Tim Burton

At 66 years old, Tim Burton has this physical status:

Career

Burton's fascination with the Celery Monster attracted Walt Disney Productions' animation division, which gave Burton an animator's apprenticeship at the studio. On films including The Fox and the Hound (1981), Tron (1982), and The Black Cauldron (1985), he worked as an animator, storyboard artist, graphic designer, art director, and concept artist. His concept art never made it into the finished films.

Burton made his first short film, Vincent, a six-minute black-and-white stop motion film based on a Burton poem and depicts a young boy who believes he is his hero Vincent Price, with Price himself narrating. Rick Heinrichs, who Burton had befriended while working in Disney's concept art department, made the film. The film was shown at the Chicago Film Festival and released alongside the teen drama Tex for two weeks in a Los Angeles cinema. Hansel and Gretel, Burton's first live-action film based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale for the Disney Channel, comes to a conclusion in a kung fu war between Hansel and Gretel and the witch. Prints of the film were difficult to find once they were broadcast at 10:30 p.m. on Halloween and immediately shelved, fueling rumors that the project did not exist. The short will first be on display at the Museum of Modern Art in 2009 and then at the Museum of Modern Art in 2011 as part of the Tim Burton art exhibit at LACMA. In 2012, it was on display at the Seoul Museum of Art.

Frankenweenie, Burton's upcoming live action short film, was released in 1984. It tells the tale of a young boy who struggles to recover his dog after it was hit by a car. Baret Oliver, Shelley Duvall (with whom he will appear again in 1986, directing an episode of her television show Faerie Tale Theatre), and Daniel Stern were shot in black-and-white. Frankenweenie was completed, Disney fired Burton, citing the company's spending of money on a film that would be too dark and scary for children to enjoy.

On the audio commentary of Pee-wee Herman's big adventure, actor Paul Reubens met Frankenweenie and chose Burton to direct the cinematic spin-off of his well-known character Pee-wee Herman, he announced as the short was over. Pee-wee Herman gained mainstream success at The Groundlings and the Roxy, which was later turned into an HBO special. The film, Peewee's Big Adventure, was produced on a budget of $8 million and grossed more than $40 million at the North American box office. Danny Elfman, a fan of the eccentric musical group Oingo Boingo, had songwriter Danny Elfman to supply the film's soundtrack. Elfman has scored every film directed by Tim Burton, save for Ed Wood, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Burton directed episodes for Alfred Hitchcock's revived anthology horror film, as well as Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre, a supernatural comedy horror about a young couple who is forced to cope with life after death and the family of pretentious yuppies who invaded their treasured New England home. Lydia (Winona Ryder), the couple's teen daughter, has a fascination with death that allows her to visit the deceased couple. The film, starring Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis and Michael Keaton, grossed $80 million on a modest budget and received an Academy Award for Best Makeup. It would be turned into a cartoon of the same name, with Burton playing a key executive producer on ABC and later Fox.

Burton's ability to produce hits with low budgets impressed studio executives, and he received his first big budget film, Batman. The factory was plagued with difficulties. Burton has squabbled with Jon Peters and Peter Guber, the film's designers, on several occasions, but casting was the most notable debacle. Despite Keaton's average physique, inexperience with action films, and reputation as a jolly comedian, Burton selected Michael Keaton in the title role. Although Burton won in the end, the outrage over the casting sparked a lot of fan animosity, to the point that Warner Brothers' share price dropped. Burton thought it was ridiculous to portray a "bulked-up" ultra-masculine man as Batman, while insisting that Batman should be a common man dressed up in a fancy bat costume to frighten criminals. In a move that helped ease fans' fears, as well as attracted younger audiences who were less interested in a superhero film, Burton cast Jack Nicholson as The Joker (Tim Curry being his second choice). When the film opened in June 1989, it was supported by the country's biggest market and merchandising campaign at the time, and it became one of the highest box office hits of all time, grossing over $250 million in the United States and $400 million worldwide (numbers not adjusted for inflation). Burton's success made him a success as a producer, and it had a major influence on subsequent superhero films, which blasted Richard Donner's Superman's brilliant, all-American heroism for a grimmer, more realistic look and characters with greater psychological depth. The sombreness of Burton's film and its sequel also inspired a darker Batman on television, which gave rise to the hit 1990s cartoon Batman: The Animated Series.

Burton said that the graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke had a major influence on his film adaptation of Batman.

Burton co-wrote (with Caroline Thompson) and directed Edward Scissorhands in 1990, reuniting with Winona Ryder of Beetlejuice. Johnny Depp, a teen idol at the 1980s, was cast in Edward, the creation of an eccentric and old-fashioned entrepreneur (played by Vincent Price in one of his last screen appearances). Edward seemed normal, but he was left with scissors in the place of hands due to his creator's untimely death. The film, which was shot in Land o' Lakes, Florida, is largely seen as Burton's autobiography of his childhood in Burbank, which is set in suburbia. Edward Scissorhands' character was inspired by a drawing he created in high school. In the foreword to Mark Salisbury's book Burton on Burton, Depp made a related comment about his first encounter with Burton over the casting of the film. Some commentators have named Edward Scissorhands as one of Burton's finest films. Burton has said that this is his most personal and meaningful film because it is a representation of him not being able to engage effectively with others as a child.

Burton decided to direct the sequel for Warner Bros. on the condition that he would be granted complete control following Batman's success. The result was Batman Returns, which starred Michael Keaton as Batman, as the Penguin), Michelle Pfeiffer (as Catwoman) and Christopher Walken (as Max Shreck, an evil corporate tycoon and original character created for the film). Fears were raised that the film was too scary for children, and it was both darker and more personal. Audiences were more concerned about the film's overt sexuality, which was exemplified by the sleek, fetish-inspired styling of Catwoman's costume. Burton made several changes to the Penguin, which would later be applied to the character in both comics and television. Burton created a freak of nature resembling a penguin with webbed, flipper-like fingers, a hooked, beak-like nose, and a penguin-like body in the comics (resulting in a rotund, man). Batman Returns made it a financial success in 1992, but not to the extent of its predecessors.

Burton produced The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) for Disney, but not in sequence, due to time constraints, but not to schedule constraints. Henry Selick was produced and written by Caroline Thompson, based on Burton's original story, location, and characters. The stop motion animation, musical score, and the original storyline were all lauded. It was a box office hit, with a $50 million haul. Due to the film's name, it was not made under Disney's name, but rather Disney owned Touchstone Pictures. The protagonist wanted to see eyes, but the final iteration did not. This motion picture only required 100 people to make the characters, and it took three years of hard work to produce the film. Burton collaborated with Selick on James and the Giant Peach (1996), which Burton co-produced.

Burton and frequent coproducer Denise Di Novi produced the 1994 fantasy-comedy Cabin Boy, starring Chris Elliott and written by Adam Resnick in 1994. Burton had intended to direct the film after seeing Elliott on Get a Life, but Resnick took over the film after he was offered Ed Wood. Ed Wood (1994), Burton's next film, was on a much smaller scale, describing Ed Wood's life. The film, starring Johnny Depp in the title role, is an homage to Burton's childhood science fiction and horror films, as it portrays the main protagonist and his motley crew of collaborators with sarcastic admiration and admiration. Owing to creative squabbles during the making of The Nightmare Danny Elfman refused to score Ed Wood at Christmas, and the assignment was assigned to Howard Shore. Ed Wood, despite being a commercial failure at the time, became a cult classic and was widely accepted by commentators. Martin Landau received the Academy Award for his role as Bela Lugosi, and the Academy also received the Academy Award for Best Makeup.

Despite Burton's insistence that the Batman franchise be continued, Warner Bros. considered Batman Returns too dark and risky for children. To attract the young audience, Joel Schumacher, who had produced films like The Client, was chosen to lead the third film, but Burton will only produce it in conjunction with Peter MacGregor-Scott. Michael Keaton resigned from the lead role after the change and the changes made by the new director, and Val Kilmer was brought on to replace it. Bruce Forever began in late 1994 with new actors: Tommy Lee Jones as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, Nicole Kidman as Dr. Chase Meridian, and Jim Carrick as Duncan Grayson/Robin and Jim Carney as Alfred Pennyworth; the only two actors to return after Batman Returns were Patrick Hingle and Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth. The film, which was a blend of the saga of the saga and colors and neon signs devised by Schumacher, was a huge box office success, grossing $336 million. Warner Bros. demanded that Schumacher delete certain scenes so that the film did not have the same tone as its predecessor, Batman Returns (later they were included as deleted scenes on the 2005 DVD release).

Burton and Selick reunited in 1996 for James and the Giant Peach, a musical fantasy based on Roald Dahl's book which contains magical elements and references to drugs and alcohol. Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon, David Thewlis, Simon Callow, and Jane Leeves appeared in the film, which was a mash-up of live action and stop motion footage. The film was largely lauded by critics and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score (by Randy Newman).

The Mars Attacks have reunited Elfman and Burton! (1996). The film, which was based on a common science fiction trading card collection, was a mash-up of 1950s science fiction and 1970s all-star disaster films based on a common science fiction trading card series. Coincidence made it an inadvertent spoof of the blockbuster Independence Day, which had been announced five months earlier. Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Pierce Brosnan, Michael J. appeared in the film. Sarah Jessica Parker, Natalie Portman, Lukas Haas, Martin Short, Rod Steiger, Christina Applegate, and Jack Black.

Sleepy Hollow, which appeared in late 1999, had a supernatural setting and starred Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane, a detective with an interest in forensic science rather than Washington Irving's original story. Burton paid tribute to the Hammer Films of England with Sleepy Hollow. Christopher Lee, one of Hammer's stars, was given a cameo role. A number of Burton regulars appeared in supporting roles (Michael Gough, Jeffrey Jones, and Christopher Walken, among others), and Christina Ricci was cast as Katrina van Tassel. Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, and Ian McDiarmid led a well-regarded supporting cast. Critics largely agree with the film's gothic score, Elfman's gothic score, it has earned an Academy Award for Best Art Direction, as well as two BAFTA awards for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. Sleepy Hollow, which was also a turning point for Burton, was also a box office triumph. Burton went all out of style for his next project, abandoning the haunted forests and colorful outcasts behind to start directing Planet of the Apes, which, as Burton had stated repeatedly, was "not a remake" of the earlier film.

Planet of the Apes was a commercial success, grossing $68 million in its first weekend and then earning $180 million in North America and $362 million worldwide. The film, on the other hand, has mixed reviews and is generally considered inferior to the first version of the novel. Burton directed Big Fish, based on Daniel Wallace's book Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions. The film is about a father who shares the story of his son's life using exaggeration and color. The film starring Ewan McGregor as an older Edward Bloom and Albert Finney as an older Edward Bloom. Big Fish was given four Golden Globe nominations as well as an Academy Award nomination for Elfman's performance. Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, who portrayed Jenny and the Witch, as well as Burton and Danny DeVito, the circus ringleader, appeared in the film.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) is an extension of Roald Dahl's book of the same name. The film generally took a more faithful interpretation of the source material than Willy Wonka's Charlie Bucket and Deep Roy as the Oompa-Loompas, although some liberties were taken, such as including Willy Wonka's issue with his father (played by Christopher Lee). The Chocolate Factory and Charlie was later nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. The film earned more than $207 million in domestic revenue. Burton, Depp, and Danny Elfman had to work on both this and Burton's Corpse Bride (2005), which was Burton's first full-length stop motion film as a producer, starring Johnny Depp as Victor and Helena Bonham Carter as Emily.

In 2006, Burton produced his first music video, "Bones." The sixth overall single by the American indie rock band The Killers and the second from their second studio album, Sam's Town, is "Bones." Michael Steger and Devon Aoki were among the actors in this film. Burton directed "Here with Me," starring Winona Ryder, who was released in 2012.

The DreamWorks/Warner Bros. production Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, based on the 1979 Broadway musical, was released on December 21, 2007 to critical acclaim and worldwide gross sales of $603 million. Burton's biography on Sweeney Todd received a Golden Globe Award for Best Director and Academy Award for Best Art Direction, as well as a National Board of Review Award for Best Director. The film mixes explicit gore and Broadway tunes, and critics were keen to it. The Academy Award for Best Actor was given to Johnny Depp's performance as Sweeney Todd.

Shane Acker, a filmmaker from Atlanta, directed his short film 9, a tale about a sentient rag doll surviving in a post-apocalyptic world that is trying to discourage machines from killing the remainder of his eight rag dolls. The film has received numerous accolades and been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. After seeing the short film, Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov, the director of Wanted, expressed an interest in a full-length version of the film. The full length film was directed by Acker, written by Acker (story) and Pamela Pettler (screenplay), and others. Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, John Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, and Crispin Glover were among others' voice actors.

Tim Burton appeared at both 9 and Alice in Wonderland at the 2009 Comic-Con, and the latter received two Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. The Alice in Wonderland adaptation by Burton is set 13 years after the original Lewis Carroll tales were published. Mia Wasikowska was the titular actress of Alice. Filming's debut date was May 2008. Filming in Torpoint and Plymouth dates back to September 1 to October 14, and the film still remains set in the Victorian period. Filming in Antony House in Torpoint took place at this time. In early August, 250 local extras were selected. In London, another piece of production took place. The film was originally scheduled to be released in 2009, but it was delayed to March 5, 2010. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Tweedledum and Tweedledum; Helena Bonham Carter as the White Queen; and Crispin Glover as the Knave of Hearts, with his face and voice added to a CGI body; Stephen Fry as the Tweedledee and Tweedledum; Matthew Lucas as the Tweedledum; Matt Lucas as the Red Queen; Stephen Fry as the Tweedledee; and Michael Sheen as the Cater Despite mixed reviews, the film was a commercial success, grossing $1 billion globally, making it Burton's highest grossing film of his career. Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Burton made the film's sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016).

The collaboration between Burton and actors Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, composer Danny Elfman, and costume designer Colleen Atwood was once more evident in the Burton collaboration. The film was released on May 11, 2012. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter co-produced by Burton and Timur Bekmambetov, who also served as director (they previously worked together in 9). The film, which was released on June 22, 2012, was based on Seth Grahame-Smith's book "Seth Grahame-Smith," who also wrote Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Benjamin Walker appeared as Abraham Lincoln, Joseph Mawle as Lincoln's father Thomas, Nancy McLeavy as Lincoln's mother, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Lincoln's love interest (and later spouse), Mary Ann Todd. The film received mixed reviews and did not do well at the box office, and it failed at the box office. He later remade his 1984 short film Frankenweenie as a full-length stop motion film distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. "The film is based on a memory that I had as a child and in my friendship with a dog that I had," Burton said. On October 5, 2012, the film was released with laudatory feedback.

Burton produced Big Eyes, a 2014 biographical drama film about American artist Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), whose work was fraudulently defended in the 1950s and 1960s by her then-husband Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), and her tense divorce trial after Margaret accused Walter of stealing credit for her paintings. The script was written by Burton's Ed Wood, Scott Alexander, and Larry Karaszewski's screenwriters. In mid-2013, filming in Vancouver, British Columbia, began. On December 25, 2014, The Weinstein Company produced the film in U.S. theaters. Critics generally approve of it. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, directed by Burton in September 2016, was released, starring Asa Butterfield and Eva Green. Colin Farrell, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, and Michael Keaton appeared in a live-action version of Dumbo, which was also directed by Burton.

Burton was revealed in February 2021 that a Netflix series based on the titular character from The Addams Family would be directed and produced on Wednesday. This will be Burton's first foray into television since the 1980s, and he is set to direct all eight episodes in the first season, which began in September 2021.

Burton suggested that after Kevin Smith was hired to write a new Superman film, he suggested that Burton direct. Burton came out and Warner Bros. announced a theatrical release date for the summer of 1998, the 60th anniversary of the character's debut in Action Comics. Nicolas Cage had agreed to appear Superman after Burton recruited Wesley Strick to rewrite Smith's script, and the film went into pre-production in June 1997. Warner Bros. ordered another rewrite by Dan Gilroy, postponed the film until April 1998, putting it on hold for budgetary reasons. Burton was then left to direct Sleepy Hollow. Burton has portrayed the experience as traumatic, citing differences with producer Jon Peters and the studio, who stated, "I literally wasted a year." A year is a long time to be working with someone you don't necessarily want to be working with."

In 2001, the Walt Disney Company began to consider a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but Disney wanted to use computer animation rather than stop motion. Burton persuaded Disney to drop the proposal. Burton said, "I was always protective of ['Nightmare'] not to do sequels or things of that sort." "You know, Jack goes to Thanksgiving world" or other such things, simply because the film has a definiteness to it and the people that enjoy it." However, Henry Selick said in 2009 that if he and Burton could write a good story for it, he might make a sequel to Nightmare.

Shane Acker reported in 2012 that Burton will produce his next animated feature film, Deep. The film, like 9, will take place in a post-apocalyptic setting (but in a different time). Shane Acker has expressed his interest in making more PG-13 animated films, Deep is Shane Acker's. Deep has no more details have been released since then, with Acker focusing on another initiative that was announced in 2013 (Beasts of Burden).

It was announced on January 19, 2010, that after Dark Shadows, Burton's new project would be Maleficent, a Wicked-like film that showed the origins and history of Sleeping Beauty's antagonist Maleficent's antagonist Maleficent. Burton denied directing any forthcoming Sleeping Beauty film in an interview with Fandango on February 23, 2010. Burton, on the other hand, confirmed that he was indeed creating a script for Maleficent in an interview with MTV on November 23, 2010. Burton was no longer connected to Maleficent, according to The Hollywood Reporter on May 16, 2011.

Burton was supposed to produce a 3D stop motion animation version of The Addams Family, which was announced by Christopher Meledandri, but the venture was shelved on July 17, 2013. Burton was announced as the producer of the forthcoming film version of Monsterpocalypse on July 19, 2010.

Burton was revealed in 2011 that he was working on a live-action version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame starring Josh Brolin, who would also be co-producing. The scheme didn't go forward.

It was revealed in July 2012, following the introduction of both Dark Shadows and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Seth Grahame-Smith, and Burton that he was collaborated with Burton on a possible Beetlejuice sequel. Michael Keaton has also expressed interest in reprising his role as the title character, as well as Winona Ryder. In October 2017, Deadline Hollywood announced that Mike Vukadinovich had been hired to write a script in time for the film's 30th anniversary. Warner Bros. said in April 2019 that the sequel had been postponed.

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