Helena Bonham Carter to Star in Sweeney Todd Film

Helena Bonham Carter will play Mrs. Lovett in Tim Burton’ s film version of Sweeney Todd opposite Johnny Depp, according to Variety. Carter and Burton are real-life companions, and she has previously appeared in four of his films, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (also opposite Depp) and Planet of the Apes. No other casting for the film has been announced.

The film version of the Tony Award-winning Stephen Sondheim-Hugh Wheeler musical is scheduled to begin shooting early next year with a late 2007 release. Paramount will distribute the film domestically for DreamWorks, and Warner Bros. is handling international territories.

Mrs. Lovett, the meat-pie-maker who ends up using the victims of Todd’s murders for filling, was originally played by Angela Lansbury, who won a Tony Award for her performance. Dorothy Loudon, Beth Fowler, Elaine Paige, and Patti LuPone are among the actresses who have played the role on Broadway and elsewhere.

Carter’s other film credits include A Room With a View, Lady Jane, Howard’s End, Frankenstein, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and Wings of a Dove. She will be seen on the big screen next year as Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.