Tim Burton’s already made his comic-book movie; 1989’s Batman, which practically invented modern superhero cinema. And his next movie, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, is inspired by a novel by Ransom Riggs. But damn if the first trailer doesn’t make it look like Burton’s spin on the X-Men; it’s got the idea of this secret society of specially powered outsiders and then makes them all look vaguely creepy and Victorian and stuff.

You’ve also got an isolated school, a kindly professor (Eva Green, rocking one hell of a Burtonesque haircut), and a roster of “peculiar children” with incredible abilities. One can control air. Another can fly. A third has a mouth on the back of her neck. (Ew.)

Besides Green, who can change into a bird, the cast includes Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson, Judi Dench, and Chris O’Dowd. Here’s the official plot summary:

From visionary director Tim Burton, and based upon the best-selling novel, comes an unforgettable motion picture experience. When Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans alternate realities and times, he uncovers a secret refuge known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As he learns about the residents and their unusual abilities, Jake realizes that safety is an illusion, and danger lurks in the form of powerful, hidden enemies. Jake must figure out who is real, who can be trusted, and who he really is.

There’s a lot of vaguely dystopian YA in movie theaters these days. (Thanks Hunger Games!) But few of those movies have directors of Tim Burton’s caliber at the helm. Hopefully his involvement puts Miss Peregrine in a class by itself. (Pun not initially intended, but now that it’s here I’m not changing it.) This one opens in theaters on September 30.

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