Tim Burton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tim Burton
Burton in 2024
Born	Timothy Walter Burton (1958-08-25) August 25, 1958 (age 66) Burbank, California, U.S.
Alma mater	California Institute of the Arts
Occupation	Director producer screenwriter animator
Years active	1971–present
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Lena Gieseke ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 1991)​
Partner(s)	Lisa Marie (1993–2001) Helena Bonham Carter (2001–2014) Monica Bellucci (2023–present)
Children	2
Signature

Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and animator. He is famous for his unique style, often creating movies with a gothic (dark and mysterious) feel and fantasy elements. His films have helped make "Goth culture" popular in Hollywood.

Tim Burton has won many awards, including an Emmy Award. He has also been nominated for two Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars). In 2007, he received a special award for his lifetime achievements at the Venice International Film Festival. In 2010, France honored him with the Order of the Arts and Letters for his contributions to art.

Burton's first movie as a director was the comedy Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985). He became very well-known for films like Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990). He also directed superhero movies such as Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). His animated films include Corpse Bride (2005) and Frankenweenie (2012). Other popular films he directed are Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Alice in Wonderland (2010). More recently, he directed several episodes of the Netflix series Wednesday (2022), which was very popular. He also directed Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), a sequel to his 1988 hit. Tim Burton often works with composer Danny Elfman, who creates the music for most of his films.

Early Life and Education

Tim Burton was born on August 25, 1958, in Burbank, California. His mother, Jean, owned a cat-themed gift shop, and his father, William, worked for the Burbank Parks and Recreation Department.

When Tim was a kid, he loved making short films in his backyard. He used simple stop motion animation or shot films on 8mm film without sound. One of his earliest known films, The Island of Doctor Agor, was made when he was just 13 years old. Tim went to Providencia Elementary School, Luther Middle School, and Burbank High School. He wasn't the best student, but he enjoyed art, drawing, and watching movies. His later work was greatly inspired by childhood favorites like Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl.

After finishing high school in 1976, Burton went to the California Institute of the Arts to study character animation. While there, he made short films called Stalk of the Celery Monster and King and Octopus.

Career Highlights

Early Work and First Films

Tim Burton's student film Stalk of the Celery Monster caught the eye of Walt Disney Productions. They offered him an apprenticeship in their animation department. He worked on films like The Fox and the Hound (1981) and Tron (1982), creating concept art. However, his unique ideas often didn't make it into the final movies.

In 1982, while at Disney, Burton made his first short film, Vincent. This six-minute, black-and-white stop motion film was based on a poem he wrote. It tells the story of a young boy who pretends to be his hero, Vincent Price, who also narrated the film.

Burton's next live-action short was Frankenweenie, released in 1984. It's about a boy who brings his dog back to life after it's hit by a car. Disney thought this film was too dark for children and let Burton go.

However, actor Paul Reubens saw Frankenweenie and was so impressed that he chose Burton to direct his character Pee-wee Herman's first movie, Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985). This film was made with a small budget but earned over $40 million, making it a success. Burton also asked Danny Elfman to compose the music for the film, starting a long and successful partnership.

Beetlejuice and Batman Success

Burton's next big project was Beetlejuice (1988). This supernatural comedy-horror film is about a ghost couple who try to scare away the new family living in their old house. It stars Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Michael Keaton as the wild "bio-exorcist" Beetlejuice. The film was a hit and won an Academy Award for Best Makeup.

His success led to his first big-budget film, Batman (1989). Many people were surprised when Burton chose Michael Keaton to play Batman, as Keaton was known for comedies. But Burton believed Batman should be an ordinary man using a costume to scare criminals. He also cast Jack Nicholson as The Joker. The film was a massive success, earning over $400 million worldwide and winning an Academy Award for Best Production Design. It changed how superhero movies were made, making them darker and more realistic.

In 1990, Burton directed Edward Scissorhands. This film is very personal to him, inspired by a drawing he made in high school. It stars his friend Johnny Depp as Edward, a gentle, human-like creation with scissors for hands. Winona Ryder also starred in the film. Many critics consider Edward Scissorhands one of Burton's best movies.

Burton returned to direct Batman Returns (1992), with Michael Keaton as Batman. This sequel was even darker and featured new villains: Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. The film was a financial success, earning over $282 million worldwide.

Due to his busy schedule, Burton produced, but did not direct, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). This stop-motion film was directed by Henry Selick and based on Burton's original story and characters. It was praised for its animation and music.

In 1994, Burton directed Ed Wood, a smaller film about the life of the famous low-budget director Ed Wood. Starring Johnny Depp, the film was a tribute to the old science fiction and horror movies Burton loved as a child. It won two Academy Awards, including one for Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi.

Established Director

Burton (right) and Pedro Almodóvar at the premiere of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Madrid, in 2007

In 1996, Burton produced James and the Giant Peach, another stop-motion film based on a Roald Dahl book. He then directed Mars Attacks! (1996), a fun science fiction film with many famous actors.

Sleepy Hollow, released in 1999, was a supernatural horror film starring Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane. Burton paid tribute to classic horror movies with this film. It was a box office success and won an Academy Award for Best Production Design.

In 2001, Burton directed Planet of the Apes, which was a big commercial success. In 2003, he directed Big Fish, a fantasy drama about a father who tells exaggerated stories about his life. The film starred Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney and received several award nominations.

In 2005, Burton directed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, another adaptation of a Roald Dahl book. It starred Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket. That same year, he directed Corpse Bride, his first full-length stop-motion film as a director, with voices by Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

Burton also directed music videos, including "Bones" (2006) and "Here with Me" (2012) for the band The Killers.

In 2007, he directed Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a musical horror film starring Johnny Depp. The film was praised by critics and won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction.

Burton speaking about 9 at Comic-Con, 2009

In 2009, Burton produced the animated film 9, based on a short film by Shane Acker. He then directed Alice in Wonderland (2010), a new take on the classic Lewis Carroll story. The film starred Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Mia Wasikowska as Alice. It was a huge commercial success, earning over $1 billion worldwide, making it Burton's highest-grossing film.

Recent Work and Wednesday

In 2012, Burton directed Dark Shadows, based on a 1960s TV series, again starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. He also remade his 1984 short film Frankenweenie as a full-length stop-motion movie. This film was based on his own childhood memories of his dog.

Burton directed the biographical drama Big Eyes (2014), about artist Margaret Keane whose husband took credit for her paintings. In 2016, he directed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, a fantasy film. His live-action adaptation of Disney's Dumbo was released in 2019.

In 2021, it was announced that Burton would direct and produce Wednesday for Netflix. This series is based on the character Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family and stars Jenna Ortega. Burton directed four episodes of the first season, which was released in November 2022 and received great reviews.

In 2022, Burton mentioned that he might not work with Disney much anymore. He felt that Disney's focus on big franchises like Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm left less room for his unique and different types of stories.

In 2012, it was announced that Burton was working on a sequel to Beetlejuice. The film, titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, officially began filming in 2023 with Burton directing. Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder returned to their roles, and Jenna Ortega joined the cast. The movie is set to be released in 2024.

Frequent Collaborators

Tim Burton often works with the same talented people on his films. His most frequent collaborators include actor Johnny Depp, actress Helena Bonham Carter, and composer Danny Elfman. These partnerships have helped create the unique style and feel of many of his movies.

Personal Life

Tim Burton was married to Lena Gieseke from 1987 to 1991. He then had a relationship with actress Lisa Marie from 1992 to 2001; she appeared in several of his films. Later, he began a relationship with English actress Helena Bonham Carter, whom he met while filming Planet of the Apes. They have two children together, a son born in 2003 and a daughter born in 2007. They separated in 2014.

In 2010, France honored Burton with the title of Chevalier of Arts and Letters. That same year, he was the head of the jury at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in France.

In 2023, it was reported that Burton was in a relationship with Italian actress and model Monica Bellucci. They met in Lyon in 2022.

Exhibitions and Books

Tim Burton's artwork and film creations have been shown in special exhibitions around the world. From 2009 to 2010, the MoMA in New York held a large show featuring over 700 of his drawings, paintings, puppets, costumes, and other works. This exhibition later traveled to Melbourne, Australia.

"The Art of Tim Burton" was also shown at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2011. In 2012, "Tim Burton, the exhibition" was displayed at the Cinémathèque Française in Paris, France, where all of his movies were also shown. The exhibition then went to the Seoul Museum of Art in South Korea in 2012-2013, featuring 862 of his works.

"Tim Burton and His World" has been exhibited in Prague (2014), São Paulo (2016), Hong Kong (2016-2017), and Brasília (2019). In 2019, his exhibition Lost Vegas: Tim Burton opened at The Neon Museum in Las Vegas.

Burton is also an author and illustrator. He wrote and illustrated the poetry book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories, published in 1997. A collection of his drawings and sketches, The Art of Tim Burton, was released in 2009. A follow-up book, The Napkin Art of Tim Burton: Things You Think About in a Bar, came out in 2015, featuring sketches he made on napkins.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations for Burton Films

Tim Burton's films have received many awards and nominations over the years. Here's a summary of some of the major awards:

See also

In Spanish: Tim Burton para niños