What a great reward for sitting through panels in which we weren’t interested! This panel started with a terrific trailer, then moderator Chris Hardwick introduced Tim Burton. As we’ve been telling you, this story is based on Burton’s original 1984 live-action Disney short.
Burton said that it was originally designed to go out with Pinocchio, but “when we showed the short, everybody got all freaked out. (But) then they watched Pinocchio and half the audience, kids were screaming, leaving. People forget that Disney films were founded on stuff that’s got heart and stuff that’s scary.”
We then saw a long clip of a classroom scene featuring the voice of Martin Landau as the teacher. He. Is. HILARIOUS. There are overtones of escaped Nazi scientist in his voice portrayal, and it works perfectly with this film.
Moderator Chris Harwick asked Burton to talk about some of the kid characters. “I remembered kids I went to school with. Most kids, myself included, everybody felt strange. Kids and teachers. I walk into a school and I freak out because it reminds me of… horrible memories. I try to just make it personal and make it kids that I really remember from class.”
One more clip, then it was time for fan questions. The first person in line was actually a group of people, all dressed as Burton characters. One of them asked if he preferred working with original stories or recreating characters. “You spend a lot of time with these characters so you love them all.” Hardwick asked Burton how it felt to see all of those cosplay characters. “It makes me feel like my family has come to see me.”
Another fan asked if he ever incorporated his dreams in scenes. “I don’t really have nightmares, but I always used to have a dream about going to school, which was like a nightmare, so…” At which point Chris Hardwick exclaimed “what did they do to you in there?!” Burton paused, then said “there’s still lawsuits pending.”
The next fan asked if he had always planned or hoped to have this story become an animated movie. He replied that it gave him a chance to use kids, teachers, and monsters that he could explore further. “This is the more pure version of the story.”
When asked if he was ever going to go back to darker films like Sleepy Hollow, he said “my problem is I never think things are that dark. I find sometimes things that are lighter seem darker to me so I’m the worst person to ask.”
The last fan was overwhelmed and crying – the audience gave a group “awww” – but was able to ask how it felt to finish this story he had started so many years ago. “I feel like you do. I burst out into tears. For lots of different reasons. They’re all kind of special but this one is definitely special for me” then added sweetly, “thank you very much for the question.”
Tim Burton was funny and gracious, and the trailer and clips were excellent; I can’t wait for the movie.
Synopsis:
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. 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. 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.
Frankenweenie is slated to hit theaters on October 5th, 2012.
