First picture of Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter

The first sneak peek look of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is out.

Depp once again undergoes the serious makeup treatment to play the role.

The movie will incorporate many characters and narrative elements from Carroll’s books but is essentially a new story, Alice’s return to Wonderland. Tim Burton states that “given what this story is, if Alice had this adventure as a little girl and now she’s going back all these years later, it’s a bit overgrown…[and there’s] a slightly haunted quality to Wonderland, even though it’s got strong elements of color.” She is now 17 years old and someone “who doesn’t quite fit into Victorian society and structure.” This journey “becomes a rite of passage as she discovers her voice and herself.”

Alice in Wonderland is due out March 2010.