The first trailer for Sweeney Todd, the latest team up from Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, is online here. It looks great, very moody and with plenty of opportunity for Burton's signature sinister storybook aesthetic. But, erm, isn't this supposed to be, y'know, a musical?
Warner Bros seem to be keen to not let on to the fact that people are going to be breaking into song at moments of high emotion, presumably for fear that you might think it's just for girls. It's a shame since reaction to a musical sequence shown at the Venice Film Festival was resoundingly positive. We get a moment of Depp carrying a note, which he seems to do well, but it's really just a hint.
The rest of it looks good and bursting with Burtonism. All the trademarks are there, it looks gorgeous, Depp's doing some kind of nice, less camp spin on Captain Jack and Helena Bonham Carter looks like she might be great fun as the haggard Mrs Lovett.
Sweeney Todd is the story of a man who's convicted of a crime he didn't commit and, while he's incarcerated, learns that his wife has been raped and committed suicide, leaving his daughter with the man who raped her. He returns as the barber Sweeney Todd, who slits the throats of his customers and gives them to Mrs Lovett to turn into pies. Cheery, ain't it? Bring the family.