Porta's Look!...Tim Burton Takes on 'Alice in Wonderland'

“ First looks amazing beyond all reason! ”

-the portastylistic

Stunning new concept art offers a first look at Alice in Wonderland as seen through the eyes of director Tim Burton. The images, released by Disney as Burton works on the remake in London, show Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter (pictured above) and provide a fascinating peek at the fabulist director’s vision for Alice, The Red Queen and the movie’s other central characters.

The pictures hint at an elegant, richly textured fantasy world that honors Lewis Carroll’s 19th-century fairy tale while incorporating bits of Burton’s trademark weirdness (check the grimacing flowers in the picture below).

The images are drawn from the world of Alice in Wonderland, as re-imagined by one of the world’s most visually arresting directors. The movie is scheduled for release March 5, 2010.

Alice, played by Mia Wasikowska, contemplates some giant mushrooms.

Helena Bonham Carter plays The Red Queen.

Alice joins Tweedledee and Tweedledum at a very Burton-esque gate.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum (Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire baddie Matt Lucas in the dual role) look ready to cause trouble.

The White Queen, as portrayed by Anne Hathaway.

The White Rabbit (voiced by Michael Sheen) chats with Alice.

Teacups are a recurring visual theme.

Images courtesy Walt Disney Pictures.

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Mia Wasikowska as Alice

19-year-old Australian actress Mia Wasikowska earned critical praise in last year's HBO drama "In Treatment." She also appeared in the WWII drama "Defiance," and was named one of Variety Magazine's "10 Actors to Watch." Burton says he chose her because "she just had that certain kind of emotional toughness...that makes her kind of an older person but with a younger person's mentality." Alice will be the only character in Wonderland who isn't enhanced in some degree with makeup or digital manipulation.

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Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter

In the book, Carroll only ever calls the character "The Hatter," but he does appear in the chapter "A Mad Tea-Party." The look in the movie is a variation on the book's illustrations by John Tenniel, with his wild hair, oversized bowtie, and "10/6" label pinned to his giant hat. This is Burton's seventh time working with Depp over the past 20 years. He told the Los Angeles Times he likes to work with Depp because "he doesn't like to be the same way twice. That's good, it always keeps it fresh and all."

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Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen

The Red Queen is the villain of the second book, "Through the Looking Glass," though in many adaptations the character is combined with the Queen of Hearts from the first story. In the original illustrations, she is depicted as a legless chess piece. For the movie, Bonham Carter's head will be digitally enlarged to about three times its actual size. She has worked on five previous movies with Burton, and they have two children together.

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Anne Hathaway as the White Queen

In "Through the Looking Glass," the White Queen claims to be over one hundred and one years old, but she seems to experience time backwards. So it follows Carroll's twisted logic that when Alice returns the Queen would be young. While Anne Hathaway looks very different in the role with her long white hair, her appearance will not be digitally manipulated. Hathaway told MTV that while she was happy to get a chance to work with Burton, she was most excited to share scenes with Johnny Depp. She said, "I wish I could be so cool about it but I am such a huge fan, I felt really embarrassed. He would catch me staring at him."

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Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum

Tweedledee and Tweedledum appear in several versions of "Alice in Wonderland," including Walt Disney's 1951 animated film, though they actually don't appear until "Through the Looking-Glass." Carroll never specifies they are twins, but that is how Tenniel drew them. English comedian Matt Lucas plays both roles in the movie. Lucas is well known in the U.K. as half of the sketch comedy team on the show "Little Britain."

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Tim Burton will join a favourite Johnny Depp again..n


Awesome!