Regarded as one of the greatest directors of all time, Tim Burton has made a tremendous impact onto the world of film over the last several decades. Known for his uniquely dark and eccentric style, he’s made waves with his distinctive and daring movie choices. From animated features to stop motion magic to blockbuster hits, there’s no limit to Burton’s creativity. Take a look at 50 facts about Tim Burton and his films that you might find surprising in the gallery below, then let us know your favorite Tim Burton film in the comments section on social media.
-His mother owned a cat-themed gift shop.
-He worked for Walt Disney as an animator’s apprentice, working on films such as “The Fox and the Hound,” “Tron” and “The Black Cauldron.”
-His first stop motion horror movie, “Vincent,” debuted in 1982.
-“Vincent” was narrated by Vincent Price, an actor whom Burton idolized.
-Burton’s first live action feature was “Hansel and Gretel,” a 1983 TV special for The Disney Channel.
-In 1984, Burton created the film “Frankenweenie” for Disney. This film got him fired from the company because it was deemed too dark and scary for children.
-After Disney, Burton was hired to direct his first full length film—”Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”
-Since “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” Danny Elfman has scored almost every single film Burton has directed.
-“Beetlejuice” was the second full-length film that Burton directed.
-Burton initially wanted Sammy Davis Jr. to play Betelgeuse.
-“Beetlejuice” was almost named “House Ghosts” and “Scared Sheetless.”
-Betelgeuse was initially written to kill the Deetzes, instead of just scaring them.
-Lydia Deetz was initially supposed to have a younger sister named Cathy.
-There’s a star in the constellation of Orion named Betelgeuse.
-“Beetlejuice” won an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
-Michael Keaton played Betelgeuse in 1988, as well as the titular character in Burton’s 1989 film “Batman.”
-Jack Nicholson accepted the role of the Joker after being offered top billing.
-After seeing “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” comic book fans fans were initially skeptical about Burton directing “Batman.”
-Burton initially wanted Willem Dafoe to play Batman.
-Burton and production designer Anton Furst wanted to make Gotham the ugliest and bleakest city possible.
-Burton was inspired to create “Edward Scissorhands” from his childhood in Burback, California.
-Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Gary Oldman were all considered for the role of Edward.
-Burton hired screenwriter Caroline Thompson for this film after reading her book “First Born,” which is about an abortion come back to life.
-Burton was inspired by Universal horror movies such as “Phantom of the Opera” and “Frankenstein” when making this film.
-“Edward Scissorhands” was initially supposed to be a musical.
-While Burton produced and conceived “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” he didn’t direct the film.
-Catherine O’Hara portrayed Sally after appearing in “Beetlejuice.”
-“The Nightmare Before Christmas” was conceived as a three-page poem while Burton was working at Disney.
-“The Nightmare Before Christmas” was Burton’s third consecutive film that was set during Christmas time.
-There were 109,440 total frames taken for “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
-Burton was inspired by 1950’s science fiction B movies such as “Plan 9 From Outer Space” when creating “Mars Attack!”
-Meryl Streep was considered for the role of First Lady Marsha Dale in “Mars Attack!”
-“Sleepy Hollow” was originally conceived as a low budget slasher film.
-Burton initially wanted actor Johnny Depp to wear a prosthetic nose, ears and fingers for his role in “Sleepy Hollow.”
-Burton’s then girlfriend was pregnant while portraying The Witch during filming of “Big Fish.”
-Roald Dahl’s widow Felicity and daughter Lucy had final artistic control of Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
-“Corpse Bride” is based on a 19th century Russian-Jewish folktale.
-“Corpse Bride” was co-directed with Mike Johnson, who’d worked with Burton on “James and the Giant Peach” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
-Johnny Depp filmed “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and recorded dialogue for “Corpse Bride” simultaneously.
-“Corpse Bride” was Johnny Depp’s first animated film.
-“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” was adapted from a Tony-winning play of the same name.
-Actor Christopher Lee appeared in five Burton films, including “Sleepy Hollow,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Corpse Bride,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Dark Shadows.”
-Burton’s 1984 film “Frankenweenie” was remade as a 3-D stop motion animated film in 2012.
-“Frankenweenie” was the first first length film to be released in black-and-white on IMAX.
-Both “Edward Scissorhands” and “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” were shot in Tampa, Florida.
-Burton appeared as an alien in 2012’s “Men in Black 3.”
-Burton directed a music video for deathcore band Chelsea Grin in 2020.
-Burton wrote a poetry book in 1997 called “The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories.”
-Burton has had art exhibitions at the MoMa, Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Las Vegas’s Neon Museum.
-Burton has a variety of projects that never made it past the pre-production stage, including a “Beetlejuice” sequel, an adaption of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and a film based on Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
