Although not as active as we're used to seeing him, Tim Burton has had a major career boost in the past few years. From his hit with Wednesday on Netflix to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, it certainly feels like Burton is back in his element.
That's all well and good, but true Burton fans know that some of the director's best work is when he's allowed to get animated. Having cut his teeth in the film industry as an animator for Walt Disney Animation, Burton is almost always able to give fans a peek inside his twisted mind with his stop-motion puppets and ghoulishly delightful art styles. That's precisely what's next on his release calendar.
It was recently revealed that Tim Burton had a new animated project in the works. According to Forbes, Burton shared the following statement at the opening of Tim Burton's Labyrinth in Mexico City.
"I am working on something as an animated project. So, hopefully I’ll have the script soon and take it from there. It’s something I’m very excited about.”
With iconic cult classics such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and Frankenweenie under his belt, Burton has proven time and time again that animation is one of his favorite mediums. However, many (including this writer) are already wondering what he could be up to. Moreover, what studio is going to let Burton do his strange and unusual schtick?
If you're anything like this writer, you've seen almost everything Burton has left his signature style on. You'll also know that most of his animated works have more than a few elements in common. A true Burton animated feature needs a set of stop-motion puppets, a score by Danny Elfman, a gothic fairytale vibe, and a voice cast of frequent collaborators.
The last time we saw something like this was in 2012's Frankenweenie, a cinematic redo of Tim Burton's original short film for Disney. Unfortunately, due to a creative falling out with the House of Mouse after the Dumbo remake, it's doubtful that he'll be collaborating there any time soon.
This opens the door even wider for what the prolific filmmaker could be cooking up, especially if he's collaborating with a new animation team. One thing that can be said for certain is (as seen with Beetlejuice's sequel) that Burton is revisiting what made him a household name to begin with. All we can do is sit back and watch him work.
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