The BFI have just announced that their opening film for the 2012 London Film Festival will be Tim Burton’s 3D stop-motion update of his 1984 short Frankenweenie.
The film will also have a ‘simultaneous premiere’ in 30 cinemas across the country, a move recently used for the BFI’s current Hitchcock season, and a welcome addition to the LFF programme. Burton’s film will have its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on the 20th of September and will open nationwide here on the 17th of October. For Burtonians there is also an accompanying Art of Frankenweenie exhibition running at the Southbank Centre which will no doubt be worth checking out.
Here’s a bit of video from the BFI with new director Clare Stewart explaining her choice,
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohl81DyBbd8′]
It is certain to be a far more interesting choice than last year’s opener which was Fernando Meirelles’ 360, a global wash of unrequited love and not much else. Burton’s film should see a return to form after Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows, films whose substance fall greatly short of their style.
We’ll be all over the festival as usual this year – maybe we’ll see you there?
For more the BFI’s press release can be read here.
