DIRECTOR Tim Burton last night told how he "loved" filming Alice in Wonderland in the Westcountry, as the new movie had its royal premiere in London.

The acclaimed director said the experience shooting the above-ground scenes in the region "kept us going" during the arduous task of creating the 3D fantasy adventure using computer graphics in Los Angeles.

Antony House near Torpoint was chosen for the location of the country home where the film begins, with a teenage Alice contemplating a marriage proposal. Filming took place last September and October, with extras from across the region dressed in period costume at the National Trust-owned stately home. Charlestown, near St Austell, also features in the adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic tales.

But the rest of the movie was filmed entirely using "green screen" technology, with the stunning backdrops and many of the characters added in using computer wizardry.

Speaking about his decision to film at Antony House, Mr Burton said: "It was great, I loved it. We looked at a lot of places, but there was something about it. There is a simplicity to it that echoed Alice growing into a person.

"What I liked about this take on the story is Alice is at an age where you're between a kid and an adult, when you're crossing over as a person."

He added: "It is a beautiful house. It is a grey, simple, strong structure which just felt kind of really graphic.

"We had to shoot a lot of this in LA so it was really nice to shoot and be there [in Cornwall]. It was a great house. We stayed right on the grounds in the haunted house. It kind of kept us going through the rest of the movie in a way."

Australian rising star Mia Wasikowska, who plays Alice, said she found it more difficult once filming in Cornwall ended and scenes were played out against a green backdrop. "It is hard because you can't draw anything from your environment," she said. "You have to imagine what it would be like to be in the space."

Jonny Depp, who teams up with Mr Burton again to star as the Mad Hatter, sees his character as "kind of tragic".

"The mercury has certainly taken its toll, but there's a tragic element to his past in this particular version that weighs pretty heavy on the character," he said.

The film also features Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and Little Britain star Matt Lucas playing Tweedledum and Tweedledee. A host of British stars provided the voices for Wonderland's magical inhabitants, including Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Barbara Windsor and Sir Christopher Lee.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were the guests of honour at the Royal world premiere in London's Leicester Square last night. Just hours before the stars took to the red carpet, Odeon announced that it had reached a deal with Disney to show the film in its cinemas. The chain said earlier this week that it would not screen Alice In Wonderland in response to Disney's plan to reduce the gap between the film's cinema debut and DVD release to around three months rather than the usual 17 weeks. It will now be shown in all Odeon cinemas when the film opens on March 5. Mr Burton said: "I'm just glad it's resolved. We made it 3D to be shown in the 3D screens and so I'm just very happy and grateful." Last Thursday, Cineworld announced that it had reached an agreement with Disney and would be showing Alice In Wonderland nationwide on more than 150 screens. And on Tuesday Vue followed suit. The movie also had 26 regional premieres in the UK today, in places including Yeovil, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Sheffield.

WMN Opinion – Page 10