Ryder's new role inspired by Lydia

Winona Ryder has admitted she based her character in new film Frankenweenie on an eight-year-old version of her famous Beetlejuice character Lydia Deetz.

Winona voices shy child Elsa Van Helsing in Tim Burton's latest stop-motion animation, which sees a boy bring his beloved pet dog back to life after his untimely death.

"I related to her a lot because I was pretty shy at that age, and other years too," she explained at the film's Los Angeles premiere.

"I kind of based my character a bit on how much love and affection I have for Tim, who's like my favourite person in the world.

"But I did also base her a little bit on Lydia from Beetlejuice as an eight-year-old, how I imagined her."