History of Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) in Timeline

In Tim Burton's 2010 film, Alice in Wonderland, a 19-year-old Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) falls down a rabbit hole and returns to Wonderland. She is destined to help the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) reclaim her throne from the tyrannical Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Alice, aided by the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and other whimsical characters, must confront the Jabberwocky, a dragon under the Red Queen's control, to restore balance to Wonderland.

1990: Edward Scissorhands Release

In 1990, Edward Scissorhands was released. Alice in Wonderland marks the seventh collaboration between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton since Edward Scissorhands.

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2001: The Princess Diaries

Anne Hathaway had previously starred in The Princess Diaries (2001).

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2006: Development Begins

In 2006, Joe Roth, Jennifer and Suzanne Todd approached Linda Woolverton with ideas for a large fantasy movie. Woolverton proposed a concept of a grown-up Alice returning to Wonderland.

February 23, 2007: First Draft of the Script Finished

On February 23, 2007, the first draft of the Alice in Wonderland script, titled Alice, was finished and submitted to Tim Burton.

November 2007: Tim Burton Officially On Board

By November 2007, Tim Burton officially agreed to direct both Alice in Wonderland and a feature-length remake of his 1984 short film Frankenweenie.

December 2007: Alice in Wonderland Development Begins

In December 2007, development began on Alice in Wonderland when Tim Burton was asked to direct two 3D films for Disney, including a remake of Frankenweenie.

February 2008: Lindsay Lohan Expresses Interest in Alice Role

In February 2008, Lindsay Lohan expressed interest in playing Alice in Alice in Wonderland. Mia Wasikowska also sent in an audition tape during February of 2008.

May 2008: Principal Photography Originally Scheduled

In May 2008, principal photography for Alice in Wonderland was originally scheduled to begin, but it did not commence until September.

July 2008: Mia Wasikowska Cast as Alice

In July 2008, Mia Wasikowska was officially cast as Alice in Alice in Wonderland.

September 2008: Casting Announcements

In September 2008, Johnny Depp was confirmed as the Mad Hatter. Matt Lucas announced his role as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and Michael Sheen was cast as the White Rabbit.

September 2008: Alice in Wonderland Production Begins

In September 2008, production on Alice in Wonderland commenced in the United Kingdom and the United States and concluded within three months. The production included live-action and motion-capture sequences.

October 2008: Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway Cast

By October 2008, Helena Bonham Carter was cast as the Red Queen and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. Crispin Glover was set to play the Knave of Hearts, Alan Rickman as the Blue Caterpillar, and Christopher Lee in undisclosed role, which was later revealed to be the Jabberwocky.

June 22, 2009: First Pictures of the Film Released

On June 22, 2009, the first pictures of the film Alice in Wonderland were released, showing Wasikowska as Alice, Depp as the Mad Hatter, Hathaway as the White Queen, Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

July 22, 2009: Teaser Trailer Leaked

On July 22, 2009, a teaser trailer from the Mad Hatter's point of view was released on IGN but was shortly taken down because Disney claimed that the trailer was not supposed to be out yet.

July 23, 2009: Alice in Wonderland Video Game Announced

On July 23, 2009, Disney Interactive Studios announced that an Alice in Wonderland video game, developed by Étranges Libellules, would be released in the same week as the film for the Wii, Nintendo DS, and Microsoft Windows. The soundtrack was composed by Richard Jacques.

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July 24, 2009: Teaser Trailer Planned Premiere

On July 24, 2009, the teaser for Alice in Wonderland was originally planned to premiere along with a trailer of Robert Zemeckis' film adaptation of A Christmas Carol on G-Force.

December 2009: Avatar Release

James Cameron, who released his 3D film Avatar in December 2009, criticized the choice to film Alice in Wonderland with conventional cameras and convert the footage into 3D during post-production.

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January 27, 2010: "Alice" by Avril Lavigne Premieres

On January 27, 2010, the lead single from the concept album Almost Alice, titled "Alice" by Avril Lavigne, premiered on Ryan Seacrest's radio program.

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February 12, 2010: UK Theater Chains Plan Boycott

On February 12, 2010, major UK theater chains like Odeon, Vue, and Cineworld initially planned to boycott Alice in Wonderland (2010) due to Disney reducing the interval between cinema and DVD release. The exhibitors protested that the film would be less threatened by the 2010 FIFA World Cup than other titles.

February 25, 2010: Alice in Wonderland Premieres in London

On February 25, 2010, Alice in Wonderland premiered in London at the Odeon Leicester Square.

March 2, 2010: Soundtrack Album Release

On March 2, 2010, the score album for Alice in Wonderland, composed by Danny Elfman, was released by Walt Disney Records. The album debuted at number 89 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart.

March 5, 2010: Film Release Date

Alice in Wonderland was moved up to March 5, 2010 as its release date.

March 19, 2010: Original Release Date

Alice in Wonderland was originally set to be released on March 19, 2010, but was moved up.

May 26, 2010: $1 Billion Milestone

On May 26, 2010, Alice in Wonderland reached its 85th day of release and became the sixth film ever to surpass the $1 billion mark.

June 1, 2010: Blu-ray and DVD Release in North America

On June 1, 2010, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Alice in Wonderland (2010) as a three-disc Blu-ray combo pack (including Blu-ray, DVD, and a digital copy), a single-disc Blu-ray, and a single-disc DVD in North America. The releases included short features and featurettes about the making of the film.

July 1, 2010: Blu-ray and DVD Release in Australia

On July 1, 2010, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Alice in Wonderland (2010) as a three-disc Blu-ray combo pack (including Blu-ray, DVD, and a digital copy), a single-disc Blu-ray, and a single-disc DVD in Australia. The releases included short features and featurettes about the making of the film.

July 8, 2010: Theatrical Release Closure

Alice in Wonderland closed in theaters on July 8, 2010, having grossed $334.2 million in North America.

2010: 2010 Worldwide Gross

In 2010, Alice in Wonderland grossed $1.025 billion worldwide against a budget of $200 million, making it the second-highest-grossing film of the year.

2010: Box Office Success and Award Nominations

In 2010, Alice in Wonderland grossed over $1.025 billion, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time during its theatrical run and the second-highest-grossing film of the year. It also received three nominations at the 68th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

2010: Critical Reception in 2010

In 2010, Alice in Wonderland received mixed reviews from critics. Danny Elfman's score received particular praise.

2010: DVD Sales Performance in 2010

In 2010, Alice in Wonderland's DVD sales failed to crack the top ten in terms of units sold but reached 10th place in terms of sales revenue.

2010: Alice in Wonderland Film Release

In 2010, Alice in Wonderland, an American dark fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton and produced by Walt Disney Pictures, was released. The film stars Mia Wasikowska as Alice, alongside Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, and Helena Bonham Carter.

2010: International Box Office Performance in 2010

Outside North America, Alice in Wonderland was the highest-grossing 2010 film. It began with an estimated $94 million and topped the weekend box office for four consecutive weekends. Japan was the film's highest-grossing country after North America in 2010.

May 22, 2011: DVD Sales Update

By May 22, 2011, Alice in Wonderland (2010) had sold 4,313,680 DVD units, equivalent to $76,413,043.

2011: American McGee's Commentary on Alice

In 2011, game developer American McGee commented on Tim Burton's interpretation of Alice in Wonderland, praising the visuals but criticizing the lack of screen time and purpose for Alice in the story.

March 2012: Records Broken by The Hunger Games in March 2012

In March 2012, The Hunger Games broke several records previously held by Alice in Wonderland, including the largest opening weekend in March and the largest opening weekend during springtime.