Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie – New Poster and Production Details

This October 5th Disney will be releasing Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie,” a visually stunning black and white, stop‐motion animated film in 3D. It will feature the talented voices of Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Winona Ryder. A new poster (above) was just released for the film.

Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” is 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.

Over 200 puppets and sets were created for the film; there were 17 Victors and 12 Sparkys. Since each animator worked independently on different scenes, multiples were needed. They also needed back up in case a puppet required repair.

The first puppet design for the move was Sparky and the scale that they established with him set the standard for the whole rest of the film. Tim Burton had a very specific vision for Sparky’s character and really wanted him to act and move like a real dog. The armature needed to be very intricate and four inches was literally the smallest they could make him and still have him display all the behavior and personality that was required. Once they had his size set, the puppet makers were able to scale the rest of the characters and sets properly.

“Frankenweenie” is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Tim Burton and marks the first animated film that he has helmed for Disney. Burton also produced along with Allison Abbate, with Don Hahn serving as executive producer. The screenplay is by John August, based on an original idea by Tim Burton.