Tim Burton's Frankenweenie

[Watson]

One of the last tasks of former Walt Disney Co. chairman Dick Cook was to announce the stop-motion-animated, feature-length remake of Tim Burton's first live-action short, Frankenweenie, at the D23 Fan Expo on Sept. 11, and several details were revealed about the much-anticipated project.

In the short, a boy re-animates his dead dog a la Frankenstein, only to see his beloved pet rejected and persecuted by an angry mob. Now that Burton has graduated to literary remakes and musicals, a feature-length Frankenweenie will be a nice throwback to classic Burton.

In a press conference and subsequent exclusive interview at D23, we got Frankenweenie producer Don Hahn to reveal several key details:

1) It's black and white. Burton's short was shot in black and white, like the original Frankenstein movies. Shooting a cartoon for wide release without color must have been a tougher sell. "It was and it wasn't," Hahn said. "I think now, with Tim working at the top of his craft, the top of his game, on movies like Alice in Wonderland, I think Dick Cook really felt like if you're going to take a risk on anybody, why can't it be Tim Burton? A Tim Burton movie in black and white based on Frankenstein, how cool is that? Dick was very supportive of it." [It's unclear Cook's abrupt departure on Friday will affect the movie.]

2) The new script has more Frankenstein and more dog. At 30 minutes long, the original Frankenweenie barely covered the re-animation and angry mob elements of the Frankenstein legends. Hahn told the press conference that the expanded script is complete. "It's Frankenstein mixed with a boy-and-his-dog story, very much like the original one," Hahn said in an exclusive interview after the conference. "What's great is Tim grew up in Southern California, in Burbank, and the movie itself kind of takes that California suburban look at a monster movie story. I think that's what we're trying to do."

3) The Frankenstein family tree is growing. With the expanded script come more characters. The original short starred Barret Oliver as Victor Frankenstein and Daniel Stern and Shelley Duvall as his parents, Ben and Susan. Paul Bartel, Sofia Coppola and Jason Hervey played some of the neighbors. "There are a lot of great new characters in it, really great new characters," Hahn said in our exclusive interview. "It's the ensemble. It's the Tim Burton ensemble." Most of the original actors are still with us and could reprise their roles, but Hahn said it's too early for voice casting. Could Johnny Depp make an appearance? "The neat thing about Tim is he can pretty much call up anybody he needs and they'll be happy to work with him," Hahn said.

4) Now Tim Burton can do what he wants. Burton actually got fired from Disney for making the original Frankenweenie. The studio thought it was too scary for children. Only after his success at Warner Brothers did Disney realize there was a market for his work. Now they're clamoring for Burton, who is directing and designing the stop-motion puppets. "Unlike Tim's recent stop-motion movies, he's designing the characters himself," Hahn said in our exclusive interview. "So you really get kind of the hand of the artist in it and get to see Tim's work itself. It's Tim Burton at his best. I think that's why he leapt at it, because when he started out making movies, it was his first choice for a live-action movie. I think he felt like, 'Gee, I wish I could've made a feature back then.' So now to come back and revisit the material is pretty fun for him, I think."

5) They've already started. Cook just announced a 2011 release for Frankenweenie. That's not much time to animate 90 minutes of film frame by frame, although they can get away with 70 or less. "I'm not sure it's a 90-minute film," Hahn said. Burton and his team have already built maquettes. "We're underway on it, and I think the most important thing is it has to be a good movie," Hahn said. "So if it's not ready for 2011, then we'll let it drift into the next year, but we're up and running already." Production is underway in London, where Burton did The Corpse Bride. "The primary reason to go there is Tim lives there, and there's a great group of talent over there also that is really into stop-motion animation," Hahn said.

sauce

I'm more excited for this than Alice In Wonderland, to be quite honest.
http://scifiwire.com/2009/09/frankenweenie-is-coming-5.php

 

[Mogwai]

can't wait for this. love all of burton's work and his stop-motion work is really special.

 

[Tanin]

I love this short. It was a happy surprise to find it on TNBC dvd I have.

 

[mongoose-mania]

I love the short, and I'm happy Burton's finally able to properly do what he wants with the idea. I can't wait for this one.

 

[Sawyer]

The original short film was great, so hopefully this will be too.

 

[ALP]

Concept art and puppets for Frankenweenie:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/derekfrey/4739409107/in/set-72157624246413559/

 

[Spider-Fan]

Alice in Wonderland sucked, so I have low hopes for this.

 

[El Payaso]

I love the short but...



the man already made this movie. Please Burton go and find something original in your head! A remake of his own movie...

 

[Sawyer]

Agreed. Once upon a time, Burton was clearly imaginative enough to come up with this, as well as the ideas that lead to Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands. I dont see why he cant do that kind of stuff again.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

I love the short but...



the man already made this movie. Please Burton go and find something original in your head!

starring Jonny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter

 

[Sawyer]

At this point, the only surprise would be if he didn't cast those two.

 

[Octoberist]

Agreed. Once upon a time, Burton was clearly imaginative enough to come up with this, as well as the ideas that lead to Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands. I dont see why he cant do that kind of stuff again.

maybe he lost that creative spark.

It breaks my heart because he had an art gallery in LA earlier this year and it showed that he can be still quirky (in art form).

 

[Sawyer]

maybe he lost that creative spark.

It breaks my heart because he had an art gallery in LA earlier this year and it showed that he can be still quirky (in art form).

Possibly. I cant help but wonder, though, if he still has these great ideas and keeps pitching them, but studio heads are like "Well, dont get us wrong, Tim, it's a great idea, but we have this Alice In Wonderland script we'd like you to look at." Burton just sighs and goes "Can I at least cast my best friend and my girlfriend?" And the rest is history.

 

[Octoberist]

but most of his films were hit after hit regardless of quality. you would think that he can pull a Nolan and do his own Inception after Alice in Wonderland.

Maybe it's not about creativity anymore but $$$, due to the weariness of fighting against the Hollywood system or because it's comfortable (ie safe)

 

[redfirebird2008]

Possibly. I cant help but wonder, though, if he still has these great ideas and keeps pitching them, but studio heads are like "Well, dont get us wrong, Tim, it's a great idea, but we have this Alice In Wonderland script we'd like you to look at." Burton just sighs and goes "Can I at least cast my best friend and my girlfriend?" And the rest is history.

I don't think it's that complicated. I think he has just become complacent with where he is in life. He's very rich and he has a good family. Very easy to just not give a damn about creativity at that point.

 

[Sawyer]

Eh. Good point.

 

[ALP]

I actually agree with firebird. I just think Tim Burton is tired out as far as creativity in cinema, that's what the 80s and 90s were for. Now he has fallen into the Hollywood cracks.

But how many other filmmakers can claim to have made such well known works as Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Pee Wee? I mean even George Lucas only has two franchise hits on his hand- Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Unless you also want to count Howard the Duck lol. Tim Burton did so good from 1985-2000 that he began to burn out after that.

Right now Burton is just sort of on autopilot, he's still decent though. I just don't want Alice to corrupt him...he sees that his big budget CG fest made $1 Billion so he decides to make a bunch more. At least with Frankenweenie he is doing his own thing...way better than fudging up somebody else's work like Planet of the Apes or to make Lewis carroll spin in his grave. Frankewennie might be fun but expect Johnny depp to voice Victor Frankenstein!

 

[Catman]

You guys exaggerate too much. Big Fish was great. Sweeney Todd was very good. He hasn't lost his touch. Alice is simply a kids movie and that's why it was so successful. It was colorful and goofy enough for kids to enjoy.

As for him coming up with original ideas, keep in mind that Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Corpse Bride are the only movies he has written. Pee-Wee was written by Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman (RIP), Beetlejuice was re-written from a serious ghost story to a comedy by Warren Skarren. Ed Wood is based on a true story. So, just pair Burton with a talented writer and that's it.

 

[ALP]

I love Sweeney Todd but I honestly can't give Burton much credit for it. Have you seen the musical? It's like Burton just said "Give me Sondheim's music, story, structure, and script" and bam! Tim Burton did nothing original in Sweeney...everything in it is straight from the musical. I consider it Sondheim's movie probably more than Burton's. Burton only got the cast together and maybe make Johnny Depp's wig lol The rest is from Sondheim ad verbatim.

Sweeney Todd was Burton's work as much as Sin City was Robert Rodriguez's. He was just 'translating' it but creatively it was not his.

 

[redfirebird2008]

Sweeney is good but the source material is better. My favorite Burton movie of the last 15 years is Sleepy Hollow. I wish he had the balls to still make movies like that one. But he's done creatively at this point. Autopilot is a perfect description, ALP. I don't blame him though because I would be doing the same thing if I was in his shoes. Hell, I'd be retired on a beach in the middle of the Caribbean if I had that kind of money.

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

You guys exaggerate too much. Big Fish was great. Sweeney Todd was very good. He hasn't lost his touch. Alice is simply a kids movie and that's why it was so successful. It was colorful and goofy enough for kids to enjoy.

As for him coming up with original ideas, keep in mind that Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Corpse Bride are the only movies he has written. Pee-Wee was written by Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman (RIP), Beetlejuice was re-written from a serious ghost story to a comedy by Warren Skarren. Ed Wood is based on a true story. So, just pair Burton with a talented writer and that's it.

it all went downhill for Burton after Planet of the Apes

lets not kid ourselves, the big reason his films have been doing rather well after the Apes has been because of Johnny Depp

 

[ross2287]

As for him coming up with original ideas, keep in mind that Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Corpse Bride are the only movies he has written.

Corpse Bride was based on a Hungarian (I believe) folk story.

 

[mongoose-mania]

I don't care, I'm excited for this. I have no complaints with Burton (besides Planet of the Apes and Alice in Wonderland); I love all his movies and can't wait to see this story the way he originally intended it to be.
And so what if he's remaking his own movie? Hitchcock did it with The Man Who Knew Too Much, and at least Burton's revisited an idea he originally came up with. He's just giving Frankenweenie the District 9 treatment and expanding it into a feature-length movie.

 

[Catman]

it all went downhill for Burton after Planet of the Apes

[YT]t-56hQtOlA8[/YT]

 

[GREEN =w= DAY]

[YT]t-56hQtOlA8[/YT]

of course there are very few exceptions like Big Fish and Sweeney Todd

i would personally love a sequel or prequel to Beetlejuice

Michael Keaton is down and has even said numerous times that it was his most favorite role to play