Cool Videos: Tim Burton’s strange Hansel & Gretel short for Disney from 1983

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Back in 1982 (three years before PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE), a then-unknown Tim Burton shot a Hansel & Gretel adaptation for Disney, which aired on the Disney Channel on Halloween night in 1983. It was the only time the TV special aired, and although the video has been shown in recent years at the Museum of Modern Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, most people haven't had a chance to see Tim Burton's first live-action production…until now.

A recording of Tim Burton's Japanese-inspired version of Hansel & Gretel has surfaced online, and his early project features a bunch of visuals and production designs Burton would eventually use in future movies like BEETLEJUICE and THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. Don't expect it to be like last year's HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS though, because Burton only had a budget of $116,000 for the TV special. It's always interesting to see early work by famous filmmakers, and if you're a Tim Burton fan, you absolutely need to watch his very bizarre version of Hansel & Gretel.

Ed Wood would be proud:

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Source: YouTube

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