Tim Burton is an American filmmaker born on August 25, 1958, known for his unique style that blends dark and whimsical elements. He’s made a mark in the movie world with his gothic horror and fantasy films.
Starting with his first movie, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in 1985, Burton quickly gained attention for films like Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. He’s also directed some big hits like Batman and Batman Returns.
Burton’s work isn’t limited to one genre; he’s explored everything from animation with films like Corpse Bride to drama with “Big Fish” and biographical stories like Ed Wood.
Throughout his career, Burton has worked with a consistent group of actors like Winona Ryder, Johnny Depp, and Michael Keaton, as well as composer Danny Elfman, who’s scored most of his films.
Recently, Burton has ventured into television, directing episodes for the Netflix series Wednesday, showing his versatility as a filmmaker.
Beyond movies, Burton has also written books, including “The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories” in 1997. His work has earned him numerous awards and honors, cementing his place as a creative force in Hollywood.
| Full Name | Timothy Walter Burton |
| Date of Birth | August 25, 1958 |
| Place of Birth | Burbank, California, USA |
| Occupation | Film director, animator, writer, artist |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Spouse | Helena Bonham Carter (m. 2001 – div. 2014) |
| Children | Billy Raymond Burton, Nell Burton |
| Net Worth | $100 million |
Tim Burton’s Early Life and Education
Tim Burton was born on August 25, 1958, in Burbank, California. His mom, Jean, ran a shop full of cat-themed goodies, and his dad, Bill, used to play baseball and later worked for the Burbank Parks and Recreation Department.
When Burton was young, he liked to make short movies in his backyard or film on small cameras. One of his earliest films, The Island of Doctor Agor, was made when he was just 13. He went to a few different schools in Burbank but wasn’t a great student. He did play water polo, though. Burton was a bit of a loner and enjoyed drawing, painting, and watching movies, especially those by Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl.
After finishing high school in 1976, Burton went to the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. There, he studied character animation and made a couple of short films called Stalk of the Celery Monster and King and Octopus.
Career
1981–1987: Early work and breakthrough
Tim Burton’s journey into the world of animation and filmmaking began when he caught the eye of Walt Disney Productions. They offered him a chance to learn and work as an animator in their animation division. He wore many hats during his time there, contributing as an animator, storyboard artist, graphic designer, art director, and concept artist on various films like The Fox and the Hound, Tron, and The Black Cauldron. Despite his creative contributions, much of his concept art didn’t end up in the final films.
While at Disney, Burton created his first short film called Vincent in 1982. It’s a six-minute stop-motion film inspired by a poem he wrote, featuring a boy who dreams of being like his hero, Vincent Price. This film, narrated by Price himself, gained attention when it was shown at the Chicago Film Festival and later released in Los Angeles alongside another movie. Following Vincent, Burton made his first live-action production, Hansel and Gretel, a unique take on the classic fairy tale with a Japanese twist and a kung fu showdown.
In 1984, Burton released another live-action short film called Frankenweenie. It’s a touching story about a boy trying to bring his deceased dog back to life. However, after completing Frankenweenie, Disney let Burton go, concerned that his style was too dark for their audience.
Fortunately, actor Paul Reubens saw Frankenweenie and was impressed by Burton’s talent. He chose Burton to direct the film adaptation of his character Pee-wee Herman. This collaboration resulted in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, which became a hit, earning much more than its budget. Burton’s unique style, coupled with the quirky music of Danny Elfman, made the film a success.
Apart from his work with Pee-wee Herman, Burton also directed episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre. His partnership with Danny Elfman became a staple in his filmmaking, with Elfman composing music for most of Burton’s films.
1988–1994: Batman films and acclaim
Burton’s next big movie after his success with Beetlejuice was Batman in 1988. It’s a spooky comedy about a young couple dealing with life after they die and some snobby people who move into their house. There’s this teenage girl, Lydia, who’s really into death stuff, so she can see the dead couple. The movie stars Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, with Michael Keaton playing a rude guy named Beetlejuice. It made a lot of money and even won an Oscar for the makeup. Later, they turned it into a cartoon show.
After that, Burton got to direct Batman, a big-budget film. But there were a lot of problems during production. Some people didn’t like that Michael Keaton was picked to play Batman because he didn’t have the typical superhero body, and he was mostly known for funny roles. But the movie did well at the box office, making tons of money and winning awards.
Burton said he got inspiration from a comic called Batman: The Killing Joke for his Batman movie. Then he made another movie called Edward Scissorhands, which was very personal to him. It’s about this guy with scissors for hands who struggles to fit in. Johnny Depp played the main character, and Winona Ryder was in it too. It’s considered one of Burton’s best movies.
He also did a sequel to Batman called Batman Returns, which was darker and more personal. People worried it might be too scary for kids. Even though it did well financially, it wasn’t as big a hit as the first one.
Burton produced The Nightmare Before Christmas but didn’t direct it. It’s a stop-motion animated film that got good reviews. Then he worked on James and the Giant Peach with the same director.
Burton’s next film, Ed Wood, was smaller but well-loved. It’s about a director known for making cheesy horror movies. Johnny Depp starred in it, and it won awards.
But after Batman Returns, Warner Bros. thought Burton’s style was too dark for the Batman series. So they brought in a new director for the next movie, Batman Forever. It was a big hit, but it had a different tone than Burton’s movies.
1995–2010: Established director
In 1996, Tim Burton and Henry Selick teamed up again to create James and the Giant Peach, a whimsical musical based on Roald Dahl’s book. Although Burton only produced this time due to his involvement in another project, the film was a mix of live-action and stop-motion animation and featured a star-studded cast. Despite not doing great at the box office, it was praised by critics and even got an Academy Award nomination for its music.
Then came Mars Attacks in the same year, a quirky sci-fi flick with a cast that included big names like Jack Nicholson and Glenn Close. It unintentionally parodied another blockbuster called Independence Day and became quite the spectacle itself.
In 1999, Burton gave us Sleepy Hollow, a spooky tale starring Johnny Depp as a detective in a supernatural mystery. It paid homage to classic horror films and received acclaim, especially for its eerie atmosphere and Danny Elfman’s haunting music.
Planet of the Apes followed in 2001, a successful but somewhat divisive movie that Burton directed. Despite mixed reviews, it did well at the box office.
Next up was Big Fish in 2003, a heartwarming story about a father’s tall tales. It earned several award nominations and marked Burton’s second collaboration with Helena Bonham Carter and Danny DeVito.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory came in 2005, a faithful adaptation of Dahl’s book starring Johnny Depp. It was a hit, although filming was challenging as Burton had to juggle it with another project, Corpse Bride.
Burton also dipped his toes into directing music videos, including ones for The Killers.
In 2007, he gave us Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a dark musical that won critical acclaim and awards. Johnny Depp’s performance was particularly praised.
Then in 2009, Burton produced “9,” a full-length adaptation of a short film about rag dolls in a post-apocalyptic world. It was well-received and led to Burton’s involvement in Alice in Wonderland, which became a massive success despite mixed reviews.
Burton’s career has been full of whimsy, darkness, and unforgettable characters, cementing his place as a master of the fantastical on-screen.
2011–2021: Career fluctuations
Tim Burton started working on a movie called Dark Shadows in May 2011. It’s based on an old TV show from the 1960s with the same name. The movie stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Michelle Pfeiffer. Danny Elfman did the music, Rick Heinrichs designed the sets, and Colleen Atwood made the costumes. The movie came out on May 11, 2012, and made $245 million worldwide, even though it cost $150 million to make.
He also worked on a movie called Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter with Timur Bekmambetov. It came out on June 22, 2012. The story is based on a book by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote the screenplay. Benjamin Walker played Abraham Lincoln, and the movie didn’t do so well at the box office.
Then, Tim Burton remade his old short film Frankenweenie into a full-length stop-motion movie. It’s a personal story for him, about a boy and his dog. The movie got good reviews and was released on October 5, 2012.
In 2014, he made a movie called Big Eyes. It’s based on the true story of Margaret Keane, an artist whose husband claimed credit for her work. It came out on December 25, 2014, and people liked it.
He also talked about directing a movie called Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, based on a book. It was released on September 30, 2016.
And in 2019, he directed a live-action version of the Disney movie Dumbo. It starred Colin Farrell, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, and Michael Keaton. The movie made $353 million worldwide but still lost money because it cost a lot to make and advertise.
2022–present: Wednesday and resurgence
Tim Burton seems to be navigating quite a dynamic landscape in the entertainment industry. His venture into television with “Wednesday” for Netflix marked a significant shift in his career, with the series receiving critical acclaim. However, his relationship with Disney appears to have soured, citing a disconnect between his creative vision and Disney’s current focus.
Regarding upcoming projects, the long-gestating Beetlejuice sequel has had its share of twists and turns, with Warner Bros. initially shelving the project but later reviving it with Burton onboard as director. The original stars, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, are set to reprise their roles, adding to the anticipation.
Additionally, Burton’s collaboration with Gillian Flynn on a remake of Attack of the 50 Foot Woman for Warner Bros. signifies his continued exploration of classic themes and stories within his distinctive style.
It seems Burton’s creativity knows no bounds, and despite challenges and setbacks, he continues to find avenues for his unique vision in both film and television.
Unrealized projects
Kevin Smith got hired to write a new Superman movie. He thought Tim Burton would be a great director for it. Warner Bros. planned to release the movie in 1998, which was the 60th anniversary of Superman’s first appearance in Action Comics. Nicolas Cage was supposed to play Superman, and Wesley Strick was hired to rewrite Smith’s script. They started working on the movie in June 1997, but Warner Bros. wanted changes to the budget. They hired Dan Gilroy to rewrite it again. Eventually, they stopped working on the movie in April 1998, and Tim Burton left to direct Sleepy Hollow. He said it was tough because he didn’t get along with the producer and the studio.
In 2002, Disney thought about making a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but Tim Burton didn’t want to. He wanted to keep the original movie special. Even though there was talk of a sequel in 2009, nothing happened.
In 2012, Tim Burton was supposed to work with Valve to make a new animated movie called Deep. It would be similar to his other movie, 9, set in a world after a big disaster. But we haven’t heard much about it since then.
After Dark Shadows, Tim Burton was supposed to make a movie called Maleficent, about the villain from Sleeping Beauty. But he ended up not directing it.
There were plans for Tim Burton to make a 3D movie of The Addams Family, but that didn’t happen. He was also going to direct Monsterpocalypse but later dropped out.
In 2011, there was talk of Tim Burton making a live-action version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Josh Brolin, but that didn’t happen either.
Personal life
Tim Burton was once married to Lena Gieseke, an artist from Germany, but they split up in 1991 after four years together. After that, he started dating Lisa Marie, a model and actress. She appeared in many of his movies from 1992 to 2001, like Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood, and Mars Attacks. Then, Burton got involved with Helena Bonham Carter, a British actress he met while working on Planet of the Apes. Unfortunately, Lisa Marie auctioned off some of Tim’s stuff in 2005 after they broke up, which upset him.
Burton and Bonham Carter have two kids together, a son born in 2003 and a daughter born in 2007. They announced their split in 2014, but it’s not clear if they were ever officially married. Some sources say they were, but others say they weren’t. According to The Independent, they were married for years before separating.
In 2010, Tim Burton was honored with the Chevalier of Arts and Letters award, and he was also the jury president at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in 2010.
Tim Burton was linked to Monica Bellucci, an Italian actress and model, in 2023. They met at a film festival in Lyon in October 2022, and Bellucci talked about their relationship publicly in June 2023.
Exhibitions and books
From November 22, 2009, to April 26, 2010, there was a big art show at the MoMA in New York all about Tim Burton. It had over 700 pieces of his stuff, like drawings, photos, and costumes from his movies. After that, the show went to Australia. In 2011, it was in Los Angeles, then Paris in 2012, and Seoul in 2013. Each place had different things from Tim Burton’s life and work.
In 2014, there was another show in Prague, and later it went to Brazil and Hong Kong. Then in 2019, there was a special exhibit in Las Vegas.
Besides these big shows, Tim Burton also made some books. One in 1997 with poems and illustrations, and another in 2009 with his art. He even made a book in 2015 with drawings he did on napkins in bars!
Net Worth
Tim Burton’s Net Worth is estimated to be $100 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
