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Comic Con 2012: Frankenweenie Homage Trailer

Frankenweenie continues to be a a film I look forward to.  I love the fact that Tim Burton has revisited an idea he first made into a live-action short, but has now turned into a feature-length, stop-motion animated film (not to mention in both Black & White and in 3D).  It features a large voice cast that mainly consists of actors and actresses that Burton has worked with many times before, but also seems to have a script that is quite funny in a very humorously dark, but campy sort of way.  Not a whole lot of new information was given in regards to this feature, but the new trailer, which debuted exclusively at Comic Con can be found, were you to continue on.

Official Information:

From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience.

In Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.

Homage Trailer:

I do not have a whole lot to add regarding how the panel went.  Tim Burton seemed to be having a good time on stage, which I think is credit to being able to talk about what is essentially a passion project for him.  Here is the first Burton film in a long time that is not based off of another existing property (beyond the Frankenstein inspiration, obviously).  This is a film that goes back to the BeetleJuice and Edward Scissorhands days of Burton creating something new and unique, while also very Burton-y.  The trailer continued to suggest a fun film that is somewhat aware of what it is, while also providing a nice comedy that revolves around a young boy wanting to be with his dog and the dire consequences that come from messing with supernatural forces (in a fun way, of course).  The new trailer establishes all of this, while being modeled after 50s Drive-In/Monster Movie trailers, which was a lot of fun to see.

I should also note that the remainder of the panel contained some brief clips from the film and a Q&A, which led to everyone watching an entire crew of Burton fans, dressed as their favorite Burton-film characters, ask their hero some questions.  Along with goofy fun from Mad Hatter fans, It was during this time that costume designer and frequent Burton collaborator, Colleen Atwood, was given a shout-out, which was actually a pretty cool thing to hear and the mark of a true geek for bringing her up in a panel.

Frankenweenie arrives in theaters on October 5, 2012, and I am still really looking forward to it.

NOTES:

• When Tim Burton originally conceived the idea for “Frankenweenie,” he envisioned it as a full-length, stop-motion animated film. Due to budget constraints, he instead directed it as a live-action short, released in 1984.
• “Frankenweenie” follows in the footsteps of Tim Burton’s other stop-motion animated films “Corpse Bride” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”—both of which were nominated for Academy Awards®.
• Over 200 puppets and sets were created for the film.
• The voice cast includes four actors who worked with Burton on previous films: Winona Ryder (“Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands”), Catherine O’Hara (“Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas”), Martin Short (“Mars Attacks!”) and Martin Landau (“Ed Wood,” Sleepy Hollow”).
• Several of the character names—Victor, Elsa Van Helsing, Edgar “E” Gore and Mr. Burgemeister— were inspired by classic horror films.

Aaron is a writer/reviewer for WhySoBlu.com.  Follow him on Twitter @AaronsPS3.
He also co-hosts a podcast, Out Now with Aaron and Abe, available via iTunes or at HHWLOD.com.