Frankenweenie

Production Designer Rick Heinrichs Talks FRANKENWEENIE and His Longtime Partnership with Tim Burton

by Christina Radish    Posted: May 12th, 2012 at 2:26 pm

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 heart-warming 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.

During an early press day for the film, in which we got the chance to preview nearly 30 minutes of footage from the October 5^th release, production designer Rick Heinrichs talked about his longtime collaboration and friendship with Tim Burton, what he loves about stop-motion animation, the process of taking the original drawings and turning them into three-dimensional figures, how the medium has changed with technology, and how surreal it is to go back and re-work the original idea for the film from 30 years ago. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Tim Burton Talks FRANKENWEENIE, BEETLEJUICE 2, BIG EYES and a PINOCCHIO Film with Robert Downey Jr.

by Christina Radish    Posted: May 9th, 2012 at 9:00 am

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 heart-warming 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.

During an early press day for the film, in which we got the chance to preview nearly 30 minutes of the film, director/producer Tim Burton talked about expanding the original story from his short, where the idea originally came from, casting actors that he hadn’t worked with in a while to voice some of the characters, how the stop-motion medium has changed over the years, his hope that younger audiences will want to explore the monsters that he’s paying tribute to in the film, and post-converting to 3D.  He also talked about the fact that Seth Grahame-Smith is working on writing Beetlejuice 2 and that he might be interested in getting involved depending on what he thinks of the script, the rumor about him doing a Pinocchio movie with Robert Downey Jr., and that Big Eyes is in the works, but that you never know what will be ready to go next.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Producers Don Hahn and Allison Abbate Talk FRANKENWEENIE, Working with Tim Burton, the 3D Conversion, and How Kids React to Black and White

by Christina Radish    Posted: May 9th, 2012 at 9:00 am

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 heart-warming 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.

During an early press day for the film, in which we got the chance to preview nearly 30 minutes of footage from the October 5^th release, executive producer Don Hahn (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King) and producer Allison Abbate (Iron Giant, Corpse Bride) talked about collaborating with Tim Burton, the audience that they’re hoping for with the film, the decision to do this in black and white, converting it to 3D, what makes stop-motion so endearing to people, what happens to all the dolls once they’re finished shooting, the opportunity to get to see some of the sets at Comic-Con, and how the heart of the film is truly a love story about a boy and his dog. Check out what they had to say after the jump:

Tim Burton Talks BEETLEJUICE 2 and BIG EYES

by Christina Radish    Posted: May 4th, 2012 at 4:59 pm

Doing early press for the black and white, stop-motion animated 3D film Frankenweenie, due out on October 5^th, questions for director Tim Burton naturally turned to what he might decide to focus on next.  While we will post that portion of the interview on May 9^th, I can say that the nearly 30 minutes of footage that we saw was as adorable, twisted and witty as you would expect, and I can’t wait to see the full-length feature.

When asked about whether or not he’s started to think about what his next film will be, Burton said that he’s going to take a break because he thinks it’s embarrassing that he has three movies coming out this year.  He also talked about the fact that Seth Grahame-Smith is working on writing Beetlejuice 2, and that he might be interested in getting involved depending on what he thinks of the script, and that Big Eyes is in the works, but that you never know what will be ready to go next.  Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Marvel, Pixar, Disney and DreamWorks Live-Action CinemaCon Recap; Includes First 30 Minutes of BRAVE, WRECK-IT-RALPH, FRANKENWEENIE, More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: April 25th, 2012 at 12:06 pm

When Disney took the stage for their CinemaCon 2012 presentation yesterday afternoon, they didn’t mess around.  Loaded with footage, movie stars, filmmakers and information, the presentation was definitely aimed at letting exhibitors around the world know that the Disney umbrella (which now includes Pixar, Marvel, Walt Disney films, and distributing DreamWorks live-action films) is loaded with a lot of big properties and they have no intention of slowing down.  While some of the upcoming properties just had the stars and filmmakers talking about the movie (The Lone Ranger), others like Frankenweenie had Tim Burton on stage with Sean Bailey (President of Production at Disney) talking about why he wanted to make a stop-motion black and white movie, followed by the screening of a full scene.

In addition to what I just mentioned, Kevin Fiege from Marvel talked about Iron Man 3, Captain America 2, Thor 2, and The Avengers.  Pixar’s John Lasseter talked about their next four years of movies including director Lee Unkrich‘s untitled Dia de los Muertos movie, Bob Peterson‘s The Good Dinosaur, Pete Docter‘s untitled movie, Monsters University (including world premieriing the teaser trailer) and a clip of Finding Nemo in 3D and the first 30 minutes of Brave.  More after the jump.

Disney to Release Tim Burton’s FRANKENWEENIE in IMAX 3D

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 6th, 2012 at 9:08 am

Disney will release Tim Burton‘s stop-motion animated film Frankenweenie in IMAX 3D.  The movie is an adaptation of Burton’s 1984 short film of the same name, which centered on a boy who takes a page from Frankenstein and brings his dead dog back to life.  The feature-length adaptation will expand the story to have the eponymous canine wreak havoc on the town.  Disney released a new trailer for the movie last week, and the flick looks charming.  However, IMAX is usually reserved for massive blockbuster movies.  Frankenweenie will be the first black and white film and first stop-motion animated film ever released in IMAX, but from what we’ve seen so far, the story seems too small for IMAX’s gigantic canvas.

Hit the jump for the press release.  The film features the voices of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, and Martin Landau.  Frankenweenie opens October 5th.

First Trailer for Tim Burton’s Stop-Motion FRANKENWEENIE Plus New Images

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: March 1st, 2012 at 8:44 am

The first trailer for Tim Burton‘s Frankenweenie has gone online.  Half of the trailer is the set-up for people who never saw Burton’s 1984 live-action short of the same name.  A young boy loses his beloved dog, digs up his bet, and brings him back to life Victor Frankenstein-style.  The second half of the trailer shows the fun ways that Burton is going to expand on his original concept, and that seems to involve bringing in other staples of the Frankenstein movies–namely, Igor and the Bride of Frankenstein.  After seeing the trailer, I’m eager to see the other ways Burton will try to expand on his original short-film.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and the new images.  The film features the voices of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, and Martin Landau.  Frankenweenie opens in 3D on October 5th.

New Image from Tim Burton’s FRANKENWEENIE

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 29th, 2012 at 12:35 pm

A new image from Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie has been released, and it’s super Tim Burton-y. The film is based off Burton’s own fantastic 1984 live-action short film of the same name, and centers on a young boy who goes to Victor Frankenstein in order to revive his beloved dog, Sparky. This new image highlights an incredibly creepy child who most likely scares the hell out of everyone he meets. I like the stop-motion animation that Burton is using this time around, and I commend him for sticking to black-and-white like his short film. My hopes are high that we’re in for an entertainingly strange tale, but we should have a better idea of the film as a whole when the trailer hits tomorrow.

Hit the jump to check out the new image. The film features the voices of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, and Martin Landau.  Frankenweenie opens in 3D on October 5, 2012.

First Poster for Tim Burton’s Stop-Motion Animated Movie FRANKENWEENIE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 21st, 2012 at 9:52 am

Disney has released the first poster for Tim Burton‘s stop-motion animated movie Frankenweenie.  Based off Burton’s own 1984 live-action short-film, Frankenweenie is about a young boy who goes Victor Frankenstein in order to revive his beloved dog, Sparky.  The animated movie expands on the plot by having Sparky wreak havoc on the town.  The poster says “From the Director of Alice in Wonderland,” which makes sense since that movie grossed over a billion dollars worldwide.  Still, I would prefer the poster read “From the Director of Frankenweenie (That’s Right, Tim Burton Is Even Adapting His Own Movies Now)”.

Hit the jump to check out the poster.  The film features the voices of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, and Conchata Ferrell.  Frankenweenie opens October 5th.

Tim Burton Talks DARK SHADOWS and FRANKENWEENIE; Gives Update on BEETLEJUICE Sequel

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 12th, 2012 at 6:50 pm

We recently brought you a new image from Tim Burton’s adaptation of the cult classic TV series Dark Shadows, and now we have quite a few words from the director on a few of his upcoming projects. He’s currently in post-production on Dark Shadows, which tells the story of a vampire (played by Johnny Depp) who attempts to reintegrate with his descendants after being buried for 200 years. In addition to talking about the setting, tone, and characters of Dark Shadows, Burton gave an update on the Beetlejuice sequel that Seth Grahame-Smith is writing and revealed that they’ll be testing an IMAX version of Frankenweenie. Hit the jump for all the details.

New Images from BRAVE and FRANKENWEENIE

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: December 23rd, 2011 at 9:03 am

Disney will shepherd three animated movies into theaters in 2012.  Though we are still waiting for our first glimpse of the promising Wreck-It Ralph, Disney has offered a few looks at both Pixar’s Brave and Tim Burton’s Frankenweeie.  Brave, a fairy tale set in the Scottish Highlands, has received the full treatment: two trailers, many images, and a poster to promote the June 22, 2012 release.  The stop-motion Frankenweenie comes out later on October 5, 2012, so we only have these images to go by.  Expect a trailer for Frankenweenie soon.  In the meantime, check out a new image for both Brave and Frankenweenie after the jump, along with more info on each film.

First Images from Tim Burton’s Full-Length Stop-Motion Animated FRANKENWEENIE

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 27th, 2011 at 8:13 am

Disney has released the first imaged from Tim Burton‘s Full-Length 3D Stop-Motion Animated remake of Frankenweenie.  The movie keeps the black-and-white of his original short film and expands upon the story of a young boy who brings his dog, “Sparky”, back from the dead by using the methods of Dr. Frankenstein.  Burton tells Entertainment Weekly that “Ultimately, we try to go with the slightly more positive aspects of keeping that [boy-and-his-dog] relationship going.”  The images look fine, although as MattPatches astutely points out, Frankenweenie looks a lot like Brad Bird‘s Family Dog.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The film features the voices of Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, and Martin Landau.  Frankenweenie opens October 5, 2012.

D23 Animated Recap: BRAVE, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, FRANKENWEENIE, and WRECK-IT RALPH

by Tommy Cook    Posted: August 21st, 2011 at 9:07 am

At the D23 Expo, Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar previewed their upcoming slate of animated films, showing exclusive footage with select cast and crew present. Among the highlights of the jam-packed panel: Pixar’s Brave and Monsters University, Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, and Disney’s November 2012 release Wreck-It Ralph (about an arcade video game bad guy) all screened exclusive new footage. For the bullet point highlights from the animated portion of the panel, hit the jump.  And for coverage on the live action portion of the panel, featuring The Muppets, John Carter, Oz: The Great and Powerful, and The Avengers, click here.

Exclusive: Producers Don Hahn and Allison Abbate Talk FRANKENWEENIE at D23; Plus the FRANKENWEENIE Logo

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: August 20th, 2011 at 6:34 pm

At today’s D23, Walt Disney released the logo for Tom Burton’s stop-motion animated film, Frankenweenie.  If you’re not aware, Burton came up with the idea for Frankenweenie in the early 80′s, but due to budget constraints and never having directed a feature, he decided to make it as a short film.  Which, at the time, proved to be a great calling card, as the short led him to directing features.  And now it’s come full circle, as Burton has been hard at work bringing Frankenweenie to life as a feature film, and it’s getting released October 5, 2012.

Shortly after showing the packed D23 audience a sizzle reel, I was able to speak with producers Allison Abbate and Don Hahn backstage.  They talked about what they showed today, the visual look of the film (it’s both in 3D and black and white) and what year it takes place, the music and score, and when will we see our first look at the film (October).  Hit the jump to watch the interview and you can also get a high resolution version of the logo.

Presentations for D23 2011 Announced; Includes THE AVENGERS, THE MUPPETS, JOHN CARTER, BRAVE, FRANKENWEENIE, and More

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: August 9th, 2011 at 10:33 am

Disney is probably done with Comic-Con for good.  The studio now has its own convention, the D23 Expo, and they’re using it to promote their upcoming films.  This year, D23 will have presentations for The Avengers, The Muppets, John Carter, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Brave, Wreck-It Ralph, Frankenweenie, Oz the Great and Powerful, and more.  The presentations will include appearances from Jason Segel, Taylor Kitsch, Kelly Macdonald, Jennifer Garner, Jack McBrayer, unnamed cast members from The Avengers, “and other surprise guests.”

Hit the jump for the full press release, which also announces presentations from the Pixar Creative team, a behind-the-scenes look at Monsters University, an advanced screening of The Lion King 3D and more.  The D23 Expo runs from August 19 – 21st at the Anaheim Convention Center.  Collider will be on hand to cover the event.

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