
|-
| Best Summer 2012 Blockbuster Poster
| [[Warner Bros.]]<br>Ignition Creative
| {{nom}}||
|-
|  Best Wildposts
| [[Warner Bros.]]<br>Ignition Creative
| {{nom}}||
|-
| Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
| Best Film
| Tim Burton
| {{nom}}||
|-
| The Operators Award
| Feature Film
| Des Whelan
| {{nom}}||
|}

==Home media==
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''Dark Shadows'' was released on both [[Blu-ray]] and [[DVD]] in the United States on October 2, 2012 (the date confirmed by the official ''Dark Shadows'' [[Facebook]] page and the official ''Dark Shadows'' website).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://darkshadowsmovie.warnerbros.com |title=Dark Shadows |access-date=August 20, 2012}}</ref> It was released on both formats several days earlier in [[Australia]]; in stores on September 24, and online on September 26.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/dark-shadows/669922 |title=Dark Shadows - DVD Movies & TV Shows, Genres, Comedy: JB HI-FI |publisher=[[JB Hi-Fi]] |access-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-date=July 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120726044241/http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/dvd/dvd-genres/comedy/dark-shadows/669922 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The film was released on [[home video]] in the UK on October 15.

The DVD includes just one featurette, "The Collinses: Every Family Has Its Demons",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Shadows-Ultraviolet-Digital-Copy/dp/B008QE9XD2/ref=sr_tr_sr_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349253923&sr=8-1&keywords=Dark+Shadows |title=Amazon: Dark Shadows (DVD + Ultraviolet Digital Copy) |date=October 2, 2012 |publisher=Amazon |access-date=October 3, 2012}}</ref> while the Blu-ray contains a total of nine short featurettes and six deleted scenes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Blu-ray-Ultraviolet-Digital-Combo/dp/B008QE9VJI/ref=sr_tr_sr_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349253923&sr=8-2&keywords=Dark+Shadows |title=Amazon: Dark Shadows (Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet Digital Copy Combo Pack) |date=October 2, 2012 |publisher=Amazon |access-date=October 3, 2012}}</ref> Several worldwide releases of both the DVD and Blu-ray contain an [[UltraViolet (website)|UltraViolet]] [[digital copy]] of the film.

==Possible sequel==
In December 2011, Pfeiffer told [[MTV]] that she was hoping there would be sequels to the film.<ref>{{cite web |last=Warner |first=Kara |url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/12/07/michelle-pfeiffer-dark-shadows-sequels |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105223916/http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/12/07/michelle-pfeiffer-dark-shadows-sequels/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 5, 2012 |title=Michelle Pfeiffer Hoping For 'Dark Shadows' Sequels |publisher=[[MTV]] |date=December 7, 2011}}</ref> On May 8, 2012, various tabloids, like ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', reported that Warner Bros. may have wanted to turn ''Dark Shadows'' into a [[media franchise|film franchise]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=McNary |first=Dave |url=https://variety.com/2012/film/news/dark-shadows-sharp-enough-for-franchise-1118053697/ |title='Dark Shadows' sharp enough for franchise? |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date= May 8, 2012}}</ref> On the same day, [[Collider (website)|Collider]] mentioned that the ending lends itself to a possible sequel. When Burton was asked if he thought this could be a possible start to a franchise, he replied: "No. Because of the nature of it being like a soap opera, that was the structure. It wasn't a conscious decision. First of all, it's a bit presumptuous to think that. If something works out, that's one thing, but you can't ever predict that. [The ending] had more to do with the soap opera structure of it."<ref name=radish/>

==See also==
* {{anl|Vampire film}}
There have been two other feature films based on the soap opera ''Dark Shadows'':
* {{anl|House of Dark Shadows|''House of Dark Shadows''}}
* {{anl|Night of Dark Shadows|''Night of Dark Shadows''}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{TCMDb title}}

{{Dark Shadows}}
{{Tim Burton}}
{{Johnny Depp}}
{{John August}}


[[Category:Dark Shadows]]
[[Category:2012 films]]
[[Category:2012 comedy horror films]]
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[[Category:Films based on television series]]
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[[Category:Films set in 18th-century Thirteen Colonies]]
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{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Dark Shadows (film)|access_date=2026-03-02}}