Back in 1984, when video materials suitable for showing for a children's audience were still being filtered very carefully, one of the short films of the then young director Tim Burton was sent to gather dust on the shelf of the Disney film studio. It was only the second film shot for the studio, but the director was already miserably fired for overspending on filming. But almost 30 years have passed, and since then everything has changed.
In 2007, Disney itself approached Burton with a request to film a remake of the disgraced short film Frankenweeny. By the way, in 1992 the film was still released, but in a heavily cut-down version. The tastes of children have changed a lot in recent years, and Burton's cartoons, so attractive for their frightening atmosphere, have fallen in love with the audience. For example, his "Corpse Bride" or "9" is a collaboration with director Timur Bekmabetov.
So, the new cartoon "Frankenweeny" is a touching story of friendship between a boy and his dog. And it is all the more touching that Sparky's dog is a dead dog. Chasing the ball, launched by the owner, Sparky falls under the wheels of a car and dies. However, the boy Victor is not smart for his years and is familiar with science. He is not going to put up with the death of his beloved friend, so with the help of an experiment he decides to revive Sparky. Surprisingly, Victor succeeds, but the unexpected happens - Sparky escapes and begins to frighten the entire neighborhood, starting with Victor's parents and ending with neighbors.
Frankenweenie is, in fact, a free children's adaptation of the famous story of Professor Farnkenstein. The main character is even named accordingly - Victor. The plot also contains some references to Stephen King's "Pet Sematary", where the owners, wanting to resurrect dead pets, buried them in an old Indian cemetery. Unlike King's version, Burton's Sparky is extremely friendly and playful.
To implement the plan, Burton again chose a combination of puppetry and computer graphics. More than 200 dolls and decoration items were made for filming. Sparky the dog doll measures only 10 cm, and most of the decorations are assembled and hand-painted. Interestingly, the characters will be voiced by the same actors whose voices sound in the 1984 short film.
The premiere of the cartoon, which will be released in 3D, is scheduled for October 2012.
