Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd has one of the worst trailers I've seen in ages, but I don't blame the studio execs too much (watch trailer here). The problem with the film is that no one knows quite what to expect from it. If people don't know what to expect, they're going to shy away from the theater, as we like our popcorn hot and buttery, our seats comfortable, and our previews simple and very clear. As Film.com editor Laremy Legel has mentioned, this film seems like an absolute nightmare to market. It's not terribly well-known as a musical outside the Broadway-loving community, and, after all, it is an odd tale about cannibalism, murder, and haircuts.

Tim Burton has a very particular style, and if there's one thing that we moviegoers love it's a directors that has a certain look to his work, a look that's easily identifiable and can be known from even the smallest of scenes. Burton has an expansive history of films that he's created, from Edward Scissorhands to The Nightmare Before Christmas to Big Fish, and many, many others. Comfortable in many different mediums, and with different types of stories, Burton's films have a life all their own. It will be interesting to see the world of Sweeney Todd through Burton's looking glass, through his creatively imagined world where characters springing to life.

Johnny Depp plays the titular character, Sweeney Todd, which seems like a perfectly Burton-esque choice, given that they've collaborated on six prior films together. In recent years it seems that Depp has come to be known only as a smooth talking pirate, or a sex symbol of sorts. Though he hardly has a need to prove himself as a talented actor, Sweeney Todd will provide Depp with a new opportunity to shine. Also starring are Helena Bonham Carter, who is coincidentally Burton's wife, and Sacha Baron Cohen, who is an interesting choice given that his greatest-known work in America is as the immigrant savant Borat.

One can never tell if the Broadway lovers will accept a film version of their favorite plays. Some do well. The original play and all current reincarnations of Sweeney Todd have won accolades galore. Stephen Sondheim, the originator of the musical, had long resisted a screen adaptation until Burton's project came along. It remains to be seen whether Sweeney Todd will be one of the most loved Broadway film adaptations of the year, or a most frightening mess, spoken of only in hushed tones as a cautionary tale to young filmmakers.

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