Eva Green, a Vengeful Witch in “Dark Shadows” (Opens May 10)

Eva Green (“Kingdom of Heaven,” “Casino Royale”) stars as Angelique Bouchard, a witch who knows how to hold a grudge, in Warner Bros.’ new black comedy “Dark Shadows.”

In the film, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), an 18th-century lothario, breaks the heart of a heartless witch by the name of Angelique. When Barnabas declares his love for another, the ethereal Josette (Bella Heathcote), Angelique exacts her revenge on both of them: taking Josette’s life while giving Barnabas an eternal one as a vampire. It’s not much of a life, however, as she proceeds to bury him in a coffin forever…or at least the foreseeable future.

“Director Tim Burton kept asking, ‘What if there was this tremendous fight brewing between this man and woman, who each have supernatural abilities, for 200 years?’” screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith remembers. “And that’s basically what we see towards the end of the film, the tension that has been brewing for the entire movie—sexual tension, financial tension, physical pure hatred of each other. I mean, after all she did lock Barnabas in a box for two centuries!”

“Angelique’s our villain,” producer Graham King says. “She just wants Barnabas at any cost and has the power to do that, so it’s a fantastic role for Eva Green to get her teeth into and she’s amazing.”

“Everything is magnified with her—her pain, her desire, her vengeance,” Green remarks. “It’s such an outrageous character, but I don’t see her as necessarily evil. Her heart was broken, and when Barnabas re-emerges, it’s overwhelming for Angelique. She’s at the height of her power and yet she’s very vulnerable because Barnabas is her weak point. She’s convinced he loves her as much as she loves him, but he won’t admit it. She wants to own him, to possess every bit of him.”

“Eva was the first person that came to my mind for Angelique,” Burton offers. “I was so happy to have her in the role because she ended up bringing much more to it than even I imagined. She had great ideas, was real fun to work with and surprised me every day.”

“I’ve always been a fan of Tim’s,” Green says. “He’s so creative, but also open to suggestions, which is wonderful for an actor. We had the same understanding of Angelique’s character. He never treated her like a one-dimensional villain; he got her pain.”

Angelique is a woman who has changed with the times. During the 18^th century, Angelique was a dark-haired servant girl. As Angie, the CEO of Angel Bay, she’s a successful blonde businesswoman. “Tim wanted her to look like the American dream,” says Green. “Everything about her is perfect. Too perfect. Perfect makeup, red lips, platinum hair. She’s very glamorous yet sophisticated. But, little by little, from the moment Barnabas escapes from his tomb, her facade starts to crack.”

Opening across the Philippines on May 10, “Dark Shadows” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.