Trailer
Plot summary
Three people in the upstate village of Sleepy Hollow have been found without their heads, among them the wealthy Peter Van Garrett, the widow Emily Winship, and Van Garrett's son Dirk. New York City constable Ichabod Crane is sent north in the fall of 1799 to investigate. The town elders, among them the rich farmer Baltus Van Tassel, say a headless Hessian mercenary risen from the dead is hunting for his missing head. Crane doubts the supernatural explanation, lodges with the Van Tassels, and grows close to Baltus's daughter, Katrina. When the servant Jonathan Masbath becomes the next victim, the man's teenage son offers himself as Crane's assistant. A magistrate's tip sends Crane and the boy to exhume the bodies.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Sleepy Hollow began development in 1993 at Paramount Pictures, with Kevin Yagher originally set to direct Andrew Kevin Walker's script as a low-budget slasher film. Disagreements with Paramount resulted in Yagher being demoted to prosthetic makeup designer, and Burton was hired to direct in June 1998.
- While Johnny Depp was Burton's first choice for the role of Ichabod Crane, Paramount required him to consider Brad Pitt, Liam Neeson and Daniel Day-Lewis for the part.
- Depp wanted Ichabod to parallel Irving's description of the character in the short story, including a long prosthetic snipe nose, huge ears and elongated fingers, but Paramount turned down his suggestions.
- Depp modeled Ichabod's detective personality on Basil Rathbone in the 1939 Sherlock Holmes film series, and also studied Roddy McDowall's acting for additional influence.
- Production moved to the Culden Faw Estate, Hambleden for a month-long shoot in March, where the town of Sleepy Hollow was constructed from scratch.
- A wider view of the windmill was rendered on a Leavesden soundstage set with a quarter-scale windmill, rotating vanes, a painted sky backdrop and special-effects fire. "It was scary for the actors who were having burning wood explode at them," Heinrichs recalled.
