Dark Shadows

Vampire Barnabas Collins is awakened from a centuries-long tomb by a mistake, stepping into a world drastically changed in 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor and discovers his ancestral home neglected and the Collins family scattered and uneasy. Barnabas hopes to reclaim the family's standing, while dealing with the modern era's music, fashion, and technology. He forms uneasy alliances with Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and Dr. Julia Hoffman as they face threats from the ghostly past and the cunning witch Angelique Bouchard. The film balances gothic melodrama with Burton's humor as Barnabas navigates high fashion hair, rock songs, and a lineage that refuses to stay buried, forming a final bond with Carolyn Stoddard and enduring Gothic cinema for fans worldwide everywhere.

Directed by Tim Burton, Dark Shadows adapts Dan Curtis's 1960s-70s gothic soap into a feature released in 2012. The film follows vampire Barnabas Collins returning to Collinwood to confront family curse, Johnny Depp in lead and Eva Green as Angelique.

Worldwide gross stood at $245,527,149 on a $150,000,000 budget, signaling a solid return for a Tim Burton fantasy comedy. The results benefited from Johnny Depp's star power and Eva Green's magnetic performance across international markets and sparked international fan interest.

Dark Shadows showcases Burton's signature visuals with a 1970s color palette, quirky period fashion, and monsters living in a sprawling seaside manor. It reintroduced a new generation to the character of Barnabas Collins and to the world of the original TV series, energizing fan discussions and cosplay and fan events.

Critical reception highlighted Depp and Green for their lively chemistry and the film's bold visuals, with many praising the brisk tempo, though some reviewers noted tonal shifts that undercut the humor. Core themes include the burden and complexity of legacy, identity, and stubborn family loyalties in new times for today.