Don Hahn and Allison Abbate Interview - Frankenweenie
In 1984 Tim Burton put out a short film titled Frankenweenie about a boy who loves his dog so much he brings him back from the dead. Burton always intended to make the film as a full-length, stop-motion feature but because of budget constraints, he had to settle for a live-action short film. Now, nearly 30 years later, the critically acclaimed filmmaker is finally getting to see his original vision for the film brought to life as a 3D stop-motion movie.
Frankenweenie was one of the many films Walt Disney Studios promoted at their D23 Expo held the weekend of August 19-21, 2011 in Anaheim, CA. None of the voice cast (Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau...) were able to attend nor was Burton on hand to show off footage from the project, however producers Allison Abbate and Don Hahn were present to discuss the film. The clips shown make it clear this is most definitely a Tim Burton production, with distinctive, gorgeous visuals and that Burton vibe no one else can capture. In fact, The Hollywood Reporter went as far as to say after seeing the presentation that they believe "this could be the coolest Tim Burton movie since the 1990s, maybe even since A Nightmare Before Christmas."
Disney's press notes for the film indicate that 200 puppets and sets were created for Frankenweenie, and Tim Burton's still hard at work on bringing his creation to life. Disney's set an October 5, 2012 release date, which should work well for audiences looking to get into the mood for Halloween next year.
The plot: "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."
Following the panel presentation, we talked to producers Allison Abbate and Don Hahn about why it's taken Burton so long to do the feature film version of his short, the visual style, selling a 3D stop-motion black and white film to audiences, the Frankenweenie story, and Burton's passion for the project:
Frankenweenie's voice cast includes Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, and Conchata Ferrell.
