'SWEENEY TODD' JUMPS THE GUN ON BIG BEN

The creative think tank and mad men publicists over at Paramount and DreamWorks just have to be kicking themselves in their collective keesters. In a moody promo shot for the new musical "Sweeney Todd," Johnny Depp sits by an attic skylight, with the Big Ben clock tower visible through the glass. Unfortunately, the film about the demon barber of Fleet Street, is set in the early 19th century - 50 years before the famous tower was even built.

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BURTON'S 'SWEENEY TODD' TRAILER

We're officially stoked. Check out Tim Burton's new trailer for the upcoming musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Sweeney Todd is a fictional villain/antihero whose actual existence, whether under a different name or not, is disputed. A barber and serial killer, the character appears in various English language works starting in the mid-19th century. His weapon of choice is a straight razor, with which he cuts his victim's throats; in some versions of the story his lover, friend, and accomplice, Margery (sometimes Nellie or Claudette) Lovett, bakes the carcasses into meat pies.

In two books, the horror and crime story writer Peter Haining argues that Sweeney Todd was a historical figure who committed his crimes around 1800. However, other researchers who have tried to verify his citations find nothing in these sources to back Haining's claims

As with most Tim Burton projects (we'll forget the awful "Planet of the Apes"), the period piece looks Gothic, comical, creepy and lavish all at once. Bravo and enjoy ...

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