Twin Billing: Matt Lucas as Tweedledum/Tweedledee

Matt Lucas–more Tweedledum or dee?

Slashfilm got word that Matt Lucas has been cast as Tweedledum and Tweedledee in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. The film, currently shooting in England, will be a mix of live action and performance capture. Mia Wasikowska is playing Alice and Johnny Depp is cast as the Mad Hatter.

Lucas is best known for his work in Shaun of the Dead and the TV comedy show Little Britain. He apparently let the news out during a BBC interview last week.

Slashfilm speculates that this character is a good candidate for performance capture rather than live action. That makes sense; you’re already going to be indulging in trickery if you’re casting one person to play twins, so you might as well go for it and do it in a form that allows you to play as much as you can.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee actually appear in Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There rather than Alice in Wonderland. It’s been fairly typical, though, for film or stage versions to bring characters from Looking Glass into productions of Wonderland. The two characters’ names actually come from a 19th c. nursery rhyme, which is quoted in the book:

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

    Agreed to have a battle;

For Tweedledum said Tweedledee

    Had spoiled his nice new rattle.

Just then flew down a monstrous crow,

    As black as a tar-barrel;

Which frightened both the heroes so,

    They quite forgot their quarrel.

There’s no mention that they’re twins, but Tenniel’s iconic drawings made them identical and that’s how they’ve been seen in the popular imagination ever since. Good luck, Mr. Lucas, however, they choose to film you–this should be a lot of fun.

Alice chats with the Tweedle Twins.