Oh Hollywood

Disney is Making a Sequel to Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland for Some Reason

by Rebecca Pahle | 12:55 pm, December 8th, 2012

And that reason, I suspect, rhymes with honey, sunny, and funny.

Variety is reporting that Linda Woolverton, who wrote the script for the original, is writing a sequel. In retrospect it’s not hard to see why—Alice made a billion dollars worldwide—but still… a sequel to Alice in Wonderland? Really? Did anyone ask for this?

There’s no news yet on whether Burton will return to direct the new movie or what its plot will be. My first though was “Oh, this will be Through the Looking Glass, then,” but Bleeding Cool notes that that probably won’t be the case, as Looking Glass “was raided in part for the first picture and, well, we’re already working with a different Alice. I expect the new film may take plenty of Looking Glass‘ plot beats, maybe even its title, but it’s at the very least going to have to distort it in the same fashion as the first movie.”

I think one thing’s a fair bet: Johnny Depp returning as the Mad Hatter. Why would they even do it otherwise?

Hollywood, I have a proposition for you. Alice in Wonderland was the movie that started the “edgy fairy tale” trend that, two years later, shows no signs of dying down. Can its sequel be the one to end it? You’ll still have a few years to get all the Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters and Maleficents and Cinderella remakes and Jack the Giant Slayers and Oz the Great and Powerfuls and Alice in Wonderland procedural dramas out of your system. And then let’s close the loop. OK? Please?

(via: Bleeding Cool)

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TAGS: Alice in Wonderland | Johnny Depp | Linda Woolverton | Tim Burton

Anonymous

There were some nice, fun little moments- but overall it lacked the awesome magic and bizarre paradox craziness of an AIW. Instead we got a whimsical war movie(???!!)
Ted Van Duyn

Maybe it will take the same route as the proposed sequel to “Snow White and the Hunstman” by ditching the Alice character all together and instead focus on the Mad Hatter.
http://twitter.com/keltar93 James Gardiner

They’re, actually making this?
Please excuse me while I slam my head against the wall repeatedly.
Sorry, the only thing I like less than bad movies is bad movies being successful and getting sequels.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000500177841 Rachel Banzhaf

Johnny Depp should never wear the same character twice. Whether the original was good or bad, watching him do it all over again is disappointing.
http://www.facebook.com/ashe.samuels Ashe P. Samuels

Oh fuck, I don’t have to see that dance again, do I?!
http://twitter.com/smoke_tetsu Smoke Tetsu

“Alice in Wonderland was the movie that started the “edgy fairy tale” trend” As far as I’m concerned Alice did start that trend.. but not Tim Burton’s Alice…. American McGee’s Alice is more like it. Although one could argue the Tim Burton aesthetic such as with Edward Scissorhands helpt get the ball rolling.
Anonymous

I thought the first movie WAS a sequel of the original story.
Rebecca Pahle

But even if McGee’s Alice did it better, Burton’s was the one that started everyone making those sorts of movies, because it made $1b worldwide and all of a sudden the studios were like “Hey, let’s do that!”
http://twitter.com/Merito_CD Not Prince Charles

If Disney was smart, which they always aren’t, they would option Frank Beddor’s “The Looking Glass Wars.”
http://twitter.com/XandraDust Alexis the Unicorn

I’d really like to agree with you on that, but I kinda like the first two sequels to Pirates of the Caribbean.
Anonymous

…I actually loved the hell out of the film. I also thought that there was a fairly obvious sequel sitting there, waiting to happen, with the White Queen turning out to be just as sinister as her sister. I definitely got that vibe off of her.
http://www.facebook.com/bee.wathen Bee Wathen

Personally being a fan of the first one, I was delighted to stumble upon this bit of information and agree with one of the comments below that if Depp isn’t in it, it won’t be worth much. I have faith enough in him as an actor to get at least two good goes at this particular role.

The reason I stopped watching Pirates after the second one was more about its story line dulling on me, then any consequence of Johnnies role. If any characters are to be blamed, I’m pointing the finger at Elizabeth for that. They totally twisted her from the original movie. There is good character development and there is replacing your character with each new installment, but giving them the same face.

I know of a few people that would be delighted in an Alice sequel, given the proper elements were in place. I’m pretty sure, again as a fan, that the movie would be a success even if Burton didn’t join the production team. For one, although he’s one of my favorite directors and the Burton/Depp troupe has turned out some amazing classics, Dark Shadows did not do it for me. Partially because of the incessant and unnecessary use of sexual innuendos and vulgar language.

I’m really quite disappointed in Burton for feeling the need to follow the path Hollywood seems to be moving down. Although sex and profanity have been popular elements in the industry for more then a decade, I’ve seen a violent increase in the sheer number of movies that include these. Its been harder to find movies that /don’t/ have these elements and call me old fashion, but there is something very wrong about that.

Personally, I think the inability to create a work of /art/ and not turn it into a piece of trash is an explicit sign of lack of imagination and laziness…. “Well I can’t really think of anything to fill these five minutes… Lets have them get it on.” (The movie “Butter” for example, starring Jennifer Garner and Ashley Greene has a scene were Greene’s character has a lesbian encounter with another female costar that held zero relevance to the story, which was about Garners husband being replaced as the county’s chief butter sculptor, thus sending Garners character into a tizzy and she enters into a contest against an 11 year old orphan to become the next greatest butter artist.)

Don’t get me wrong, I think there are some tasteful ways to express a scene of passion between two characters, but nothing is sacred anymore.

For those who weren’t a fan of Burton’s version of Wonderland, You obviously weren’t satisfied with the first one, so when the sequel does come out why even bother going and seeing it? Live your life with the bad aftertaste the first one gave you, pretend a sequel doesn’t exist and let us fans live in bliss. There are going to be those that didn’t like the first one and do go and see it. You’re totally free to do that. However you know the risk of being disappointed again and you’re choosing to repeat that risk, please don’t ruin it for the rest of us with your negativity.

Again, with the Pirates (…Quadriliogy?) movies, I loved the first, was okay with the second and became wearied at the third, so I knew better then to waste my time with the fourth. Even after being disastified with the third one, I didn’t go online and express my dislike of the franchise, I just stopped watching them.

Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, which I’m not saying they aren’t. Everyone has the same liberties of speech that I have a right to, I’m just trying to expound on a different way of thinking to those who may see the sequel and then complain about how disappointed they were.

Anyways, thats my two, (three, seven, ten?) cents on the topic. I’m thrilled to hear a sequel is in the works and again, as long as Johnnies there, I’m a happy camper. I don’t even care if Mia Wasikowska is a reoccuring factor. In fact, I dearly hope they find another actress. Although she did a superb job in the first role, her and Depps age difference knocked those ever longed for kiss scenes that were cut out due to the actors age differences. For us Alice/Hatter shipper fans, learning that tid bit of information was a heartbreaking revelation indeed. (And I don’t care what anyone says, I read the arguments, there was most definitely chemistry between those two.)

In fact, I think the only way this one would be a disappointment for me would be if those didn’t make it into this script as well. I think I’m going to stalk down the the scriptwriter and hound her for this detail to be added. =)

Ciao!