Tim Burton’s name is synonymous with some of the most loved movies in contemporary cinema, from his feature directorial debut on Pee-wee’s Big Adventure to the enormously popular Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, his two Batman movies with Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader, and the more recent Alice in Wonderland, which made more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
This Fall, he returns to a medium he he made famous in 1993 with The Nightmare Before Christmas, which he wrote and produced, and then with James and the Giant Peach (producer) and again in 2005 with Corpse Bride which he wrote, produced and directed – believe it or not, his only Oscar nomination to date for Best Animated Feature – stop-motion animation.
For Frankenweenie, in theaters October 5th, Burton delivers a deeply personal story about a young boy – Victor – who brings his recently deceased dog back to life, inspired by a lesson in his science class. It’s a movie that’s been decades in the making, first as a short film released during his first few years at Disney in 1984. But now, just like the movie’s titular dog, the story is getting new life as a full-length feature, and in black-and-white.
Walt Disney Pictures recently released new images on the characters, including Edgar “E” Gore (Atticus Shaffer) and Weird Girl (Catherine O’Hara). Edgar – referred to as ‘E’ – doesn’t have many friends but really wants to be Victor’s partner for the science fair. He learns Victor’s secret and, despite his promise to keep quiet, accidentally reveals the truth.
Weird Girl is, well, a bit weird. She doesn’t fit in with the other kids, her voice is very monotone, she tends to stare, and her companion is a fluffy white cat named Mr. Whiskers who, according to Weird Girl, has dreams.
You can check out the other three character posters – Nassor (Martin Short), Mayor Burgemeister (also Martin Short) and Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau) – at Movie Fanatic.
And in one what might be one of the coolest things I have ever seen a studio share with audiences, below is an interactive 360° tour of the movie’s set for the town of New Holland where there’s been a bit of chaos following the town’s Dutch Day celebration. Producer Allison Abbate explain a bit of the story and she talks to an animator and cameraman about how they’re bringing Tim Burton’s vision to life. In the in-depth video experience, you can scroll, point, and click to explore the content.
Frankenweenie also includes the voices of Winona Ryder, Conchata Ferrell (“Two and a Half Men”) and Charlie Tahan as Victor and was written by Burton’s frequent collaborator, John August.
