This week, USAToday released new images from the upcoming movie: Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland and the images seem to pull from the most twisted, creepy and nightmarish side of the Lewis Carol classic. This is, however, not the first time we have seen Alice in all her curiously twisted splendor. How will this new tale fair for our good friend, American McGee and his circus of weird!
In October 2000, the world was introduced to a much darker version of our beloved Alice in Wonderland in the EA title ALICE - Designed by American McGee. Alice is a twisted tale of a much older version of our heroine who’s house is burned down and parents are killed after her second adventure in Wonderland. The grief and guilt of this event leads Alice to attempt suicide (not your Disney version of Alice here!) and is is institutionalized in Rutledge Asylum. Years later, the White Rabbit summons Alice to assist in saving a radically altered Wonderland, now under the rule of the Queen of Hearts. The Cheshire Cat serves as Alice’s companion throughout the game, frequently appearing to guide her with cryptic comments. Wonderland, being a creation of Alice’s mind, has been corrupted by her insanity.
The success of the title prompted talks for a movie adaptation of the game in December 2000. Wes Craven signed on to develop the film with Sarah Michelle Gellar and director Marcus Nispel also both attached to the project.
Various script changes and studio shuffling have occurred since 2000. As of June 23, 2009 - IMDB has the movie slated for a 2010 release.
Then along comes the gothic master - Tim Burton to steal Master Mcgee’s thunder.
Although the images released are a much more colorful version of the tale, it does make one wonder if McGee has met his match. It is hard to imagine that this Burton/Disney collaboration will release this Wonderland without a video game title attached to it.
With a sequel to American McGee’s Alice announced February of 2009 and the American McGee movie still being slated for 2010, how will Mcgee stack up against Walt’s world of Wonderland gone weird and will America’s fascination with the dark and twisted be what potentially makes both of these films a huge success? Or, will we have another Willy Wonka on our hands?
Take a glimpse at the stills from Burton and game footage from McGee and let us know your thoughts on these two dueling curiosities!
TIM BURTON:
AMERICAN MCGEE:
June 23rd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
My hope is Burton’s Alice will be cooky, semi creepy, twisted and fun. It should be a fun movie, and probably not scary.
I REALLY REALLY want McGee’s Alice to be a very creepy and psychologically damaging. The content of the game gives the potential to be terrifying and insightful. It has the elements to make a fantastic horror film, and I hope they make one with it (if it ever comes out!)
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:57 pm
I think Burton’s will wind up being less scary/more funny. I always figured McGee’s would be downright frightening if it ever made it to the big screen.
The Sci Fi Channel is also putting together and Alice film actually because Tin Man was so successful.
June 25th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
I’m excited to see both!!! I always love Burton’s work, and have been eagerly waiting for Alice to come to the big screen.
But I do have a littl fangirl squee moment! Is that Anne Hathaway as the White Queen? I heart AH!
July 13th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
I’m sure Burton will make a movie with great production design. Everything else is hit or miss.
I’m sure he’ll never reach anything as crazy as Jan Svankmeyer’s version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfnsnmsPClc
October 13th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
the image of burton’s mad hatter is very disappointing.
I’m am anxiously awaiting mcgee’s Alice!!!!!
December 28th, 2009 at 8:28 am
They both sound great and dakr and twisted. So I am defanetley going to see both with one of my BFs
January 21st, 2010 at 9:24 am
I think the two are VERY different. Although they are both a lot darker than the book, Burton’s is still a lot cheerier. American McGee’s version would be so much darker and insane you can’t really compare the two, though I love them both. =)
February 8th, 2010 at 8:19 am
bloody xD
March 4th, 2010 at 12:15 am
Tim Burton is such a copycat!! Have you seen the new pc game screenshots that have just been released on the official disney alice in wonderland website??!!?! there is a portal like on the 3rd screenshot that looks exactly like the portals in alice!!! its just shaped like a heart instead!! i am surprised tim hasn’t been sued…but with the super sleuth company disney on his side i am sure he pounced this oppurtunity because he DID have the assurance that nothing would go wrong!
March 13th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Tim birton alice sucked, i did not like it. His art work is not as good as American Mcgee’s Drawing. The movie was a joke. Alice In Wonder Land is a GRIM! fairy tale not suposed to be a happy story. They made almost the same movie all over again. The ending was stupied. I did not like the person they picked to play Alice. There not suposed to help her, there suposed to decive her. Hatter was coming on to Alice. Anne Hathaway you can pick someone better! The Bad guys were really poorly done. Anyway the new movie will be way better and i know it! Tim Burton should not have done the movie, I was not very impressed. American Mcgee’s Alice really brings out what Alice Is suposed to be about A GRIM FAIRY TALE. It’s not suposed to be a happy fairy tale. There was an actually a little girl named Alice Little that it was based off of.
peace out
March 17th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
I really liked Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, although I’m a fan of his work. I didn’t enjoy the ending as it left too much open and I hated her decision to return home. To me it seemed too much of a “Tuck Everlasting” ending when eternal love was presented to her and she rejects it. However, Alice (Wish I could have played the game) seems better as it’s a story gone wrong and the artwork shown is just FANTASTIC!!! It portrays the changes that can happen to a person’s mind after they lose loved ones in a tragic event in their life and I do agree that it should be psychologically scarring. It should surpass the deemed horror/gore films of today, and I honestly hope it does. I think both would be equal, however different depending on a person’s taste. Such that Alice would be disliked by those who do not like horror, where Alice in Wonderland would be preferred by such people. If Alice does hit the big screen, it will definately be on my must-see-in-theatres list.