Hype builds for Burton’s ‘Wonderland’

Storybook classic "Alice in Wonderland" has been adapted to film by director Tim Burton.

Burton was the creative force behind "The Nightmare Before Christmas," "Corpse Bride," "Edward Scissorhands" and "Sleepy Hollow."

Burton's films are sometiems considered more gothic and offbeat than films by other directors.

"Alice in Wonderland" is Burton's latest and has already generated a solid fanbase.

Hot Topic and Barnes & Noble have entire sections devoted to merchandise, and people are already planning to go see the movie when it hits theaters.

"My boyfriend and I have been looking forward to seeing ‘Alice in Wonderland' since we heard it was going to be made into a movie," said Jennifer Highsmith, a freshman recreation, parks and tourism resources major at West Virginia University. "I think it will be really cool, even if Tim Burton doesn't keep it true to the story."

The original story by Lewis Carroll is about a girl who follows a rabbit and accidentally falls down a hole into a mystical fantasy world inhabited by peculiar creatures.

The characters in the magic world resemble the real people in Alice's life. It plays with logic and ethics in a way that was meant to appeal to children and adults alike.

Alice must make choices that will affect the rest of her time in Wonderland. While solving riddles, she must find herself in a world that is unlike her own.

Tim Burton's movie version is focused on Alice several years after her first trip to Wonderland.

In the movie, Alice is 19 and attending a party after the death of her father.

She spots a white rabbit with a coat and a pocket watch and follows it through a maze and tumbles down a rabbit hole into Wonderland.

She is told she is the only one who can defeat a dragon that is terrorizing
Wonderland's inhabitants under the command of the Red Queen.

There has already been some controversy surrounding the film.

The United States wants to quicken the release of "Alice in Wonderland" for DVD to boost sales, a move that Europe disagrees with.

Should "Alice in Wonderland" come out three months after its theater release, as opposed to the usual four months to six months, it may hinder theater ticket sales.

In response to America's plan, some English theater chains want to boycott the film.

If Europe takes this path, box office sales could take a major hit.

"Alice in Wonderland" opens March 5.