How the heck can an Alice thread have 10 whole replies before I come onboard, none of which I might add even mentioned me?
I heard about the Dreamworks adaptation starring Dakota Fanning years ago. Supposedly that version would be made into two separate films (one covering Wonderland and one covering Looking Glass) and would be very faithful. I guess that project fell by the wayside along with American McGee's adaptation.
I, personally, am looking forward to this on the condition that it doesn't combine both books like 3/4 of Alice movies out there do (most notably Disney's). I really like what Linda Woolverton's done for the studio, so hearing that she may screenwrite this gives me hope that she'll true to Carroll without being so slavishly faithful that it becomes dry. An Alice movie should neither be too faithful or too revised. Of course, there are two exceptions to that. The Disney movie radically changed the book and ended up being an excellent movie so long as you weren't a Carroll purist. On the other hand, the 1985 CBS mini-series was literally line-for-line from the book, with only a few minor additions, and it was always entertaining. Still, I feel a big-budget theatrical Alice movie needs to strike a balance the way P.J. Hogan's 2003 Peter Pan film did. So, basically, here's what I'd want out of this adaptation:
1. Alice must be British.
2. It's been a Hollywood tradition to cast the Wonderland characters as celebrity cameos. Every single cinematic version of the story except for one Russian film does this, even Disney's. It'd be interesting to see new faces. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory featured only a few well-known actors, and it still managed to be a hit. I think the casting process should be on, "Who would be right for this role?" instead of, "What big-name celebrity would be willing to play this role?"
3. Please please PLEASE don't be afraid to be surreal. Alice movies tend to rely so heavily on Tenniel's illustrations that not only do they all look the same, they all look too NORMAL. This is why I've lobbied for a long time for Tim Burton to direct an Alice film. His style would be perfect. The production design needs to set itself apart and give people familiar with the story and its 20,000 film versions a reason to see this in theaters. Suggestions: Don't make Alice blonde with a blue-and-white pinafore dress. In a nice nod to Carroll fanatics, make her hair dark brown and short like a bob the way Alice Liddell had it. As for the dress, try something different, but if you stick with a pinafore, at least make it pink, gold, or beige, common colors from Carroll's era. If you want to be daring, try a pleasing shade of red or green.
4. NO MORALS. In a desperate attempt to give some continuity between segments, a few Alice films such as the 1999 NBC film will add a ham-fisted moral that's tied to each mini-adventure. This destroys Carroll's intentions. He was sick of children's stories always trying to teach kids something about how to live. He wanted Alice to be something that children (and adults) would enjoy, plain and simple. The film should be the same way.
5. Separate Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. It's becoming cliche to combine both books into one film, and in doing so, you wreck the essence of Looking Glass (the whole chess game motif). Do Wonderland first. If it proves successful, then work on Looking Glass. Alice is supposed to be older in the second book, anyway.
6. Branch out. Add bizarre scenarios and ideas. Don't just re-enact the book scene by scene, line by line. In doing so, the only advantage of this film would be the budget, and having a big budget is hardly a reason for a film to exist. Just make sure that what you add is clever, because in some Alice films (like the 1999 NBC one), it can become glaringly obvious even to non-readers what's Carroll prose and what isn't.
7. I pray to God: DON'T MODERNIZE IT. Have a timelessness about the whole thing. No tongue-in-cheek references (unless it blends seamlessly with Carroll's wit). No "girl power!" attitude coming from Alice (come on, she's sassy enough). No starting the film off in the modern day real world (1860s, please). No modern slang like "whatever," "cool," or even "okay" (I've even seen BIBLICAL films be guilty of the last one). If you want to modernize the language (like changing "treacle" to "molasses") keep it timeless.
8. Spring or Fall release, please. The film will die if it's released in the summer or winter. Even in the spring or fall seasons, be wary of what's being released. An Easter release would be ideal, in my opinion, and don't skimp on the ad campaign. Let people know about this film MONTHS in advance. Hold lots of test screenings. Heck, visit select schools (in England?) and screen the film for them early to create word-of-mouth. With big-budget releases of books like Peter Pan, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Harry Potter, the granddaddy of them all certainly deserves publicity and attention.
I'm really looking forward to this, but I'll be doing so with extreme caution until I see concept art.