Johnny Depp!

Johnny Depp?

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/06/johnny ... adaptation

Sources are reporting that a big screen version of Doctor Who, written by former showrunner Russell T. Davies, is slated for release in 2012. Those same sources are also reporting that Johnny Depp has been confirmed in the iconic role of The Doctor.

The rumor of an American movie adaptation of the classic British sci-fi series was originally raised when Russell T. Davies and show producer Julie Gardner announced their departure from the BBC revival of the show for Los Angeles in 2008 in order to develop projects for BBC America. Though both were mum on the idea of adapting Doctor Who for American audiences, it was eventually revealed that Torchwood was undergoing that very process. The idea of a Torchwood television series was originally pitched to Fox before eventually landing at Starz. (Fox Television itself is no stranger to Doctor Who, having been the distributor behind an attempted American revival of the show in 1996.)

Earlier this week, the news of Johnny Depp starring in Doctor Who appeared on article mill PubArticles (Update: Looks like the article has moved here):

Long-time producer of the television series Russell T. Davies reported that the reason he moved on from the show was due to the opportunity to transform the Doctor to the big screen. “Bringing the Who franchise to the theaters is a regeneration for the character beyond the usual one. A theatrical release has a greater range and can reach millions of more people than just the fans. There will be brand new concepts and the film will be just as adventurous, scary and humorous as the television programme. But none of us working the film will forget what makes the character great and interesting and the long-time fans will not be disappointed because yes, the Daleks make an appearance.”

The article goes on to say that the story will involve the Doctor going “on a journey through time and space with a crew of volunteers treating humanity’s illnesses brought on by invading aliens. He cures the bubonic plague and then goes to Africa to fight Ebola.”

The grain-of-salt quotient on this idea is MASSIVE, but it’s not like Russell T. Davies hasn’t introduced huge, odd-sounding concepts to Doctor Who before. He’s also admitted in his book The Writer’s Tale to routinely lying to press about story elements.

So it was with even greater surprise that movie studio sources confirmed with Tor.com today that, while it can’t comment on possible story elements, the casting of Johnny Depp as the Doctor for a 2012 film is confirmed.

It's a bullshit rumor. Some schmuck made the whole thing up. I will wager a whoooooole lot of jellybabies on that.

I always wanted to see a Dr. Who movie starring Peter O'Toole (a decade or two ago, of course).
Anybody else have any favorites?

Charlie Callas.

I would totally wait a Depp Dr Who with anticipation.

Get Terry Gilliam to direct it, and I could see it working.

Probably total bullshit. Whenever a coveted role floats about Johnny Depp is almost always put up there somewhere on some rumor some place.

To me, this would only work if they had the guy who played Grand Moff Tarkin in that one shot in Episode III playing the Peter Cushing Dr. Who from those non-canon movies and then die and regenerate as Johnny Depp. It would allow it to act outside of standard Who canon but still feel Who-y despite the presence of a big name American star like Depp.

Incidentally, cause I just wanted to say I knew this before someone points it out, the Grand Moff Tarkin of the prequels is Wayne Pygram, better known for playing Scorpius in Farscape.

I do wonder how soon they should introduce the concept of regeneration for new audiences. If you do it up front, does that remove the element of danger to the Doctor right at the start? If you hold off, say until a later film when it's time to cast a new actor, does an American audience unfamiliar with Doctor Who look at it as a cheesy re-casting thing (which it initially was, really)?

Also, if they were to do an American Doctor Who film, I think they'd almost certainly go with an origin, starting on Gallifrey with the Doctor stealing the Tardis, possibly to save the universe from the Master, and with the Time Lords chasing after him (and probably with the Master using/inventing Daleks). In other words, it would definitely be the adventures of the First Doctor, rather than picking up during later incarnations.

Other random question: The Tardis? Would it still be a British police box? Would the average American audience even get what that is? Would they change it to something American? And if so, what?

Sacrilege.


All of you go wash out your minds with soap.

IAWBP

Must be a slow day on the Internets.

Rumor is probably based on lame fake promos someone made with "Sleepy Hollow" footage. If rumored movie was only two years out, it would already be in production and being promoted. Meanwhile, IMDB shows that Depp is in production for many films, including Sin City 3, another Pirates, Dali, Dark Shadows, the Lone Ranger and the Incredible Mr. Limpet (no really); there is no indication of any Doctor Who.

As for the rumored plot above, that sounds pretty darn silly and hardly worthy of big budget special effects. Curing diseases through history? Gee, let's throw in breast cancer and the common cold while we're at it. Maybe bird flu and diabetes 2. Oooh look, a rhyme. Let's make it a musical! Doctor Sweeney Who Wonka.

Agree it would probably have to be an origin story, especially in this Age of Prequels [see Star Trek]. Most of this generation hardly knows what a phone booth is, let alone a UK police box. As for Gilliam directing, that could go either way and would hardly make it mainstream or action-oriented enough. A remake based on this rumor would more likely turn out the way Hitchhikers Guide turned out.

It would make more sense to use current actors with flashback of previous doctors, maybe even including doctors we've never seen before, and maybe using Depp as an origin story. Gotta promote the current series and leave the doctor door open for sequels, you know.

I like the Peter O'Toole suggestion.

Peter O'Toole played an aged David Tennant in Casanova.

Johnny Depp can't play British?

Anybody see Alice In Wonderland? When the Mad Hatter was being fun & playful, he had an English accent. When he was talking about the Red Queen and how much he hated her, he'd switch to Scottish. Pretty cool.

Timelords are British?

Dr. Who is, yes.

I thought he was from Gallifrey.

He becomes British. Like Superman is American.

Ditto here. Dr. Who or Johnny Depp by themselves would be awesome but both together would be awesome.

When casting for the new Dr. Who show started someone suggested Marc Warren. He'd be an ideal second candidate, in my book.

Plus Capt. Jack Sparrows was British, as well.

I would go with Cillian Murphy.

Yes, but who would you pick to play the Doctor?