#28: Frankenweenie
Perhaps one of the least-referenced and most niche selection in our list, Frankenweenie is one for the trivia buffs! Originally commissioned to director Tim Burton as a short film to precede Disney’s re-release of The Jungle Book in 1984, Disney was unhappy with the film. Believing that Frankenweenie would be too frightening for the young audiences they hoped to reach, Disney fired Burton and shelved his work.
It wasn’t until Tim Burton experienced critical success with features like Beetlejuice, Batman, and Edward Scissorhands did Disney re-release Frankenweenie for wider audiences. Audience enjoyment led to a reboot of the premise in 2012 as a stop motion featured, directed again by Tim Burton for Disney, 28 years after the original.