Plans for the new work have been in development over the past few years and the show is aiming for a 2005 UK opening, according to a representative for Bourne. The 1990 Tim Burton fairy tale film will be made into a dance theatre piece — in the vein of Bourne's Swan Lake — rather than a musical. The film's screenplay writer Caroline Thompson and music composer Danny Elfman are developing the work with Bourne and his company, New Adventures. Producers are as yet unnamed.

"Edward Scissorhands" follows the story of a young man (as played by Johnny Depp) created by an inventor (Vincent Price) who dies before finishing his work — leaving the man with scissors instead of hands. When a determined Avon lady (Dianne Wiest) discovers him in his castle, she attempts to bring him into her home. Before long, the community becomes involved and Edward's hands become more trouble than they are cut out for. Winona Ryder, Kathy Baker, Anthony Michael Hall and Alan Arkin also starred in the movie.

Bourne danced his way into the mindset of theatregoers with his theatrical stagings of Cinderella (Evening Standard Award), The Car Man (L.A. Drama Critics' Circle Award) and Swan Lake — which earned him an Olivier Award and two Tony Awards.

Thompson and Elfman are masters of the macabre. Screenwriter Thompson has also penned the 1991 film "The Addams Family" and Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas," while Elfman is known for countless movie scores — many with Burton — including "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," "Beetlejuice," "Scrooged," "Batman," "Dick Tracy," "Army of Darkness" and "Sleepy Hollow."