14 Years Ago, Tim Burton Returned To One of His Original Ideas for an Oscar-Nominated Animated Movie

Tim Burton is one of the weirdest and most well-known filmmakers of the past few decades. Burton exploded in popularity in the 1980s with the release of hits like Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, and Batman, and his successes continued into the ’90s with iconic films like Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow. While the director did have a bit of a falling out in the 2000s and 2010s, mostly due to an over-reliance on remakes like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland, 2024’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice proved that Burton is back and better than ever.

Outside of the world of live-action, Burton has also had a major influence on the animation industry. After all, the director got his start at Disney, only for him to later work on animated projects like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and 14 years ago, one of his earliest ideas came back in the form of a fantastic feature-length film.

Frankenweenie Hit Theaters 14 Years Ago Today

In the early 1980s, Burton made a live-action short film while working at Disney titled Frankenweenie. The film was released in 1984 alongside a rerelease of the animated classic Pinocchio, and while it received good reviews, it was shelved shortly after its debut. Disney deemed it too dark and strange for the company’s brand, and it remained unviewable. However, Burton’s later feature-length hits increased the filmmaker’s popularity enough to inspire Disney to release the short on home video in 1992, with it also getting bundled with movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas on its own home video release.

Jumping forward to 2005, Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott wrote a screenplay for a feature-length Frankenweenie, one that continued to be developed throughout the 2000s. Burton decided to bring the concept back for his two-picture deal with Disney, meaning that after he finished 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, he was able to jump right into the feature version of his classic short film.

Frankenweenie hit theaters on October 5, 2012, with the stop-motion animated film telling the story of a young schoolboy who uses science to bring his dog back to life. The film stretches the concept much further than the original short, with it also following several of the main character’s friends as they too revive their deceased pets. Frankenweenie received incredibly positive reviews, with it currently holding 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and being considered one of Burton’s best films from the era. However, the movie was a major box office disappointment for Disney, with it only making $87 million against a $39 million budget.

Frankenweenie is a hidden gem in Burton’s filmography, and while it is often overshadowed by the director’s other stop-motion efforts, it deserves the same recognition. The film feels like an early Burton outing, likely due to its connection to his 1984 short film. The black-and-white cinematography, character designs, and monster movie inspirations make it stand out among most children’s animated movies, making it a wholly unique experience that only Burton could cook up.

Fans Of Frankenweenie Need To Check Out Tim Burton’s Best & Most Underrated Movie

Frankenweenie is clearly inspired by the monster and sci-fi B-movies that Burton loved when he was young, and the overall style of the film is a direct homage to these projects. This isn’t unique to Frankenweenie, as Burton has made multiple love letters to these types of films, including the divisive 1996 film Mars Attacks!. However, Burton’s best homage B-movies isn’t Frankenweenie or Mars Attacks!. Instead, it’s Ed Wood.

1994’s Ed Wood tells the true story of the titular 1950s filmmaker, with Wood being portrayed by Johnny Depp. Wood is often considered to be the worst director of all time, with his campy, cheap, and poorly made sci-fi and horror films gaining a cult following in the decades since his passing. Burton’s film mainly explores Wood’s friendship with Dracula actor Bela Lugosi, although it also covers some of the most well-known movies from throughout his life.

Ed Wood is fantastic, and it is undoubtedly one of Burton’s best movies. It is a far cry from the director’s typical horror films and comedies, but that’s what makes the biographical film so great. Burton took a big swing with Ed Wood, and he wound up hitting a home run. The movie has 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and won the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best Makeup, meaning that it is a must-see for fans of Burton or viewers who share his love for the B-movies of the ’50s.