Entertainment Weekly have scored the first images from Tim Burton’s feature-length adaptation of his own 1984 short film FRANKENWEENIE. This time around, the film will be brought to life through the magic of stop-motion animation rather than live-action, but will still be rendered lovingly in black & white – a bold move considering its target demographic (multiplexes better brace themselves for mass complaints). Check ’em out…

Hmmm, the design of Frankenweenie himself seems to owe a lot of debt to the little-known Burton animated creation FAMILY DOG (first seen in an episode of Spielberg’s excellent anthology show AMAZING STORIES in ’87, before getting a short-lived series in ’91)… 

See?

But getting back to FRANKENWEENIE, Disney have also released their official synopsis…

From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience. In Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.

As you would imagine, the voice cast will bring together many returning Burton alum, including Winona Ryder (BEETLEJUICE, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS), Martin Landau (ED WOOD), and Catherine O’Hara (BEETLEJUICE). Under-appreciated comedic actor Martin Short (INNERSPACE) also joins the cast, with I AM LEGEND’s Charlie Tahan starring as the young Victor Frankenstein.

FRANKENWEENIE will hit cinemas October 2012.

For our previous FRANKENWEENIE coverage, including the original short itself, go here.

Thoughts? Share ’em with your fellow Tim Burton lovers/haters in the Comments below or on Twitter @Starburst_Mag