It'll be scooby snacks in the foyer on the opening night of this year's 56th BFI London Film Festival with Tim Burton's black-and-white animation Frankenweenie securing the prestigious gala opening spot on October 10.
With Fantastic Mr. Fox kicking off the 2009 festival, Frankenweenie is the second stop-motion opener in four years. It's a choice that, says BFI Head of Exhibiton Clare Stewart, reflects the festival's long-standing love of animation and honours the work of British craftsman like Manchester-based puppet makers Mackinnon and Saunders. "It's a film that revels in the magic of movies and the perfect choice of opener," she explains.
**Empire **spoke to Stewart, the ex-head of the Sydney Film Festival who's taken the LFF reins from departing honcho Sandra Hebron this year, and **Frankenweenie **producer Allison Abbate. Click below to hear their thoughts.
Frankenweenie, of course, sees Burton revisiting his 1984 short in full, feature-length glory. It's just your average story of a boy and the pet dog he brings back from the dead, and it should thrill lovers of stop-motion (us included) and reanimated zombie canines. Watch Frankenweenie's trailer here.
The BFI London Film Festival runs from October 10-21. Look out for more announcements and line-up details next Wednesday.brightcove.createExperiences();