Birth name Timothy William Burton
Born August 25, 1958 (1958-08-25) (age 49)
Burbank, California, U.S.
Years active 1985 - present
Spouse(s) Lena Gieseke (1989-1991)
Children Billy Ray Burton (b. October 4, 2003)
Batman
Main article: Batman (1989 film)
Burton's ability to produce hits with low budgets impressed studio executives and he received his first big budget film Batman (1989). The mega-budget production, based in London, was plagued with problems. Burton repeatedly clashed with the film's producers, Jon Peters and Peter Guber, but the most notable debacle involved casting. Burton wanted to cast Michael Keaton from his previous role as Beetlejuice, despite Keaton's average physique, inexperience with action films, and reputation as a comic actor. Although Burton won out in the end, the furor over the casting provoked enormous fan animosity, to the extent that Warner Brothers' share price slumped. Burton had considered it ridiculous to cast a bulked-up he-man as Batman, insisting that the Caped Crusader should be an ordinary (albeit fabulously wealthy) man who dressed up in an elaborate bat costume to frighten criminals. Burton cast Jack Nicholson as the Joker (Tim Curry being his second choice) in a move that helped assuage fans' fears, as well as attracting older audiences not as interested in a superhero film. When the film opened in June 1989, it was backed by the biggest marketing and merchandising campaign in film history at the time, and became one of the biggest box office hits of all time, grossing well over $400 million worldwide and $250 million in the U.S. alone (numbers not adjusted for inflation). The film proved to be a huge influence on future superhero films, which eschewed the bright, all-American heroism of Superman for a grimmer look and characters with more psychological depth. The stylized gothic look of Gotham City was uniquely suited to a Tim Burton set.
Edward Scissorhands
Main article: Edward Scissorhands
In 1990, Burton co-wrote (with Caroline Thompson) and directed Edward Scissorhands, re-uniting with Winona Ryder from the "Beetlejuice" days. Johnny Depp, a teen idol at the end of the 1980s due primarily to his work on the hit TV series 21 Jump Street, was cast in the title role of Edward, who was the creation of an eccentric and old fashioned inventor (played by Vincent Price, in his last appearance on screen before his death). Edward looked human, but was left with scissors in the place of hands due to the untimely death of his creator. Set in suburbia (the film was shot in Tampa, Florida), the film is largely seen as Burton's autobiography of his own childhood in the suburb of Burbank. Price at one point is said to have remarked, "Tim is Edward." Johnny Depp wrote a similar comment in the foreword to Mark Salisbury's book, Burton on Burton, regarding his first meeting with Burton over the casting of the film. Edward is considered Burton's best movie by many fans and critics. Following this collaboration with Burton, Depp went on to star in Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and as a voice actor in Corpse Bride. Depp is also starring in Burton's adaptation of Sweeney Todd, to be released in December 2007.
[edit] Batman Returns
Main article: Batman Returns
Although Warner Brothers had declined to make the more personal Scissorhands even after the success of Batman, Burton finally agreed to direct the sequel for Warner Brothers on the condition that he would be granted total control. The result was Batman Returns which featured Michael Keaton returning as the Dark Knight, and a new triad of villains: Danny DeVito (as the Penguin), Michelle Pfeiffer (as Catwoman), and Christopher Walken. Darker and considerably more personal than its predecessor, concerns were raised that the film was too scary for children. Audiences were even more uncomfortable at the film's overt sexuality, personified by the sleek, fetish-inspired styling of Catwoman's costume. One critic remarked, "too many villains spoiled the Batman," highlighting Burton's decision to focus the storyline more on the villains instead of Batman. The film also polarized the fanbase, with some loving the darkness and quirkiness, while others felt it wasn´t true to the core aspects of the source material. Tim Burton made many changes to the Penguin which would be applied to the Penguin in both comics and television. While in the comics, he was an ordinary man, Burton created a freak of nature resembling a penguin with webbed, flipper-like fingers, a hooked, beak-like nose, and a penguin-like body. Batman Returns grossed $160 million in the USA (number not adjusted for inflation) which, while a big success, was much less than expected.
Burton then went on to do preliminary work on the third installment in the franchise. Val Kilmer was cast as the title character (after Michael Keaton turned down the offer to reprise his previous role after Burton's departure from the project), Chris O'Donnell was cast as Robin, Jim Carrey was cast as the Riddler (after Robin Williams turned down the part), Tommy Lee Jones was cast as Two-Face, and Nicole Kidman was cast as love interest Dr. Chase Meridian. Warner Brothers ultimately threw out Burton after they realized the tone of the film was to be similar to Batman Returns. Burton left the Batman franchise (but returned as a producer for the Joel Schumacher–directed Batman Forever (1995), a movie which he said had a title "like a tattoo you get when you're on drugs").
[edit] The Nightmare Before Christmas
Main article: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Next, Burton wrote and produced (but did not direct, due to schedule constraints on Batman Returns) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), originally meant to be a children's book in rhyme. The film was directed by Henry Selick and written by Michael McDowell and Caroline Thompson, based on Burton's original story, world and characters. The film continues to have a wide cult following. Burton collaborated with Selick again for James and the Giant Peach (1996), which Burton co-produced. The movie helped to generate a renewed interest in stop-motion animation.
Popular in gothic and young adult culture, Jack is seen as a modern role model and popular character. The film is still heavily referenced in popular culture and its main characters and visual styles are often reproduced on products in stores such as Hot Topic and in street boutiques. A combination of a child-like fantasy turned gothic visuals and musical numbers composed by long time collaborator Danny Elfman led The Nightmare Before Christmas to become a cult movie.
A deleted scene from The Nightmare Before Christmas features a group of vampires playing hockey on the frozen pond with the decapitated head of producer Tim Burton. The head was later replaced with a Jack-o'-lantern.
[edit] Ed Wood
Main article: Ed Wood (film)
His next film, Ed Wood (1994), was of a much smaller scale, depicting the life of Ed Wood Jr, a filmmaker sometimes called "the worst director of all time." Starring Johnny Depp in the title role, the film is a homage to the low-budget sci-fi and horror films of Burton's childhood, and handles its comical protagonist and his motley band of collaborators with surprising fondness and sensitivity. Due to creative squabbles during the making of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Danny Elfman declined to score Ed Wood, and the assignment went to Howard Shore. While a commercial failure at the time of its release, Ed Wood was well received by critics and has since gathered a considerable fanbase, as well as helped revive the public interest for the films of Ed Wood Jr. Martin Landau also received an Academy Award, in the Best Supporting Actor category, for his portrayal of Bela Lugosi.
[edit] Mars Attacks!
Main article: Mars Attacks!
Elfman and Burton reunited for Mars Attacks! (1996). Based on a popular science fiction trading card series, the film was a hybrid of 1950s' sci-fi flicks and 1970s' all-star disaster flicks -- an anarchic cacophony of clever satire and goofy mayhem. Coincidence made it an inadvertent spoof of the blockbuster, Independence Day, made around the same time and released five months earlier. Although the film boasted an all-star cast, including Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Michael J. Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker and Rod Steiger, among others, the film was panned by American critics and mostly ignored by American audiences. It was however more successful abroad, and later managed to gather an American fan base from its television airings and DVD release.
[edit] Sleepy Hollow
Main article: Sleepy Hollow (film)
Sleepy Hollow, released in the autumn of 1999, was a return to vintage Burton, with a supernatural setting, unique sets and another offbeat performance by Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane, now a detective with an interest in forensic science rather than the schoolteacher of Washington Irving's original tale. An enthusiastic fan of the old horror movies from English company Hammer Film Productions, Burton paid homage to them with Hollow. Hammer veteran Christopher Lee is given a cameo role. A host of Burton regulars appeared in supporting roles (Michael Gough, Ian McDiarmid, Jeffrey Jones and Christopher Walken, among others) and Christina Ricci was cast as Katrina van Tassel. Mostly well-received by critics, and with a special mention to Elfman's Gothic score, the film won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction, as well as two BAFTAs for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. A box office success, Sleepy Hollow was also a turning point for Burton. Along with change in his personal life (separation from Lisa Marie), Burton changed radically in style for his next project, leaving the haunted forests and colorful outcasts behind to go on to directing Planet of the Apes which, as Burton had repeatedly noted, was "not a remake" of the earlier film.
[edit] Tim Burton's Lost In Oz
Main article: Tim Burton's Lost In Oz
Conceived as an original television series based on the immortal works of L. Frank Baum, "Tim Burton's Lost In Oz" was never aired. Though a pilot script was written by Trey Callaway with direct input from Burton as an executive producer and a number of key scenes were filmed by veteran television producer/director Michael Katleman, budgetary constraints ultimately prevented the project from being fully realized. Now being put onto film.
[edit] The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: and Other Stories
Main article: The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: and Other Stories
His book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: and Other Stories was published in 1996. The collection of verse is about misfit children such as Oyster Boy, Match Girl, Stainboy (which later became short animations), the Girl Who Turned into a Bed, and other such outcasts. The book was published by the publishing company Faber and Faber, which also published the original artwork of Sleepy Hollow in 1999.
[edit] The 2000s
[edit] Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes was a commercial success, grossing $68 million in its opening weekend. It was however panned by critics and widely considered inferior to the first adaptation of the book . The main criticism was that the movie went for a more watered down "popcorn" feel than the dark, cerebral and nihilistic tone of the 1968 film. The film was a significant departure from Burton's usual style, and there was much subsequent debate about whether the film was really Burton's, or if he was just a "hired gun" who did what he was asked.[3] Burton reportedly clashed with the studio during the whole making of the film, once going as far as abruptly leaving the set for the day. There were also many reports about last minute changes in the movie. Despite the commercial success of the movie and an ending that clearly suggested the possibility of a sequel, apparently there are no intentions from the studio or Burton to make another Apes movie.
[edit] Recent Years
Burton went on to direct Big Fish (2003) which received four Golden Globe nominations, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Corpse Bride (2005), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. Charlie and Bride were Burton's most critically-praised movies in years. Charlie was a huge box office success that made over $207 million domestically alone.
[edit] Future projects
On June 13, 2006, Burton announced that he would be postponing his work on Believe It or Not to concentrate on the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Burton's regular, Johnny Depp, has been signed on to play the murderous barber. On June 19th, 2007 Burton announced that he was withdrawing from the Believe It or Not film.
On February 5, 2007, Burton started principal production on Sweeney Todd, from a screenplay by John Logan. The film stars Depp as Sweeney Todd, Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett, Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin, and Sacha Baron Cohen as Adolfo Pirelli. Timothy Spall also plays Beadle Bamford. The Dreamworks/Warner Bros. production will be released on December 21, 2007 .
In November 2007, Burton signed a deal with Disney to direct two 3-D films. The first will be a motion capture adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, which will finish filming by May 2008. Afterwards, he will remake Frankenweenie as a stop-motion film.[4] John August has announced that he will start writing a live action film for Tim as soon as the writers strike is over.
Director filmography
* Vincent (1982)
* Frankenweenie (1984)
* Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
* Beetlejuice (1988)
* Batman (1989)
* Edward Scissorhands (1990)
* Batman Returns (1992)
* Ed Wood (1994)
* Mars Attacks! (1996)
* Sleepy Hollow (1999)
* Planet of the Apes (2001)
* Big Fish (2003)
* Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
* Corpse Bride (2005)
* Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
* The Spook's Apprentice (2009)
* Alice in Wonderland (2010)
[edit] Animator filmography
* The Fox and the Hound uncredited (1981) as a Disney animator doing in-between work on the character Vixey
* Tron uncredited (1982)
* The Black Cauldron (unused conceptual artwork only) uncredited, (1985)
[edit] Producer filmography
* The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
* Cabin Boy (1994)
* Batman Forever (1995)
* James and the Giant Peach (1996)
* Corpse Bride (2005)
* 9 (2008)
* Ripley's Believe It or Not! (2009)
[edit] Cameos and other film work
* The Muppet Movie (1979) - Additional Muppet performer.
* Singles (1992)
* Hoffa (1992)
[edit] Television work
* Faerie Tale Theatre - Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1986)
* Alfred Hitchcock Presents - The Jar (1986)
* Family Dog (1993) - executive producer, some character designs
* Lost in Oz (unproduced show) - executive producer
[edit] Music videos
* Bones by The Killers (2006)
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