Tim Burton talks Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows , the latest collaboration between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, is one of the most exciting prospects of the summer movie season, and Total Film has been on set of the gothic soap opera (with added vampires).

When we chatted to director Tim Burton about his latest movie, he was keen to share the appeal about the ultimate dysfunctional family…

“What I liked about Shadows is it’s a story about family,” said Burton. “I grew up resisting family and then as I got older I realised what a strange and chaotic but important thing it is.”

“I think all families are pretty weird… We’ve just tried to link the supernatural elements into real issues that families face: like the feelings of a teenager growing up, when your body’s changing and you’re angry at everybody; or the challenge of trying to keep the family together – whether they’re alive or dead!”

Burton also waxed lyrical about being reunited with his Batman Returns Catwoman, Michelle Pfeiffer.

“It brought back how much I enjoyed working with her. Her Catwoman was one of my favourite performances in any movie I’d worked on.

“I remember how she impressed me by letting a live bird fly out of her mouth and dancing around on rooftops with high-heeled shoes.”

Dark Shadows opens on 11 May 2012.