HOLLYWOOD — Tim Burton, the filmmaker who gave a new spin to the classic children's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," has now taken up the challenge of a greater classic, "Alice in Wonderland."

Both films feature his frequent collaborator Johnny Depp, who played the central role of Willy Wonka in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" — itself a remake of Mel Stuart's 1971 film "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," whose screenplay was by the book's author, Roald Dahl.

Depp volunteers: "Tim's movies are for everybody. No one's immune, if they have any imagination and curiosity. . . . The wonderful thing about Tim's vision is that he leaves a famous story recognizable for the purists but he adds ingenious twists of his own. In my opinion, the new 'Alice' is a gem that will be enjoyed by my children and someday my grandchildren, as well as myself in my dotage."