Tim Burton is an American director, animator, and film producer born on August 25, 1958. He is 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
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 animation skills and he worked on various projects like “The Fox and the Hound Tron” and “The Black Cauldron.” However, his artistic ideas often didn’t make it into the final films.
In 1982, while at Disney Burton created his first short film called “Vincent.” This six-minute stop-motion film was based on his poem and starred his idol Vincent Price. It was a hit at film festivals but had limited release. He then made another short for Disney, Hansel, and Gretel which aired once on Halloween and was hard to find until it was showcased in exhibitions years later.
Burton’s next short “Frankenweenie” came out in 1984. It’s about a boy trying to bring his dog back to life. Despite its success, Disney let Burton go thinking his style was too dark for kids.
Actor Paul Reubens loved Frankenweenie and chose Burton to direct Pee-wee Herman’s big-screen adventure. The movie became a hit and Burton’s collaboration with composer Danny Elfman began continuing through many of Burton’s films.
Burton also worked on TV shows like “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and Shelley Duvall’s “Faerie Tale Theatre” before hitting big with Beetlejuice in 1988. This comedy horror along with “Batman” catapulted Burton to fame. “Batman” was a risky project with casting controversies but it became a massive success and influenced future superhero movies.
Burton’s personal touch was evident in “Edward Scissorhands” a story close to his heart. He also directed “Batman Returns” which was darker and faced criticism but still did well financially.
After producing “The Nightmare Before Christmas” Burton focused on smaller projects like “Ed Wood” a tribute to a quirky director. Although not a commercial hit, “Ed Wood” gained a cult following and critical acclaim.
Burton’s “Batman” franchise ended with “Batman Forever” as Warner Bros. wanted a lighter tone. Despite changes, the film was a box office hit signaling a new era for the Caped Crusader on screen.
Tim Burton along with director Henry Selick joined forces again in 1996 for the movie “James and the Giant Peach” based on Roald Dahl’s book. Burton was a producer this time because he was busy with another project called “Mars Attacks!” The film was a mix of real-life scenes and stop-motion animation featuring actors like Richard Dreyfuss and Susan Sarandon. Despite not doing well at the box office critics liked the story and visuals earning it a nomination for an Academy Award.
Tim Burton and composer Danny Elfman teamed up again for “Mars Attacks!” a film based on a sci-fi card series. It turned into a playful take on both ’50s sci-fi and ’70s disaster films accidentally resembling Independence Day which came out a few months earlier. The movie had a star-studded cast and was full of humor.
“Sleepy Hollow” released in 1999 starred Johnny Depp as a detective not the usual schoolteacher from the original tale. It was Burton’s tribute to old horror films. The movie got positive reviews, especially for Elfman’s music, and won awards for its art direction.
“Planet of the Apes” despite mixed reviews was a financial success in 2001. Burton then directed “Big Fish” in 2003 a film about a man telling tall tales to his son. It received award nominations and marked Burton’s second collaboration with Helena Bonham Carter and Danny DeVito.
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” stayed closer to Roald Dahl’s book earning nominations for its costumes. Burton also directed a music video for “The Killers” and worked on “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” which was praised for its gore and music.
Burton produced 9 a full-length adaptation of a short film and “Alice in Wonderland” which became a box office hit despite mixed reviews. He continued with “Dark Shadows,” “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Frankenweenie,” “Big Eyes,” and “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”. His live-action “Dumbo” had mixed success financially.
Tim Burton the famous director behind movies like “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has been busy with some exciting projects lately.
Burton is directing and producing a new show called “Wednesday” for Netflix based on the character from “The Addams Family.” It stars Jenna Ortega and Christina Ricci. This is his first time directing a TV show since the 1980s. The first season with four episodes directed by Burton started filming in September 2021 and was released in November 2022. Critics loved it!
In October 2022, Tim Burton said he probably won’t work with Disney again. He felt his unique style didn’t match what Disney wants now focusing more on Pixar Marvel and Lucasfilm. Burton said Disney has become too uniform and less open to different ideas.
Tim Burton has been talking about making a sequel to “Beetlejuice” since 1990. Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are interested in reprising their roles. Although Warner Bros. initially shelved the project in 2019 it was revived in February 2022 with Brad Pitt’s studio Plan B Entertainment. Filming started in London in May 2023 with a release date set for September 6, 2024. Burton is directing again and the original cast is returning along with new additions like Jenna Ortega and Justin Theroux.
Burton and writer Gillian Flynn are working on a remake of the classic film “Attack of the 50-Foot Woman” for Warner Bros. as reported by Variety in February 2024.
Overall Tim Burton fans have a lot to look forward to with these upcoming projects!
Net Worth
Tim Burton has an estimated net worth of $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Tim Burton’s net worth mainly comes from his successful career as a filmmaker, producer, writer, and artist.
He is best known for directing and producing iconic films like “Batman,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and “Alice in Wonderland,” which have been both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
Burton’s unique style and creativity have made his movies popular and profitable, leading to substantial earnings.
Additionally, he has been involved in various projects, such as merchandise and collaborations, which have further increased his wealth. Overall, his long and diverse career in the entertainment industry is the primary source of his net worth.
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.
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!
Lost 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.
