Comic-Con: Disney Press Conferences

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Disney kicked off the first day of Comic-Con with a special press conference promoting three of the studio’s upcoming movies, “Frankenweenie,” “Oz the Great and Powerful,” and “Wreck-It Ralph.”

The first conference of the day was for “Frankenweenie,” Tim Burton’s newest animated feature. It is an adaptation of a short Burton made nearly 30 years ago. The film is entirely in black and white and uses stop animation technology. Writer-director Tim Burton, producer Allison Abbate, producer Don Hahn and the voice of Edgar, Atticus Shaffer attended the conference

Take a look at the just released Comic-Con homage trailer along with some quotes and clips from the press conference.

Q. It seems like you bring back a dog in almost every one of your children’s films. Why is that?

A. Tim Burton: When you’re young, it’s the first kind of pure relationship you have. It’s something that connects right to your heart. I was lucky enough to have a special pet that I had that kind of relationship with. Yeah, the whole kind of Frankenstein element is sort of wish fulfillment in that kind of way. I always found those movies like Frankenstein kind of emotional. So it seemed like a fairly natural connection to combine the two.

Q. Since we’re at Comic-Con, do you have any desire to take any of these properties or anything original and write/draw your own comic? How do you feel about the convention?
A. Tim Burton: It’s amazing that it’s [Comic-Con] come from like the Holiday Inn to this. Also, it’s just fun to see Halloween in July. It’s great. It’s something that’s very special about this place.

Q. What character would you dress up as [at Comic-Con]?

A. Don Hahn: I’m in costume right now.

Tim Burton: I’m actually dressed as a human being

Frankenweenie press conference clips:

The “Oz the Great and Powerul” conference started immediately after “Frankenweenie.” Director Sam Raimi, cast members Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams, and producer Joe Roth attended the panel.

The movie is a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,” that focuses on how the wizard (played by James Franco) ended up in Oz and became so powerful.

Q. What lessons did you learn making Drag Me to Hell, and the limited audience it had?
A. Sam Raimi: I learned a lot from every movie that I make. I learn what not to do. I make 1000 mistakes. I’m painfully aware. It’s not like you have to recognize [that.] I’m always aware where I make wrong moves. I learn lessons and went forward with this picture with those 1000s of lessons from that picture. The type of comedy that film was, that dark comedy, is just a completely different thing from this film. This is a very straightforward family picture. I would say it’s a classically Disney movie. It’s about the characters, their interactions, the friendships they made. Some characters are sinners. They hurt others. It’s about how those sins can grow. It’s about finally recognizing the things you do in this world have consequences. How to be the best person you can be is really the story of this film.

Q. Sam Raimi how was it working with two of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood? And ladies what was it like working with Sam?
A. Sam Raimi: [Growls flirtatiously at the question of working with them] Rawrrrrr. It’s great. It’s great to work with them because they’re great actresses. As beautiful as they are, that would become meaningless if they weren’t brilliant actresses. They both have complex roles, complex interactions with other characters in the piece and they just do a beautiful job performing them. It’s very funny and realistic, and they’re fun to watch. And yes, not hard on the eyes.

A. Mila Kunis: Sam is amazing. I would do craft services for Sam if he asked me to.

Oz the Great and Powerful press conference clips:

Finally, Disney ended the day with a press conference for “Wreck-It Ralph,” starring John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch, and Sarah Silverman.

The movie follows a video game villain who desperately wants to be a good guy. He decides to sneak into other games in order to make a fresh start, but inadvertently causes more trouble.

John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, director Rich Moore, and producer Clark Spencer attended the conference.

Q. What were some of your favorite video games as a kid?
A. John C. Reilly: Well, I am dating myself by saying this but I was the test audience for Space Invaders. I remember that was the first game that wasn’t a pinball game. I spent a lot of money on some Space Invaders in the form of quarters. But I have a family now, so I don’t have a lot of time to play video games. That’s probably a good thing.

Q. For those who aren’t familiar with video games and these famous characters, how will you introduce them?
A. John C. Reilly: The main characters of the flick are from games that are made up for the movie.
And we explain them, so you don’t need to know anything about video games to appreciate the journey the characters take.

Press conference pictures (photo credit: Frances Vega):

Check out HitFix’s press line interviews before the conferences begin:

Reach Senior Entertainment Editor Frances Vega here.

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