6. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007)
The story of Sweeney Todd is relatively well-known: a barber intent on revenge starts killing people and baking their remains into pies. As unforgettable as the story is, it’s also crucial to point out that it rose to prominence as a musical. When Hollywood adapted it to the big screen in 2007, they seemed to leave that part out.
The trailer for Sweeney Todd showcases its impressive cast. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Sacha Baron Cohen all feature prominently. It’s presented as a classic Tim Burton movie: it’s dark and gothic, and makes use of a certain quirkiness. What it didn’t seem to have was any music.
Many were actually surprised to learn upon the film’s release that it is indeed a musical. The trailer features only one brief moment of Depp speaking in rhyme, and doesn’t even allude to the countless musical numbers that make up Sweeney Todd‘s story. Though the misleading trailer was perhaps an attempt to distance the film from the stage show, it still clearly miscommunicated the overall tone of the film.