Anyone who’s been to a multiplex lately has seen the warped and wacky posters touting Tim Burton’s upcoming ‘Alice in Wonderland’ reboot. The message has been loud and clear: Prepare for a dark and twisted trip down the haunted rabbit hole next spring.
But in a case of rather remarkable coincidental timing, there’s another “Alice in Wonderland” reinvention coming to Syfy just next weekend. Premiering Sunday, Dec. 6, and continuing the following night, the two-part film (dubbed ‘Alice’) brings the story to a modern-day setting – a colorful and crazed dreamscape that’s been molded by Nick Willing (2007’s “Tin Man”).
They’ve spared no expense, in terms of casting. Kathy Bates (above) plays the Queen of Hearts, and she’s joined by such familiar heavyweights as Tim Curry, Harry Dean Stanton and Colm Meaney. Alice herself is played by Caterina Scorsone, from TV’s “Crash.” And the promotional materials we’ve received are pretty darn cool. Check out this sest of oversized playing cards – some cards bearing the faces of actors in the series:
It’s a trippy deck – including a Joker card that bears the mug of the new White Rabbit.
While I’m excited to see Burton experiment with the realities of Wonderland, to be honest I’m even more interested in seeing this rendition, which appears to be focusing on characters and story rather than solely production design (See: Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”). So while you were eating your Thanksgiving turkey Thursday, I was diving deep into Wonderland. Look for our full preview on Tuesday!