When Disney first acquired Marvel back in 2009, fans immediately started speculating about the numerous possibilities that this partnership could create.  Chief among them was whether Disney or Pixar would be bringing a Marvel Comics property to life in the world of animation.  Rumors swirled last summer that Disney was developing an animated feature film adaptation of the Marvel comic Big Hero 6, and they were quickly followed up by an official confirmation that the project was in the early stages of development.

Well now Disney has formally announced that the first animated feature based on a Marvel property will indeed be Big Hero 6, and the film is slated for release sometime next year.  Hit the jump for more, including the first footage from the pic.

The black and white, stop-motion animated 3D film Frankenweenie, from director Tim Burton and based on the ideas in his 1984 live-action short, is a tale about a boy and his beloved dog. After unexpectedly losing Sparky, young Victor (voiced by Charlie Tahan) sews him back together and harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life, but quickly faces unintended and sometimes monstrous consequences for his actions. The voice cast also includes Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Atticus Shaffer and Winona Ryder.  Here’s the recent trailer.  Frankenweenie hits theaters October 5, 2012.

Last week I got to sit down with producer Don Hahn at Comic-Con.  During our wide ranging interview we talked about making Frankenweenie, if it was tough to get the studio on board, if the current popularity of The Nightmare Before Christmas helped get the film made, and more.  In addition, with Hahn producing Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie, we talked about how that’s been going, what Easter Eggs people should look for at Disneyland and Disney World, what he collects, and a lot more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Ever since word first broke that Disney was looking to acquire Marvel Studios, fans started speculating about which Marvel property would inevitably be turned into an animated film by the Mouse House. With Pixar also under Disney’s distribution banner, the excitement over a possible Pixar-led Marvel film was almost palpable.  Just a few weeks ago, Pixar and Disney Animation head John Lasseter went so far as to say he “wouldn’t be opposed” to Pixar and Marvel teaming up on a property, but now it looks like the first animated Marvel film to come out of the Mouse House may be from Disney Animation.  The studio is apparently in development on an animated iteration of the comic series Big Hero 6.  Hit the jump for more.