Johnny Depp as a Vampire in Dark Shadows

Graham King to produce.

'Dark Shadows'

Johnny Depp as a Vampire in Dark Shadows . The story revolves around the strange goings-on around the mysterious Collins family in their estate in Maine

Warner Bros. is teaming with Depp's Infinitum-Nihil and Graham King's GK Films to develop a feature based on the '60s daytime supernatural sudser "Dark Shadows." I loved this soap in the 60’s. I would watch it every day as Barnabas would seduce and conquer his victims on a regular basis.

Depp has said in interviews that he has always been obsessed with "Dark Shadows" and had, as a child, wanted to be Barnabas Collins, the vampire patriarch of the series. The role was originated by Jonathan Frid.

Dan Curtis estate, the producer/director who created the soap closed the deal to bring Dark Shadows to the big screen. Johnny Depp and Graham King will produce with David Kennedy, who ran Dan Curtis Prods. until Curtis died last year. Infinitum-Nihil's Christi Dembrowski, who is real life is Johnny Depps sister made the deal for her brother Johnny. It’s nice to keep it in the family.

With over 1,225 episodes airing from 1966 to 1971, "Dark Shadows" was a moody, spooky soap that had gothic horror icons like vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts and zombies. The show has a huge fan base that delights in going to Dark Shadows Festival conventions. TV revivals of the series and pic adaptations have been tried before over the years but none with as big a star as Johnny Depp.

Depp, who is coming off "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and who just wrapped the Tim Burton-directed "Sweeney Todd," is next expected to star in "Shantaram," a Mira Nair-directed adaptation of the Gregory David Roberts novel that Depp, King and Plan B are producing for Warner Bros. Depp, King and WB are also mobilizing to make a film about the life of Alexander Litvinenko, with Depp poised to play the former KGB agent, who was fatally poisoned.