Tim Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American film director, producer, artist, writer, animator, puppeteer, and actor.
He is known for his gothic horror and fantasy films, such as Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Dark Shadows (2012), Frankenweenie (2012), and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024).
He is also known for blockbuster films, such as the adventure-comedy Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), the superhero films Batman (1989), and Batman Returns (1992), the science fiction film Planet of the Apes (2001), the fantasy-drama Big Fish (2003), the musical adventure film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), the fantasy film Alice in Wonderland (2010), and film adaptations of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), and Dumbo (2019).
Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1971 | The Island of Doctor Agor | Yes | Yes | No | [1] [2] | |
Prehistoric Caveman | Yes | No | No | |||
Houdini: The Untold Story | Yes | Yes | No | [1] [3] | ||
1972 | Tim's Dreams | Yes | No | No | [1] [2] | |
1974 | 1997 | Yes | No | No | ||
1979 | Doctor of Doom | Yes | Yes | No | With Jerry Rees | |
King and Octopus Animation | Yes | No | No | |||
Stalk of the Celery Monster | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also animator | ||
1982 | Luau | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
Vincent | Yes | Yes | No | Also production designer | [4] [5] | |
1984 | Frankenweenie | Yes | Story | No | Also storyboard artist | [6] [7] |
2013 | Captain Sparky vs. The Flying Saucers | No | No | Yes | [8] [9] |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1971 | The Island of Doctor Agor | Doctor Agor |
Houdini: The Untold Story | Houdini | |
1972 | Tim's Dreams | Tim |
1979 | Doctor of Doom | Don Carlo |
Stalk of the Celery Monster | Dr. Maxwell Payne (voice) | |
1982 | Luau | The Supreme Being / Mortie |
2012 | Vampire's Kiss/Blood Inside [10] | Van Helsing |
Year | Title | Director | Producer | Story writer | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | Pee-wee's Big Adventure | Yes | No | No | [11] [12] |
1988 | Beetlejuice | Yes | No | No | [13] [14] |
1989 | Batman | Yes | No | No | [15] [16] |
1990 | Edward Scissorhands | Yes | Yes | Yes | [17] [18] |
1992 | Batman Returns | Yes | Yes | No | [19] [20] |
1993 | The Nightmare Before Christmas | No | Yes | Yes | [21] [22] |
1994 | Ed Wood | Yes | Yes | No | [23] [24] |
1996 | Mars Attacks! | Yes | Yes | Uncredited | [25] [26] [27] |
1999 | Sleepy Hollow | Yes | No | No | [28] [29] |
2001 | Planet of the Apes | Yes | No | No | [30] [31] |
2003 | Big Fish | Yes | No | No | [32] [33] |
2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Yes | No | No | [34] [35] |
Corpse Bride | Yes [lower-alpha 1] | Yes | Characters | [36] [37] | |
2007 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Yes | No | No | [38] [39] |
2010 | Alice in Wonderland | Yes | No | No | [40] [41] |
2012 | Dark Shadows | Yes | No | No | [42] [43] |
Frankenweenie | Yes | Yes | Yes | [44] [45] | |
2014 | Big Eyes | Yes | Yes | No | [46] [47] |
2016 | Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children | Yes | No | No | [48] [49] |
2019 | Dumbo | Yes | Executive | No | [50] [51] |
2024 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | Yes | Yes | No | [52] [53] |
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | The Muppet Movie | Muppet Performer | Uncredited | [54] [55] |
1985 | Pee-wee's Big Adventure | Thug in alley | [56] [57] | |
1992 | Singles | Brian | [58] [59] | |
Hoffa | Corpse | Uncredited | [60] [61] | |
2012 | Men in Black 3 | Alien on TV Monitors | [62] [63] | |
2016 | Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children | Passenger on an Attraction | [49] [48] | |
2024 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | Baby Beetlejuice | [64] |
Year | Title | Role | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | The Lord of the Rings | Inbetween artist | [65] |
1981 | The Fox and the Hound | Animator | [66] [67] |
1982 | Tron | [68] [6] | |
1985 | The Black Cauldron | Animator: The Horned King / Conceptual artist | [69] [70] |
1992 | Stay Tuned | Design consultant | [71] [72] |
1996 | Mary Reilly | Participant | [73] [74] |
2004 | Catwoman | [75] [76] | |
2009 | Waking Sleeping Beauty | [77] [78] |
Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer | Writer | Designer | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | Hansel and Gretel | Yes | No | No | Production | TV special | [79] [80] |
1986 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Yes | No | No | No | Episode "The Jar" | [1] [81] |
Faerie Tale Theatre | Yes | No | No | No | Episode "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" | [82] [83] | |
1987 | Amazing Stories | No | No | No | Animation | Episode "The Family Dog" | [84] [85] |
1989–1991 | Beetlejuice | No | Yes | No | No | Also developer | [86] [87] [88] [89] |
1993 | Family Dog | No | Yes | No | Consultant | [90] [91] | |
2000 | Lost in Oz | No | Yes | story | No | Unaired pilot | [92] [93] |
2000 | Stainboy | Yes | No | Yes | Character | 6 web shorts; Also producer | [94] [95] |
2022–present | Wednesday | Yes | Yes | No | No | Directed 8 episodes | [96] [97] [98] [99] |
Year | Title | Subject | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | "Garden Gnome" | Hollywood Chewing Gum | [100] [101] |
1999 | "Kung-fu" | Timex wrist watch | [102] [103] |
2000 | "Mannequin" |
Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge | Creative consultant | [104] |
Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | The Killers: Bones | Yes | No | Yes | [105] [106] |
2012 | Linkin Park: Powerless | No | Yes | No | [107] [108] |
The Killers: Here with Me | Yes | No | No | [109] [110] |
Critical, public and commercial reception to films Burton has directed as of October 2024.
Year | Film | Rotten Tomatoes [111] | Metacritic [112] | CinemaScore [113] | Budget | Box office [114] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1985 | Pee-wee's Big Adventure | 89% (51 reviews) (7.8/10) | 47 (14 reviews) | — | $7 million | $40.9 million (domestic) |
1988 | Beetlejuice | 83% (115 reviews) (7.2/10) | 70 (18 reviews) | B | $15 million | $84.6 million [115] |
1989 | Batman | 77% (141 reviews) (6.8/10) | 69 (21 reviews) | A | $35 million [116] | $411.5 million |
1990 | Edward Scissorhands | 90% (67 reviews) (7.7/10) | 74 (19 reviews) | A– | $20 million | $86 million |
1992 | Batman Returns | 82% (92 reviews) (6.9/10) | 68 (23 reviews) | B | $80 million [117] | $282.8 million |
1994 | Ed Wood | 92% (73 reviews) (8/10) | 70 (19 reviews) | B+ | $18 million [118] | $5.9 million (domestic) |
1996 | Mars Attacks! | 56% (86 reviews) (6/10) | 52 (19 reviews) | B | $70 million | $101.4 million |
1999 | Sleepy Hollow | 70% (125 reviews) (6.4/10) | 65 (35 reviews) | B– | $100 million [119] | $206.1 million |
2001 | Planet of the Apes | 43% (201 reviews) (5.5/10) | 50 (34 reviews) | B– | $100 million [120] | $362.2 million |
2003 | Big Fish | 76% (221 reviews) (7.2/10) | 58 (42 reviews) | B+ | $70 million [121] | $122.9 million |
2005 | Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | 83% (228 reviews) (7.2/10) | 72 (40 reviews) | A– | $150 million [122] | $475 million |
2005 | Corpse Bride | 84% (197 reviews) (7.2/10) | 83 (35 reviews) | B+ | $40 million | $118.1 million |
2007 | Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | 86% (232 reviews) (7.7/10) | 83 (39 reviews) | — | $50 million [123] | $153.4 million |
2010 | Alice in Wonderland | 51% (279 reviews) (5.8/10) | 53 (38 reviews) | A– | $200 million [124] | $1.02 billion |
2012 | Dark Shadows | 35% (263 reviews) (5.3/10) | 55 (42 reviews) | B– | $150 million [125] | $245.5 million |
2012 | Frankenweenie | 88% (225 reviews) (7.6/10) | 74 (38 reviews) | B+ | $39 million [126] | $81.5 million |
2014 | Big Eyes | 72% (198 reviews) (6.7/10) | 62 (40 reviews) | — | $10 million | $29.3 million |
2016 | Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children | 64% (259 reviews) (5.9/10) | 57 (43 reviews) | B+ | $110 million [127] | $296.5 million |
2019 | Dumbo | 46% (371 reviews) (5.55/10) | 51 (54 reviews) | A– | $170 million [128] | |
2024 | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice | 77% (318 reviews) (6.6/10) | 62 (61 reviews) | B | $100 million | $423.5 million [129] |
Total | 72% | 64 | $1,534,000,000 | $4,905,915,904 |
Batman is a 1989 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Directed by Tim Burton, it is the first installment of Warner Bros.' initial Batman film series. The film was produced by Jon Peters and Peter Guber and stars Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Pat Hingle, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Gough, and Jack Palance. The film takes place early in the title character's war on crime and depicts his conflict with his archenemy the Joker.
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton and written by Daniel Waters. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Batman (1989) and the second installment in the 1989–1997 Batman series. In the film, Batman comes into conflict with wealthy industrialist Max Shreck and malformed crime boss Oswald Cobblepot / The Penguin, who seek power regardless of the cost to Gotham City. Their plans are complicated by Shreck's former secretary, Selina Kyle, who seeks revenge against him as Catwoman. The cast includes Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, and Michael Murphy.
Timothy Walter Burton is an American animator, director, producer, writer and illustrator. Known for pioneering Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his gothic horror and fantasy films. He has received numerous accolades including an Emmy Award as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and three BAFTA Awards. He was honored with the Venice International Film Festival's Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2007 and was given the Order of the Arts and Letters by Culture Minister of France in 2010.
Winona Laura Horowitz, known professionally as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Having come to attention playing quirky characters in the late 1980s, she achieved success with her more dramatic performances in the 1990s. Ryder's many accolades include a Golden Globe, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Screen Actors Guild Award and a Grammy Award.
Michael John Douglas, known professionally as Michael Keaton, is an American actor. He has received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. In 2016, he was named Officer of Order of Arts and Letters in France.
Beetlejuice is a 1988 American dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren based on a story by McDowell and Larry Wilson. The film stars Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder, and Michael Keaton as the title character.
Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 American gothic romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Burton and Denise Di Novi, written by Caroline Thompson from a story by her and Burton, and starring Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Vincent Price, and Alan Arkin. It tells the story of an unfinished artificial humanoid who has scissor blades instead of hands, is taken in by a suburban family, and falls in love with their teenage daughter.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 American stop-motion animated musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick in his feature directorial debut and produced and conceived by Tim Burton. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, the King of "Halloween Town", who stumbles upon "Christmas Town" and schemes to take over the holiday. Danny Elfman wrote the songs and score and provided the singing voice of Jack. The principal voice cast includes Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Ken Page, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shadix and Ed Ivory.
Pee-wee's Big Adventure is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by Tim Burton in his feature-film directing debut. The film stars Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman, along with E.G. Daily, Mark Holton, Diane Salinger and Judd Omen. The screenplay, written by Reubens with Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol, tells the story of Pee-wee's nationwide search for his stolen bicycle and has been compared to the 1948 film Bicycle Thieves.
Frankenweenie is a 1984 American science fiction comedy horror featurette directed by Tim Burton and written by him and Leonard Ripps. It is both a parody and homage to the 1931 film Frankenstein based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Burton later directed a feature-length stop-motion animated remake, released in 2012.
Madonna has worked in twenty-seven feature films, ten short films, three theatrical plays, ten television episodes, and appeared in sixteen commercials. Madonna's acting career has attracted largely mixed reviews and reception at best.
The Batman franchise, based on the fictional superhero Batman who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, has seen the release of various films. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the character first starred in two serial films in the 1940s, Batman and Batman and Robin. The character also appeared in the 1966 film Batman, which was a feature film adaptation of the 1960s television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, who also starred in the film. Toward the end of the 1980s, the Warner Bros. studio began producing a series of feature films starring Batman, beginning with 1989's Batman, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton. Burton and Keaton returned for the 1992 sequel Batman Returns, and in 1995, Joel Schumacher directed Batman Forever, with Val Kilmer as Batman. Schumacher also directed the 1997 sequel Batman & Robin, which starred George Clooney. Batman & Robin was poorly received by both critics and fans, leading to the cancellation of a sequel titled Batman Unchained.
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay written by Linda Woolverton and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The film stars Mia Wasikowska in the title role, with Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, and Crispin Glover, while featuring the voices of Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, and Timothy Spall. A live-action adaptation and re-imagining of Lewis Carroll's works, as well as a remake of Disney’s 1951 traditionally animated film, the film follows Alice Kingsleigh, a nineteen-year-old who accidentally falls down a rabbit hole, returns to Wonderland, and alongside the Mad Hatter helps restore the White Queen to her throne by fighting against the Red Queen and her Jabberwocky, a dragon that terrorizes Wonderland's inhabitants.
Frankenweenie is a 2012 American 3D stop-motion animated science fiction horror comedy film directed by Tim Burton, written by John August, and starring Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, and Winona Ryder. A co-production between Walt Disney Pictures and Tim Burton Productions, it is a feature-length remake of Disney and Burton's 1984 short film of the same name, and is also both a parody of and homage to the 1931 film Frankenstein, based on Mary Shelley's 1818 book Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. The film follows a boy named Victor Frankenstein who uses the power of electricity to resurrect his dead Bull Terrier, Sparky, but his peers discover what he has done and reanimate their own deceased pets and other creatures, resulting in mayhem.
The following is a list of unproduced Tim Burton projects, in roughly chronological order. During a career that has spanned over 30 years, Tim Burton has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction.
Dumbo is a 2019 American fantasy period adventure film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay written by Ehren Kruger. It is a live-action adaptation of Walt Disney's 1941 animated film Dumbo, which is based on the novel by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl. Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green and Alan Arkin star in a story about a family that works at a failing traveling circus encounter a baby elephant with extremely large ears who is capable of flying.
Winona Ryder is an American actress who is known for taking on challenging roles in her earlier films, after which she went on to play more prominent roles in the 1990s. After Ryder's film debut in Lucas (1986), she gained attention with her performance in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice (1988). She further rose to prominence with major roles in Heathers (1988), Mermaids (1990), Edward Scissorhands (1990), “Night on Earth” (1991), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). She garnered critical acclaim and two consecutive Academy Award nominations for her portrayals of socialite May Welland in Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence (1993) and Jo March in the fifth film adaptation of Little Women (1994). Her other films during this period were Reality Bites (1994), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), The Crucible (1996), Alien Resurrection (1997), Celebrity (1999), and Girl, Interrupted (1999), which she also executive-produced.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a 2024 American dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. A sequel to Beetlejuice (1988) and the second film of the Beetlejuice franchise, the film stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara reprising their roles alongside new cast members Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega, and Willem Dafoe. Set more than three decades after the first Beetlejuice, it follows Lydia Deetz, now a mother, struggling to keep her family together in the wake of a loss as the specter Betelgeuse returns to haunt her.
Sony said it spent an estimated $215 million to make the new "Men in Black" movie