It's been obvious that the producers of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" have struggled with how to sell this film to the public. First, there was a trailer that briefly revealed star Johnny Depp's singing voice and scarcely hinted this is a musical. Then, there was the trailer that focused solely on the horror angle.

Apparently, horror is going to be the chief selling point. In recent interviews, director Tim Burton, Depp and other members of the cast return to that point again and again. In a recent chat with the LA Times, Burton denied that he was told to rein in the blood gusts and that he told executives: "The first thing that came out of my mouth was, 'There's going to be blood in the movie, so don't even ask.'"

Well, he's got a point. The musical not only is about a serial killer seeking revenge but plenty of other demented folks and cannabilism in Victorian London.

But how far should they go with the blood-letting?

It's a clear line between squeamish discomfort and a gross-out massacre. After all, you want the audience to embrace the story, no matter how difficult it may be, and appreciate the performances. Too much blood and they'll be heading for the exits early.

So Sweeney is a tricky sell. You do have the strong attraction of Depp. He can draw in young moviegoers who, let's face it, already flock to horror flicks like the "Saw" series. And you have a classic Stephen Sondheim score. And the look of the film is handsome, steeped in moody sepia tones for this dark tale that does have moments of macabre humor.

The film also is beginning to build media attention. For example, it landed on a recent cover of Entertainment Weekly, and more videos are popping up on YouTube, as well as a behind-the-scenes piece. All to prepare you, dear viewer, for some really graphic scenes. The film's Web site recently has been updated, and it's playing up a brilliant hue of red as well. Sweeney didn't get slapped with an R rating for nothing.

Depp himself said in the EW interview about filming the violence: "I remember everyone except me being covered in plastic trash bags. There'd be a countdown. Three, two, one...action! And then blammo, you know? The great deluge. The process we shot in called for a slightly over-the-top kind of color. They were going to desaturate it later, so they had to bring the color up on the set. It was kind of orangeish. A very unnatural-looking color."

And this from a different interview, with Alan Rickman, who plays the evil Judge Turpin: "There'll be loads of blood spraying all over the place, so if that's your thing, you're going to have plenty of it. ..."

The movie officially debuts Dec. 21. Then we'll all know: Is this Sweeney an awards contender? Or a bloody catastrophe?