160 Fun Facts About Tim Burton

In which California city was Tim Burton born and raised?

He was born there on August 25, 1958. His father had been a minor league baseball player who worked for the city's parks department.

What kind of business did Burton's mother later own?

His father was a former minor league baseball player. Burton has said his suburban Burbank childhood inspired the pastel neighborhood in Edward Scissorhands.

Which student short film got Burton noticed by Walt Disney Productions?

Disney offered him an apprenticeship at its animation division on the strength of it. His other student film was King and Octopus.

At which art school did Burton study before joining Disney?

CalArts classmate Rick Heinrichs later handled the stop-motion scenes in Pee-wee's Big Adventure and became a longtime collaborator.

Which of these Disney films did Burton work on as an animator or concept artist?

He also contributed to Tron and The Black Cauldron in an early-1980s stint that he found a poor creative fit.

Which actor narrated Burton's first Disney short, a 1982 stop-motion film about a boy who idolizes a horror star?

It's a six-minute black-and-white stop-motion film about a boy who fantasizes he is his hero. Price later played the inventor in Edward Scissorhands.

How old is the boy Vincent Malloy in the 1982 short Vincent?

The story is told in rhyming verse and ends with the boy quoting Poe's 'The Raven'.

Why did Disney fire Burton after he finished the 1984 short Frankenweenie?

Disney would later fund a feature-length remake of the same story in 2012, released under its own Walt Disney Pictures banner.

Burton's Hansel and Gretel for the Disney Channel climaxes with what unusual scene?

The whole thing was Japanese-themed, and it aired once on Halloween 1983 before vanishing for decades.

Burton's oldest known childhood film, The Island of Doctor Agor, adapts which author?

It was one of the backyard shorts he shot on 8mm without sound as a preteen, riffing on The Island of Doctor Moreau.

In what year was Burton's feature-film directorial debut released?

The producers hired him after seeing his Frankenweenie short. It grossed over $40 million in North America on a $7 million budget.

What has been stolen from Pee-wee, setting off his big adventure?

A phony psychic sends him to the Alamo to look for it. Elfman's cue 'Stolen Bike' nods to Bernard Herrmann's Psycho score.

Which band was Burton's longtime composer fronting when hired to score Pee-wee's Big Adventure?

It was Elfman's first film score. He has since scored more than 100 films.

How many times must you say Betelgeuse's name to summon him?

The same rule sends him back. Juno, the Maitlands' caseworker, warns them not to try it at all.

Who played the goth teenager Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice?

Ringwald and Lewis were among those who auditioned. Ryder reunited with Burton two years later for Edward Scissorhands.

Which two actors play the recently deceased Maitlands in Beetlejuice?

They drown in a river and discover a Handbook for the Recently Deceased. Neither returned for the 2024 sequel.

Which Harry Belafonte recording plays during the possessed dinner-party dance in Beetlejuice?

'Jump in the Line' closes the film. Elfman even sings a 'Day-O' call in the first bars of the main title.

How long must the Maitlands remain in their house before they can 'move on'?

Their caseworker Juno tells them three months have already passed. Only $1 million of the $15 million budget went to visual effects.

What was Beetlejuice's production budget?

It finished as the 10th-highest-grossing film of 1988 and set an Easter weekend opening record.

Roughly how many protest letters did Warner Bros. receive over Michael Keaton being cast as Batman?

Keaton was seen as a comedy actor. The film went on to gross $411.6 million and held the superhero record until Spider-Man in 2002.

Which Academy Award did Burton's 1989 Batman win?

Anton Furst and Peter Young took the statuette for Gotham's look. Nicholson earned a Golden Globe nomination as the Joker.

Which film took Batman's record as the highest-grossing superhero movie?

Batman held the record for 13 years. Its $48 million budget returned $411.6 million worldwide.

Which comics figure served as a consultant on the 1989 Batman?

The Batman co-creator got a consulting credit. Sam Hamm wrote the screenplay.

Why did Burton cast Michael Gough as Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred?

Gough played Alfred in all four films of that series and Burton later coaxed him out of retirement for Sleepy Hollow.

Edward Scissorhands was the first collaboration between Burton and which actor?

They would make eight films together. Burton conceived the story from his own suburban Burbank childhood.

Where was Edward Scissorhands filmed?

The pastel suburb was a real neighborhood in Lutz. Filming injected over $4 million into the local economy.

Who wrote the screenplay for Edward Scissorhands from a Burton drawing?

Burton was impressed by her short novel First Born.

Edward Scissorhands was the last released film role for which horror icon?

He plays the Inventor. Burton had honored him in his very first Disney short.

Who actually directed The Nightmare Before Christmas?

Burton produced and originated it. Selick later directed James and the Giant Peach and Coraline.

Who provided Jack Skellington's singing voice?

Chris Sarandon spoke Jack's lines. Elfman also voiced Barrel and the Clown with the Tear-Away Face.

Under which label did Disney first release The Nightmare Before Christmas?

The studio thought it was 'too dark and scary for kids'. It has since been rebranded a Disney classic.

Which frequent Burton actress voiced Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas?

She had played Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice and returned to that role in 2024.

Which studio put Ed Wood into turnaround because Burton insisted on black-and-white?

Disney's Touchstone banner picked it up. It lost money but won two Oscars.

Martin Landau won an Oscar for playing which real person in Ed Wood?

Rick Baker's makeup team also won. Landau watched 25 of the actor's films to prepare.

Who scored Ed Wood, the one film of Burton's early run not handled by his usual composer?

Burton and Elfman had quarrelled during The Nightmare Before Christmas and reconciled in time for Mars Attacks!.

Mars Attacks! was based on what?

Screenwriter Jonathan Gems pitched combining it with Topps' Dinosaurs Attack! set.

Jack Nicholson plays two roles in Mars Attacks!, the President and whom?

He jokingly asked to play all the roles. Art Land runs the Galaxy Casino.

Who plays the Hessian Horseman in Sleepy Hollow?

Walken had been Max Shreck in Batman Returns. Christina Ricci played Katrina Van Tassel in her first major adult role.

Sleepy Hollow adapts an 1820 story by which writer?

Depp's Ichabod Crane became a New York police constable rather than a schoolteacher. The film won the Oscar for Best Art Direction.

Big Fish was shot almost entirely in which US state?

The only exception was a week in Paris. Burton wanted a smaller project after Planet of the Apes.

Who plays the elderly Edward Bloom in Big Fish?

McGregor plays him young. Elfman's score received an Academy Award nomination.

Which was the first stop-motion feature Burton directed himself?

He had only produced the earlier two. Depp voices Victor and Helena Bonham Carter voices Emily.

Who suggested Freddie Highmore for Charlie Bucket?

They had just worked together on Finding Neverland. Highmore reread the book before auditioning.

How were the Oompa-Loompas created for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

Roy had worked with Burton on Planet of the Apes and Big Fish. The film grossed $475.8 million worldwide.

Which actor plays Willy Wonka's disapproving dentist father in the 2005 film?

The father subplot was an addition to Dahl's book. Lee appeared in five Burton films.

Where did Burton first see Sondheim's stage musical Sweeney Todd?

That was in 1980. His film won the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy and the Oscar for Art Direction.

Which major award did the star of Sweeney Todd win for playing the demon barber?

He was Oscar-nominated but did not win. Burton took the National Board of Review directing prize.

Which Burton film is his highest-grossing?

The 2010 film crossed a billion dollars. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory sits second.

Frankenweenie (2012) is about a boy who resurrects what?

Victor Frankenstein brings back his bull terrier Sparky. It was Burton's remake of his own 1984 live-action short.

Big Eyes (2014) tells the story of which artist?

Amy Adams stars, with Christoph Waltz as the husband who claimed her paintings as his own.

Which author wrote Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children?

Burton entered talks in November 2011 and released the film in 2016.

Burton co-produced Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter with which director?

They had previously teamed on the animated film 9. Seth Grahame-Smith wrote it and later scripted Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Who plays the ringmaster Max Medici in Burton's Dumbo?

Eva Green plays trapeze artist Colette. The film grossed $353.3 million worldwide.

How many of the eight first-season episodes of Wednesday did Burton direct?

It was called his first real foray into television and earned him an Emmy nomination for directing.

Which former Wednesday Addams appears in Burton's series as botany teacher Marilyn Thornhill?

She had played Wednesday in the 1991 film and its 1993 sequel. Burton asked her personally.

Who plays Lydia's daughter Astrid in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Burton had just worked with her on Wednesday. Monica Bellucci plays Betelgeuse's ex-wife Delores.

Which film festival did Beetlejuice Beetlejuice open in 2024?

It played out of competition on August 28 and hit US theaters September 6, grossing $452 million worldwide.

Whose production company Plan B co-produced Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Warner had considered sending the sequel straight to streaming before Burton pushed back.

Which museum hosted a Burton retrospective of over 700 works from 2009 to 2010?

The show later travelled, including to LACMA in 2011. His unreleased Hansel and Gretel finally screened there.

What is the title of Burton's 1997 illustrated poetry book?

Faber and Faber published it. Oyster Boy stories inspired several later Burton characters.

Burton's only marriage, from 1987 to 1991, was to which German artist?

He later had a long partnership with Helena Bonham Carter, and two children with her.

Which of Burton's partners appeared as Vampira in Ed Wood and a Martian girl in Mars Attacks!?

They were together from 1993 to 2001; she also appeared in Sleepy Hollow and Planet of the Apes.

Which 1985 anthology revival did Burton direct episodes of?

He also directed an episode of Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre.

Which TV theme did Burton's regular composer write?

He still earns residuals on the two-word opening phrase. Desperate Housewives brought his first Emmy.

Who did costumes for every live-action Burton film from Ed Wood to Dumbo, except Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

She declined Charlie for personal reasons. She was back for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

What lifetime achievement honour did the Venice Film Festival give Burton in 2007?

France followed with the Order of Arts and Letters in 2010, the year he also chaired the Cannes jury.

What had Burton's father Bill been before working for Burbank Parks and Recreation?

A baseball field at Burbank's Olive Recreation Center is named after him.

How old was Burton when he made The Island of Doctor Agor?

The backyard adaptation of H. G. Wells was shot on 8 mm film without sound.

Which sport did Burton play at Burbank High School?

By his own account he was not a particularly good student.

Which stop-motion pioneer did Burton credit with sparking his interest in the technique?

He also cited Universal Monsters, Hammer horror and Japanese monster movies as his genre.

Besides Stalk of the Celery Monster, which short did Burton make as a CalArts student?

He studied character animation at the Valencia campus from 1976 to 1979.

Which 1982 Disney sci-fi film did Burton contribute to as an artist?

His concept art for The Fox and the Hound, Tron and The Black Cauldron never made it into the finished films.

Who produced Burton's 1982 short Vincent?

The two had met in Disney's concept art department; Heinrichs later production-designed Dark Shadows.

Alongside which teen drama did Vincent screen for two weeks in one Los Angeles cinema?

The six-minute short had also played the Chicago Film Festival.

On which night in 1983 did Burton's Hansel and Gretel air once on the Disney Channel before being shelved?

Prints were so hard to find that rumours claimed the film did not exist until MoMA showed it in 2009.

Which actress starred in the 1984 short Frankenweenie and later had Burton direct her Faerie Tale Theatre?

Barret Oliver and Daniel Stern also starred in the black-and-white short.

What breed of dog is Sparky in Frankenweenie?

In the 2012 remake Victor lives in the town of New Holland.

Who chose Burton to direct Pee-wee's Big Adventure after seeing Frankenweenie?

Reubens said on the DVD commentary that he was sold on Burton's style as soon as the short began.

What was the budget of Pee-wee's Big Adventure?

It grossed more than $40 million in North America.

Besides Ed Wood and Sweeney Todd, which Burton film did Danny Elfman not score?

Elfman has scored every other Burton feature since Pee-wee's Big Adventure.

Burton designed characters for the 1987 Family Dog episode of which Spielberg anthology?

Brad Bird wrote and directed it; a spin-off series lasted one season on CBS in 1993.

Which future Incredibles director wrote and directed the Family Dog episode Burton worked on?

The dog's design recalled Sparky from Frankenweenie.

Which Academy Award did Beetlejuice win?

The supernatural comedy grossed $80 million on a low budget.

On which two networks did the animated Beetlejuice TV series air between 1989 and 1991?

It was one of the first cartoons to air concurrently on two US networks.

At which Broadway theatre did the Beetlejuice musical open in April 2019?

After the pandemic closure it reopened at the Marquis in 2022 before closing in January 2023.

Who played Beetlejuice in the stage musical's readings and workshops?

Sophia Anne Caruso played Lydia in the workshops.

Which two producers did Burton repeatedly clash with while making Batman?

The casting of Michael Keaton caused such fan animosity that Warner's share price slumped.

Which actor did Burton originally consider for the Joker before casting Jack Nicholson?

Nicholson's casting helped calm fans and drew older audiences.

Which graphic novel did Burton call the first comic he ever loved and a key influence on his 1989 film?

He said he could never tell which panel to read in comics before it.

Who wrote the songs for the 1989 Batman?

The producers had wanted Prince for the Joker's music and Michael Jackson for the romance songs.

Roughly how much did Batman gross worldwide in 1989?

It was backed by the biggest marketing campaign in film history at the time.

In which Florida community was Edward Scissorhands shot?

Burton calls it his most personal film, reflecting his teenage inability to communicate.

Johnny Depp was a teen idol at the end of the 1980s thanks to which TV series?

Edward Scissorhands began a partnership spanning eight films.

What condition did Burton set for directing Batman Returns?

The darker result had Warner Bros. steer the third film to Joel Schumacher.

Which character in Batman Returns was an original creation for the film?

Christopher Walken played the corrupt tycoon named after the Nosferatu actor.

Which band did Burton insist record the single for the Batman Returns soundtrack?

The song was 'Face to Face'.

During which holiday is Batman Returns set?

It is often cited as an alternative Christmas film for its winter imagery and themes of loneliness.

How much did Batman Returns gross worldwide?

A success, but well short of its predecessor's take.

What did Disney want Jack Skellington to have that the final design lacked?

More than 100 people worked on the characters over three years of production.

How much did The Nightmare Before Christmas gross in its original release?

It was a modest success that grew into a perennial.

Which 1996 Roald Dahl adaptation did Burton co-produce with director Henry Selick?

Randy Newman's score earned an Oscar nomination though the film disappointed at the box office.

Which comedian starred in Cabin Boy, the 1994 film Burton produced but handed to Adam Resnick?

Burton left to direct Ed Wood after seeing Elliott on Get a Life.

Besides Martin Landau's acting award, which Oscar did Ed Wood win?

The film flopped at first but became a cult classic.

Which infamous 1957 film does Ed dedicate to Lugosi at the end of Ed Wood?

'This is the one I'll be remembered for,' he tells himself.

Which actor was cast as Batman in Batman Forever after Keaton resigned?

Burton kept a top-billed producer credit but could only approve director and writers.

Which blockbuster, released five months earlier, did Mars Attacks! inadvertently spoof?

The film blended 1950s sci-fi with 1970s all-star disaster movies.

What is Ichabod Crane's profession in Burton's Sleepy Hollow?

Irving's original Ichabod was a schoolteacher; the film paid homage to Hammer horror.

Which actress played Katrina van Tassel in Sleepy Hollow?

The film won the Oscar for Best Art Direction and two BAFTAs.

How much did Sleepy Hollow gross worldwide?

It marked a turning point before Burton's stylistic shift for Planet of the Apes.

Who starred as the astronaut lead in Burton's 2001 Planet of the Apes?

Burton insisted it was 'not a remake'; Rick Baker's makeup was praised despite mixed reviews.

In the twist ending of Planet of the Apes (2001), the Lincoln Memorial now honours whom?

The ending was widely criticised.

How much did Planet of the Apes (2001) gross worldwide?

It opened to $68 million in its first weekend.

Who wrote the novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions?

The film earned four Golden Globe nominations and an Oscar nod for Elfman's score.

Who plays the young Edward Bloom in Big Fish?

Billy Crudup plays his son Will, and Marion Cotillard his daughter-in-law.

Which two roles did Burton's future partner play in Big Fish?

It was her second film with Burton after Planet of the Apes.

How much did Charlie and the Chocolate Factory gross worldwide?

It was nominated for the Best Costume Design Oscar.

Which characters do Depp and Bonham Carter voice in Corpse Bride?

The film was made simultaneously with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

For which band did Burton direct his first music video, 'Bones', in 2006?

He directed a second Killers video, 'Here with Me', starring Winona Ryder in 2012.

Which award did Burton win from the National Board of Review for Sweeney Todd?

The film also won the Oscar for Best Art Direction and Depp was nominated for Best Actor.

Who plays Mrs. Lovett, who bakes Sweeney Todd's victims into pies?

The screenplay was by John Logan; Sondheim was extensively consulted.

Which animator's Oscar-nominated 2005 short did Burton help expand into the feature 9?

The rag-doll tale featured the voices of Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly.

How many years after Lewis Carroll's tales is Burton's Alice in Wonderland set?

Mia Wasikowska played the returning Alice.

Which comedian played both Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Alice in Wonderland?

Fry voiced the Cheshire Cat and Sheen the White Rabbit.

Who directed Alice Through the Looking Glass, which Burton produced?

The 2016 sequel lost the studio an estimated $70 million.

What was the budget of Dark Shadows, which grossed $245M worldwide?

The film reunited Burton with Batman Returns star Michelle Pfeiffer.

In Dark Shadows, Barnabas Collins is cursed by which witch?

The Collins family founded Collinsport, Maine, after emigrating from Liverpool in 1760.

Who wrote both the novel and screenplay of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

He also authored Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and worked on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Who played Abraham Lincoln in the Burton-produced Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

Mary Elizabeth Winstead played Mary Todd.

Which screenwriting duo behind Ed Wood also wrote Big Eyes?

Filming began in Vancouver in mid-2013.

Who played the fraudulent husband Walter Keane in Big Eyes?

Amy Adams won a Golden Globe for playing Margaret Keane.

Which singer earned a Golden Globe nomination for the title song of Big Eyes?

The Weinstein Company released the film on Christmas Day 2014.

Which actress plays Miss Peregrine in Burton's 2016 film?

Asa Butterfield and Samuel L. Jackson co-starred; Fox released it in September 2016.

What was the production budget of Burton's Dumbo?

With advertising, costs hit $300 million against a $353 million gross, so it lost money.

Which former Batman appears in Burton's Dumbo alongside Colin Farrell and Eva Green?

It was Keaton's first Burton film since Batman Returns.

After Dumbo, Burton said he would probably never again work with which studio?

He complained the studio had become 'very homogenized, very consolidated'.

Who created the Netflix series Wednesday, which Burton directs and produces?

The Smallville creators cast Jenna Ortega partly to reflect the character's Latina heritage.

Which actors play Wednesday's parents in the Netflix series?

The show earned three Golden Globe nominations and four Emmys.

For Wednesday, Burton earned an Emmy nomination in which category?

It was his first foray into directing television since the 1980s.

In which city did Beetlejuice Beetlejuice start shooting on May 10, 2023?

The sequel had been considered since 1990.

Roughly how much did Beetlejuice Beetlejuice gross worldwide?

It opened the 81st Venice Film Festival to generally positive reviews.

Who plays Betelgeuse's soul-sucking ex-wife Delores in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Willem Dafoe plays actor-turned-detective Wolf Jackson.

Which 1958 sci-fi film was Burton announced in 2025 to be remaking for Warner Bros.?

Margot Robbie was reported in talks to produce and star through LuckyChap.

Which rapper's 2026 album Don't Be Dumb features cover art illustrated by Burton?

The rapper also announced they would collaborate on his next film.

Which actor was signed to play Superman in Burton's unmade Superman Lives?

Kevin Smith wrote the first script; Burton called the experience a wasted year.

What did Disney want to use for a Nightmare Before Christmas sequel that Burton talked them out of in 2002?

Burton said he was always protective of the film's purity.

Which Disney film was Burton briefly attached to direct in 2011 before choosing Dark Shadows?

He also passed on it in favour of Frankenweenie.

Which actor was to star in and co-produce Burton's abandoned Hunchback of Notre-Dame?

The 2011 project never moved forward.

Which festival's jury did Burton preside over in 2010?

The same year he received France's insignia of Chevalier of Arts and Letters.

Where did Burton meet the Italian actress he dated from 2022 to 2025?

The relationship became public in 2023 and ended in September 2025.

After MoMA, Burton's 2010 retrospective travelled directly to a museum in which city?

The ACMI show added material from Alice in Wonderland; Paris, Seoul and Prague came later.

How many of Burton's works were shown at the Seoul Museum of Art exhibition in 2012–13?

It was divided into Surviving, Beautifying and Beyond Burbank.

Which Las Vegas venue hosted Lost Vegas: Tim Burton in 2019?

It was his first US exhibition in nearly a decade.

What is the subtitle of Burton's 2015 book The Napkin Art of Tim Burton?

It compiles sketches he made on napkins in bars and restaurants.

Which publisher released The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy in 1997?

The same house publishes the interview book Burton on Burton.

Which band did Danny Elfman front before scoring films?

The group grew out of his brother Richard's street theatre troupe, the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.

For which Danny Elfman TV theme, besides The Simpsons, is the composer known?

He also scored every Men in Black and Fifty Shades film.

Which French honour did Tim Burton receive from culture minister Frédéric Mitterrand in March 2010?

The same year he served as president of the jury at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival.

Which child actor, later of The NeverEnding Story, starred in Burton's 1984 short Frankenweenie?

Daniel Stern and Shelley Duvall co-starred in the black-and-white film that got Burton fired from Disney.

Roughly how much did Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street gross worldwide?

Time called the gory musical 'bloody great', and it won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction.

A planned Burton 3D stop-motion adaptation of which property was scrapped on July 17, 2013?

Burton later went on to direct episodes of the Netflix series Wednesday, built around the family's daughter.