Biography
Tim Burton is an American director who works in the macabre gothic style and prefers fairy-tale plots with elements of tragicomedy and black humor.
Timothy Walter Burton, better known to us as director and animator Tim Burton, was born in August 1958 in the Californian town of Burbank. He did not have a very rosy childhood, but it was these years that left a decisive imprint on Burton’s work, introducing dark humor and macabre elements into it.
Director Tim Burton
In the seemingly prosperous Burton family, where, besides Tim, the youngest son was growing up, and the parents had a good, stable income, the boy was lonely and isolated. He didn't like noisy companies. He spent time in his room, where for some reason the windows were walled up and turned into narrow slits. Timothy read Edgar Allan Poe and visited the cinema, where he watched mostly science fiction and horror films.
There was a municipal cemetery not far from the Burton house. In addition, next door to Tim's home were the offices of the Walt Disney, Columbia Pictures and Warner Brothers film studios. One might say that this was an allegorical “picture” of the entire subsequent work of the director who created “Edward Scissorhands.”
Tim Burton in his youth
In 1976, Tim Burton left the uncomfortable town and went to Santa Clarita, the Californian city where the art institute founded by Walt Disney was located. Here the future director and animator learned the basics and subtleties of the profession.
In 1979, Burton was accepted into the Disney studio, where he worked for several years as an animator and cartoon character designer.
Biography of Tim Burton
As a young child, Tim Burton was noticeably different from most of his peers in that he liked to spend time alone. He felt like a stranger both in his city and in his home, although his family was not dysfunctional. Bill Burton, Tim's father, was employed by the park department of the city of Burbank, where the boy was born; in addition, his family owned a small souvenir shop.
Tim's childhood hobby was drawing, and he even tried several times to create his own puppet cartoon. The boy also liked going to the cinema and watching old films.
When the time came to decide on his future profession, Tim did not forget about these hobbies. He entered the California Institute of the Arts, and after graduating he began working at the Walt Disney Animation Studio.
Movies
Tim Burton's cinematic biography began after he made his debut short films. These were the 6-minute animated film "Vincent" and the short animated film "Frankenweenie". The studio did not dare to release the latter, considering it incompatible with the image of Walt Disney.
Tim Burton (left) on the set of Pee-wee's Big Adventure
During this period, Tim Burton was also a contender for the role of director of the popular horror film Gremlins, but Luc Besson did not risk hiring a director with virtually no experience.
Burton sent copies of Frankenweenie to various studios and managed to attract the attention of famous American producer and comedian Paul Reubens. He entrusted Tim with filming the feature film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” The film was a considerable success, including commercial success. While working on it, the young director met Danny Elfman, a composer who later collaborated regularly with Tim Burton.
Tim Burton on the set of Beetlejuice
The director's first success prompted him to entrust Burton with the film adaptation of the Batman comic. During this period, Tim also filmed the fairy tale film “Aladdin and His Magic Lamp” and the detective horror film “The Pot”.
In 1988, a horror film with elements of mysticism, Beetlejuice, was released, which was included in the 500 best “horror films” in the world. The film received an Oscar for best makeup. The film shows a classic horror plot: ghosts chained to a house frighten the new homeowners, but what makes the film unusual is its unconventional point of view. The main characters of the film are not the new residents suffering from poltergeists, but the old owners, dissatisfied with the fact that their home is being rebuilt. There is an appeal to an exorcist in the film, but it is the ghosts themselves who appeal to him, and the exorcist specializes in expelling the living from the house.
Tim Burton on the set of "Batman"
In the next 2 years, viewers saw new creations from Tim Burton, which brought him worldwide fame. This is "Bae." These films marked the beginning of the revival of the “Batman movie” in cinema and created fame for the director as the best creator of Hollywood blockbusters.
In the decade that ended the twentieth century, Tim Burton's cinematic biography is developing rapidly, reaching the heights of cinema Olympus. It was also during this period that the director began to have his favorite actors. This is Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp.
Tim Burton on the set of Edward Scissorhands
In 1990, the hit movie Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton's first film starring Johnny Depp, was released. The film is shot in the genre of a fantastic parable. The framing story is the tale of why it snows, which the grandmother tells to her granddaughter. The internal plot shows the life of an artificially created man with scissors instead of fingers.
The surreal tale is riddled with issues of acceptance, social cruelty and other social issues. However, the film does not have a clear happy ending.
Tim Burton on the set of Sleepy Hollow
In 1999, Tim Burton again directed Johnny Depp in his own film - this time in the gothic horror film Sleepy Hollow. The plot of the film is based on the famous story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving, but takes quite a lot of liberties with the content of the novella. Depp played the role of a young constable who comes to the village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate murders allegedly committed by the mystical Headless Horseman.
In 2001, the director also starred his own wife in the science-fiction action film Planet of the Apes, where Helena Bonham Carter played the role of Ari. But don't assume that Tim Burton gave the woman the role just because of the bonding relationship. At the time of filming “Planet of the Apes,” Helena Bonham Carter was already a successful actress and world-famous star, whose popularity was brought by her role as Marla in the psychological thriller “Fight Club,” released two years earlier.
“Planet of the Apes” is also a free film adaptation; the film is based on the novel “Planet of the Apes” by the French writer Pierre Boulle.
In the new century, Burton continues to delight his fans with new hits: films recognized by viewers and critics with the beloved “Burton” atmosphere of gloomy madness are released.
In 2005, the comedy “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was released, where Johnny Depp, as usual, played the main role. The film is based on the story of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film tells the story of a wonderful chocolate factory and its eccentric owner, who invests five golden tickets into chocolates - a pass to a unique tour of the factory. Despite the fact that the film is shot like a fairy tale and has a completely fabulous moral about the importance of family in the life of every person, the film is replete with quite cruel scenes.
The next masterpiece, the musical Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, filmed in the macabre gothic style, became even darker and crueler. The film is based on 19th century literature, but there is still debate about whether Sweeney Todd actually lived or is a completely fictional character.
Sweeney Todd is an ex-convict who was falsely convicted. The hero returns to his hometown, where he opens a barber shop, under the cover of which he brutally kills those who were involved in the slanderous trial.
In 2010, Tim Burton presented a new dark masterpiece - the fantasy Alice in Wonderland. The film is based on Lewis Carroll's famous stories, but takes place years after the events of the books. Tim Burton's Alice is a young girl who returns to Wonderland to turn the tide of a battle with a terrible monster.
Helena Bonham Carter played the role of the Red Queen, Johnny Depp appeared as the Mad Hatter, and the main role of Alice went to Mia Wasikowska.
In 2012, the director’s new film was released – the gothic tragicomedy “Dark Shadows”. The film received average and low ratings; the film was not saved by Johnny Depp in the title role, nor the famous dark style of the director, nor the comedic moments associated with the meeting of an ancient vampire with the realities of the modern world.
In 2014, the director surprised fans and directed the biographical drama “Big Eyes,” which contained neither otherworldly forces, nor black humor, nor tragicomedy notes. The film told about the life of American artist Margaret Keane and the woman’s struggle to be recognized as the author of her own paintings.
Career
There was also a positive side to the break with Disney. Paul Reubens, a famous comedian at the time, took a liking to the young talent after watching his short films and suggested filming the family comedy Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985).
Tim Burton and Paul Reubens on the set of Pee-wee's Big AdventureAfter finishing work on his debut, Tim took on Beetlejuice (1988) and invited Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton to play the leading roles. The initial version of the script was distinguished not only by the director’s traditional gloom, but also by its serious immersion in the topic. Not wanting to complicate the plot, Burton abandoned a number of lines and turns, making the picture easier to understand. As a result, the director received his first nomination for a major award, but the Saturn Award statuette went to Robert Zemeckis. The film also won an Oscar for best makeup.
Tim Burton on the set of the film "Beetlejuice" According to Burton, the option that soon appeared to take up comic books and direct "Batman" (1989) came as a surprise. The cast of the film is impressive, including the names of Jack Nicholson and Michael Keaton. When talking about Tim's original method of work in an interview, he often agrees with many of the traits attributed to him, but this film separates him from the rest. The director believes that in comparison with current stories about the Dark Knight, his interpretation is a “children's matinee”, if we talk about darkness and the escalation of everything strange. Be that as it may, the film became another step towards the development of superhero cinema.
On the set of the film Bae (1990), he not only finally established Burton’s style, but also allowed his duet with Johnny Depp to form for many years. The trust between the director and the actor is so great that the latter signed contracts to star in a friend’s films either without reading the script at all, or at a time when work on the text was still underway.
On the set of the film “Edward Scissorhands” It’s interesting, but initially Depp’s candidacy did not seem so obvious to Burton for the role of a “cyborg” with scissorhands. He could easily have been replaced by Jim Carrey or Robert Downey Jr., who were also among the candidates.
Tim Burton and Johnny Depp In 1992, Tim again took on the man-bat and his universe. Michael Keaton donned the superhero suit for the second time for Batman Returns (1992). The environment around his character has changed, hence the changes in the cast: Michelle Pfeiffer played Catwoman, and Danny DeVito played Penguin.
Tim Burton and Danny DeVito on the set of Batman Returns Because of his busy schedule, Burton was unable to direct The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), although the original story came from his pen. The cartoon was initially received rather coolly, but later acquired cult status.
On the set of the animated film “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” the director wanted to slightly shift the emphasis in his work and expand his horizons. He chose the story of Hollywood's "worst director" as his next target. This is how “Ed Wood” (1994) appeared, which was not very popular with viewers, but was noted in a variety of nominations at leading awards and festivals. Critics and colleagues especially liked Martin Landau's performance.
Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Sarah Jessica Parker on the set of the film "Ed Wood" Having talked about serious topics in his characteristic manner, Tim plunged into comedic fiction - "Mars Attacks!" (1996). For the first time, the director used computer graphics. He invited many actors with whom he had worked before to act, but there were also star “newcomers” like Pierce Brosnan.
Tim Burton on the set of Mars Attacks! The director moved from comedy to horror with the release of Sleepy Hollow (1999). Johnny Depp was again in the foreground, and Christina Ricci and Christopher Walken helped him frighten and amaze the audience. An entire village was built as a set - at that time Britain had never seen such a scale during filming.
On the Set of Sleepy Hollow Since Burton had always loved the franchise about primates trading places with humans, he gladly accepted the request to take the helm of the new Planet of the Apes (2001). On the set, where Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth, and Paul Giamatti also worked, the director began an affair with Helena Bonham Carter, who became Burton’s beloved woman and muse for many years.
On the set of the film “Planet of the Apes,” Tim replaced Science Fiction with “Big Fish” (2003) - according to many amateurs and professionals, his best full-length film. This fantasy parable is a hoax that includes many sub-themes: the relationship between fathers and children, love, accepting truth and fiction. Ewan McGregor, Marion Cotillard and Jessica Lange helped Burton convey his message to the audience and fit perfectly into the adaptation of Daniel Wallace's novel.
Tim Burton on the set of the film “Big Fish” The director’s next film, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005), turned out to be fabulous. Johnny Depp starred in the image of the eccentric factory owner Willy Wonka, and the other leading role went to the then very young Freddie Highmore. The process of creating the painting was incredibly labor-intensive, as much attention was paid to details. For example, for a small scene it was necessary to train 40 squirrels, and Deep Roy played many characters at once, which is why he repeated the text like a broken record. Apparently, the director was so tired that he wanted to take a break from big cinema and switch to animation.
On the set of the film “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” Tim received his first Oscar nomination in 2006 for the animated film “Corpse Bride” (2005). It fully corresponded to the direction once chosen by the animator: from the depiction of characters to the general oppressive atmosphere. How Tim Burton films A year passed, and Burton was already receiving the Golden Lion in Venice for his contribution to cinema. By this time, he had just finished Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). There were again familiar faces in the frame, including Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, as well as a favorite manner of talking about death as something everyday, and a habit of adding color to it.
On the set of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, who else but Burton should have taken over as director of Alice in Wonderland (2010)? He was given a huge budget, allowed to completely run the cast, and had no restrictions at all during the production process. The box office grossed over a billion, and the film itself tried to convey the sweet madness and extravagance of the book.
On the set of Alice in Wonderland. After the premiere, Burton willingly gave interviews, from which it followed that he was assigned to Maleficent. At that time, Angelina Jolie was just looking at the project. As a result, they, who expressed sympathy for each other through the media, were never able to collaborate: the film was released in 2014, and the director’s place in it went to Robert Stromberg.
They say about Burton: he managed to “rediscover” the gothic. Burton’s “Dark Shadows” (2012) reminded many of “The Addams Family” (1991). Rumors appear from time to time that when this series is restarted, it will be Tim who will lead the process, so perhaps some similarities are partly a hint. The box office receipts did not cover the huge budget of 150 million, and not only the director, but also Johnny Depp, the leading actor, was criticized.
Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter at the premiere of “Dark Shadows” Almost thirty years later, the director returned to one of his first and favorite characters, whom he considered underrated. He released a new version, now full-length, of the cartoon Frankenweenie (2012). The plot turned out to be different from the original, and Burton explained this quite simply: he would not work with the same material and repeat himself. The animated film was nominated for a number of awards, including an Oscar. Trailer for Tim Burton's cartoon "Frankenweenie" In the same year, Tim acted as a producer for Timur Bekmambetov's film "President Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" (2012). The project did not pay off and performed worst of all in American cinemas - in the market that it was aimed at. Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov in the program “Evening Urgant” Then Burton chose another biography, wanting to tell it in cinematic language. Not the director's most typical film, Big Eyes (2014), starring Amy Adams, sheds light on the life of a real-life artist who faced injustice and fought for recognition.
Tim Burton and Amy Adams on the set of the film “Big Eyes” With the film adaptation of “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” (2016), some difficulties arose at the stage of writing the script. The plot of the book was largely based on photographs found by Asa Butterfield's hero. Their descriptions and other details associated with the photographs did not fit into the film format. I had to look for original moves and adapt the original text of the young playwright Ransom Riggs in all available ways.
Tim Burton on the set of the film “Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children” Either lack of time or other reasons affected Burton’s decision to give up the director’s chair to James Bobin in the film “Alice Through the Looking Glass” (2016) and remain only among the producers. The long break after the release of the original film did not prevent the authors from retaining the main cast. The colorful Sacha Baron Cohen was also added to the motley company. According to many articles, the film was called a failure. It didn't even come close to the success of the first part.
Cartoons
Today Tim Burton is a Hollywood star and legend. But it wasn’t just feature films that made the director’s name. Some fans of Tim Burton's work are confident that the director's main masterpieces are animated projects.
Burton's main cartoon works, which gave rise to an entire artistic style, were the cartoons "Corpse Bride" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas."
The first tells the story of an unlucky groom who, while rehearsing his wedding vows, accidentally marries the ghost of a dead girl and ends up with his bride in the world of the dead. The hero of the second is Jack Skellington, the lord of Halloween. The gloomy skeleton suffers because he only has one holiday and decides to take the place of Santa Claus.
People who influenced Burton's work
According to many researchers of the director’s work, his women had a strong influence on his creations.
Burton's work was especially influenced by the former stripper Lisa Mary, later an actress and artist. After a long romance, they got married in 1992. They lived together until 2001.
Over the years, the most characteristic films of Burton's style were shot: “Ed Wood”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “Sleepy Hollow”, etc.
The filming of the film "Edward Scissorhands" marked the beginning of Tim's long collaboration and friendship with Johnny Depp. The actor tops the list of movie stars who regularly star in Burton's films.
Personal life
The director's biographers agree that Burton's work was greatly influenced by the women who were around him at different periods of his life. Tim's first wife was photographer Lena Geiske. But this marriage turned out to be short: the couple lived together for only 2 years.
Tim Burton and Lisa Marie
The director's second wife was stripper Lisa Mary, with whom he became engaged in 1992 and lived until 2001. The director found roles for his wife in almost all the films he shot during this period. Lisa Mary appeared in the hits "Edward Scissorhands", "Ed Wood", "Sleepy Hollow" and others.
While working on the Planet of the Apes project in 2001, Tim Burton's personal life took a new turn. He falls in love with actress Helena Bonham Carter. The director breaks up with his ex-wife, paying her more than $5 million.
Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton
In the fall of 2001, Tim and Helena Bonham got engaged. Two years later, their son Billy Ray was born, whose godfather was Johnny Depp. And in 2007, daughter Nell was born.
At the end of 2014, Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, who had lived together for 13 years, broke up.
A number of Instagram accounts are dedicated to the director’s work, but the director himself does not maintain a page there.
Star Trek and movies
During his collaboration with Walt Disney Studios, Tim changed several positions: first he was a character designer, and then he became an animator.
Burton created his first cartoon, called “Vincent,” in 1982.
Tim's second independent work in the studio was the feature film "Frankenweenie" - a peculiar interpretation of the film "Frankenstein", adapted for a children's audience. But this film was banned from being shown on screens, although several copies did end up in the wrong hands - comedian Paul Reubens saw the film and rated it positively.
He invited Tim to start shooting a feature film, which resulted in the film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.” This was the first serious work of the novice director, it was considered successful, so Tim was offered various scenarios for implementation. He irrevocably rejected many options and began filming the film “Beetlejuice”, as well as creating the science fiction films “Be.
In 1990, Burton's even more prominent work appeared - the film Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp. This director's creation contains biographical motifs: Tim reflected in the film the mood of his childhood, when he felt like an outcast, a stranger in his hometown.
From time to time he returned to the past when he created cartoons. So, Tim wrote the script for the puppet cartoon “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, but due to his workload he was unable to start creating it. It was directed by someone else.
Meanwhile, Tim continued his active collaboration with Johnny Depp. In 1999, he invited the actor to play a role in the film Sleepy Hollow, based on the novel by Washington Irving. In 2000, Burton began creating a remake of the science-fiction film "Planet of the Apes", but the result was recognized by critics as the director's worst film.
Burton experienced a creative crisis in his life when his parents died. The events of his personal life were reflected in the film “Big Fish”. However, the decadent mood soon went away, and Tim made the film “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and created the puppet cartoon “Corpse Bride,” for which he was awarded an Oscar.
Tim's next major project (also starring Johnny Depp) is the film Alice in Wonderland. He continues to create and actively participate in the life of the cinema world. In 2010, he became chairman of the 63rd Cannes Film Festival, and in 2012 he acted as a producer of the film President Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
Tim Burton now
At the end of 2020, Tim Burton's latest film, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, was released. The film is about an orphanage for children endowed with supernatural powers. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Ransom Riggs.
In 2020, the director became a member of the jury of the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival.
The premiere of the director's new film is planned for 2020 - a live-action adaptation of the Disney cartoon "Dumbo" about the adventures of a baby elephant. The main roles in the film will be played by Eva Green and Michael Keaton.
Tim Burton now
Once a director does not appear in public for a while, all sorts of rumors arise about his potential projects.
In 2020, Tim Burton turned 60.
Tim's work on Dumbo (2019) is known for certain. In addition to Dani DeVito, Michael Keaton and Colin Farrell, Eva Green also takes part in the creation of the film. Burton considers the actress the embodiment of the “old Hollywood” style, so he is glad to return to cooperation again and again. Trailer for the film “Dumbo” directed by Tim Burton. Among the unconfirmed information, you can find news about the filming of a project for Netflix.
Tim Burton
The first son in the Burton family was born in 1958 in the Californian city of Burbank. As a child, Tim played on the water polo team, and was also interested in cinema and made short films in which the main characters were dolls. After graduating from school, he became a student at the California Institute of the Arts.
After completing his studies, the young man got a job at Disney Studios. Tim Burton initially worked as a character designer, then became an animator. He took part in the creation of the projects The Lord of the Rings, The Throne, The Black Cauldron, The Fox and the Hound. His first significant work was an independent film adaptation of the fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel”. At the same time, in 1982, his other cartoon, Vincent, was released. In this black and white puppet drama, many of the creator's autobiographical traits were visible. Most of Tim's other projects during his time at Disney were shelved.
In 1985, Burton directed his debut feature film. Pee-wee's Big Adventure is a significant commercial success, and Warner Brothers management signs a contract with the young director to shoot another film. Beetlejuice, released in 1988, becomes it. After that, he created two films about Batman, which brought him wide fame.
Today, Tim Burton's filmography includes almost three dozen films on which he worked as a director and producer. Among them are Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Planet of the Apes, Big Fish, Mars Attacks!, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Big Eyes, Alice in Wonderland and others. Tim twice won the Venice Film Festival and was repeatedly nominated for an Oscar, Saturn, and Golden Globe.
He also showed himself as a writer, screenwriter, and artist. The director has long been in a common-law relationship with Helena Bonham-Carter; the couple has two children.
Online, Tim Burton can be seen in episodic roles in the films Men in Black 3, Hoffa, Pee-wee's Big Adventure.
Tim Burton has brown eyes, naturally dark hair color, fair skin and medium lips. The face shape is oval, the forehead is high, the hair is curly and thick. Tim Burton does not change his hair color, preferring natural. The director has a medium wide nose and an oval chin. Tim Burton wears glasses and sometimes grows a mustache and beard. The director's height is 182 cm, no tattoos.
Zodiac sign - Virgo (08/25/1958)
Everything that remains behind the scenes. Legendary Directors: Tim Burton
Enfant terrible from the world of Hollywood, an unchanging melancholic person who brings out his darkest thoughts and emotions for everyone to see. These words perfectly describe one of the most talented creators in the genre of black humor, a follower of the macabre style of Tim Burton. His films, both sentimental and frightening, are difficult to confuse with the creations of other directors - there is something about them that makes them stand out from the crowd.
The harmony of the century flows in blue, bloody and black. Everything he does is absurd for a mortal man. The one who pretends to the world, Gloomily paints pictures in blue, bloody and black, will not bow to shop windows.
Tim Burton started his career at Disney Studio. This sounds strange, to say the least, because Burton’s film preferences are very far from the caramel plots of the famous animator’s studio. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the talent of one of the best directors of our time was revealed there. Burton's job included character design, and he later switched to animation. At the studio, Tim shot several short films, which did not bring the director the desired success.
I was not good at drawing from life. I couldn't draw cute foxes, my foxes looked like they had been run over by a car. I drew characters without eyes, and Disney wanted big, whiny eyes. Disney liked soft and flowing lines, but my lines were rough and jerky.
One of Burton's first full-length works was the film Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), which was also far from the director's current style. However, the comedy brought success to Burton, grossing $40 million at the box office (not a bad amount considering the budget of $6 million). In addition, on the set, Tim met composer Danny Elfman, who in the future would write music for the director’s most successful films. In the photo: 27-year-old Tim Burton with the leading actor Paul Reubens.
Beetlejuice was released in 1988. This is where Burton went wild and created a funny film with elements of an afterlife theme. Initially, the film was conceived as a very serious moralistic drama, but Tim did everything his own way and was right.
Tim with leading lady Geena Davis.
Slender and handsome Alec Baldwin and Winona Ryder on the set of Beetlejuice. The latter, by the way, initially refused to star in the film, seeing notes of Satanism in the script.
After the success of Beetlejuice, Burton gained fame as a director of big-budget projects. This did not take long to arrive. “Batman” and the subsequent part “Batman Returns” forever entered the list of cult films of our time, defining Burton’s place as one of the most successful directors of those years.
Tim with Jack Nicholson as the Joker.
Burton and Batman actor Michael Keaton (who also played Beetlejuice). By the way, the Batman costume weighed at least 30 kg at that time.
In 1990, Burton's cult film Edward Scissorhands was released. The prototype of the city where the film takes place, according to the director himself, was his hometown of Burbank.
It was with the film “Edward Scissorhands” that the creative collaboration between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp began, which continues to this day. Moreover, the actor and director are friends not only on the set, but also in life.
What else can I say about him? He is my brother, my friend, the father of my godson. A unique, brave soul, someone I would go to the ends of the earth for, and I know one hundred percent that he would do the same for me.
These are the words Johnny wrote about his friend in the introduction to the book dedicated to the work of Tim Burton.
The main female role in the film was again played by Winona Ryder.
Tim with actor Vincent Price, who was the director's idol. It was Price who said that Tim portrayed himself as Edward - a strange outcast living in the suburbs. Although Burton himself considered Edward “something like a pet dog.”
Johnny, Tim and Kathy Baker
According to many film critics, Edward became not only a cult character in world cinema, but also Burton's best creation in his entire career.
Ed Wood is another collaboration between Burton and Johnny Depp. Despite the fact that this film was far from the very concept of a “blockbuster”, with which Tim’s name has often been compared recently, it received laudatory reviews from critics and won 2 Oscars. In the photo: Tim, Johnny and Sarah Jessica Parker.
“Sleepy Hollow” (1999): Johnny again shines in the main role, and Tim thoroughly enjoys the mystical images and chilling plot. Another mega-creation in the director’s filmography and a cult movie in the history of world cinema.
The entire set of the village in which the film took place was built to life size in just 3 months and became the largest set in the UK.
Christopher Walken, who played the role of the demonic Headless Horseman in the film, did not ask for a cent for his work - he just wanted to take part in Burton's project.
“Planet of the Apes” (2001) is another picture for which Burton was forced to move away from the Gothic theme he loved so much. But the sacrifices were not in vain - it was on the set of this film that he met his future wife Helena Bonham Carter. In general, women greatly influenced Burton's work. His career can be roughly divided into the period of Lisa Marie, a stripper and his common-law wife, with whom he lived for about 10 years, and the period of Helena, with whom Tim is still happy.
In order to lighten the budget of the film, Burton was offered to make the monkeys computer-generated, but the director flatly refused - all the characters in the film were transformed into monkeys with the help of expensive makeup. Pictured: Tim and Paul Giamatti.
According to Burton, the most terrible species of monkey is the chimpanzee, so he made the main villain of the film a chimpanzee, and not an albino gorilla, as previously planned.
Speaking of the main villain. His role was played by Tim Roth (right), for this he had to give up the role of Severus Snape in Potter. And the one on the left, actor Michael Clarke Duncan, suffered a sprained ankle during filming and was sent to the hospital like this, in a gorilla suit.
Tim and Charlton Heston
However, Planet of the Apes was followed by another film outside the Gothic style - this is the amazing fairy tale Big Fish.
This time the main role went not to Johnny Depp, but to Ewan McGregor.
The supporting role was given to his beloved wife Helena Bonham Carter. Since Tim and Helena met on the set of Planet of the Apes, she has starred in every single one of her husband's films. It is worth noting that Helena became Burton's muse along with Depp.
Despite Tim's dislike for good fairy tales, "Big Fish" was just that. It was filmed in the best Disney traditions, in which reality was closely intertwined with the magical world of fantasy. For those who have not seen this film, I highly recommend watching it. He is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent!
Tim and Danny DeVito
Tim's next project was the film adaptation of Roald Dahl's fairy tale "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Many famous actors auditioned for the role of the main character Willy Wonka, even Marilyn Manson showed great interest in the role, but Burton’s choice was clear - his beloved Johnny Depp. This was the fifth collaboration between the director and actor.
Deep Roy alone played all the characters of the Oompa-Loompas (these kids whose dummies in the photo are directed by Burton). The actor had to repeat the same movements hundreds of times. For such efficiency, the fee for his role was increased to $1 million.
All the lollipops, candies and other sweets decorating the Chocolate Factory were real, and the main sponsor of the film was the Nestle corporation - it produced about 2,000 bars of real chocolate. This is truly a large-scale project!
In 2005, one of my favorite cartoons, “Corpse Bride,” was released. The main roles for him, naturally, were voiced by Johnny and Helena.
At first glance, it seems that “Corpse Bride” is entirely computer graphics, but in fact, it is a puppet. 22 animators were involved in the project, in total about 40 dolls of the main characters were made, no more than 30 cm high, and the design of the dolls was personally developed by Tim Burton himself.
2007 and a new project - the amazing “Swinney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” My favorite role is Johnny Depp.
According to rumors, Russell Crowe also auditioned for the role of Swinney and was very keen on getting it. Fortunately, this did not happen. Do you imagine Crowe in this image? Me not!
The main female role, as usual, went to Hlena Bonham Carter.
Look how carefully Helena listens to her husband's instructions.
During filming, Helena was pregnant with her second child, who was born in December, after filming. However, Burton did not see his daughter until 4 months after the birth because he was involved in the film's promotional campaign. All this time, the poor girl was nameless - the fact is that it was Tim who had to choose a name for the baby after spending some time with her.
According to Depp, he never watched this film from beginning to end: “It’s so scary that during some scenes I had to close my eyes.” The fact is that Johnny is terribly afraid of the sight of blood, and Burton specifically had to order fake orange blood so that Depp would not inadvertently faint.
“Alice in Wonderland” became, according to Burton himself, his main creation. The scale of the film was truly incredible - unlimited funding ($200 million), the best creators from the world of Hollywood, the cult work on which the film was based - all this became the key to the success of the new interpretation of "Alice".
Only three sets were made for filming the film; everything else was recreated on screen using the latest computer technology.
I would be surprised if the new Alice in Wonderland did not include Johnny Depp. In one interview, he joked that he “could play the role of every character in this fairy tale.” I have no doubt about this.
Johnny transforms into the Mad Hatter.
Tim and Mia Wasikowska perform the role of Alice.
Now the whole world is holding its breath in anticipation of a new film from Burton with the classic title for this director, “Dark Shadows.” Starring a rejuvenated Johnny Depp.
In 2012, we will also see another project by the director called “Frankenweenie”. Back in 1984, Burton had already made a short film with the same title, but the story of a dog resurrected from the dead did not arouse great enthusiasm from the audience; moreover, after it, Burton was fired from the Disney studio for “a waste of manpower and money.” This time it will be a cartoon... and it is already doomed to success.
Flurry of activity
Tim Burton, whose list of films is quite extensive, also tried his hand at filming commercials. First it was an advertisement called "Garden Gnome" (1998), dedicated to Hollywood Gum chewing gum. Next, he shoots two videos for Timex called “Mannequin” and “Kung Fu” (2000).
In addition, the director begins a vigorous activity of writing scripts for his own films and cartoons (“Corpse Bride”, “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Edward Scissorhands”, etc.). Tim Burton's complete filmography will be presented below.
In 2001, Tim began filming a remake of the science-fiction film “Planet of the Apes” (1968). It was at this moment that he fell in love with the English actress Helena Bonham Carter. Burton divorces Lisa Marie. After legal proceedings, the director pays his ex-wife $5.4 million.
Already in October 2001, Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter got engaged.
The film “Planet of the Apes”, which was released in theaters, collected $180 million in the United States alone ($100 million was invested in it).
