Director Tim Burton (1958)

Dumbo (2019), an American fantasy period adventure film directed by Tim Burton and written by Ehren Kruger, is a live-action adaptation and reimagining of Walt Disney’s 1941 animated feature film of the same name. Based on the novel by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, it takes place in 1919 Sarasota, Florida. Equestrian performer and World War I amputee Holt Farrier has returned to his previous employer, the Medici Brothers’ Circus, which is run by Max Medici. ...

In the fantasy film, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016), directed by Tim Burton and written by Jane Goldman, Jake has grown up listening to his grandfather Abe’s tales of battling monsters at ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ on the island of Cairnholm. The residents, including the headmistress Miss Peregrine, possess supernatural abilities and are known as ‘Peculiars’. When Abe passes away with no explanation other than a clue to September 3rd, 1943, Jake follows the advice of Dr. Golan and travels to ...

Big Eyes (2014), a biographical drama film directed by Tim Burton and written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, stars Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz. In 1958, Margaret Ulbrich moves with her daughter Jane to North Beach in San Francisco, where she finds employment painting illustrations at a furniture factory. At an outdoor art show, she meets Walter Keane, who sells paintings of Parisian street scenes but earns his ...

The film Frankenweenie (2012), directed by Tim Burton and written by John August, tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist and aspiring filmmaker who lives in the quiet town of New Holland, Pennsylvania with his parents and beloved dog Sparky. Despite his involvement in various school activities, Victor keeps to himself and doesn’t interact much with his classmates, including Elsa Van Helsing, Edgar ‘E’ Gore, Bob, Toshiaki, Nassor, and an eccentric girl known as ‘Weird Girl’. To help him be more social, Victor’s father ...

The dark fantasy film Dark Shadows (2012), directed by Tim Burton, is based on the gothic television soap opera of the same name. In 1760, young Barnabas Collins and his wealthy family relocated from Liverpool to Maine, where they built the Collinwood Mansion and founded the town of Collinsport. However, fifteen years later, Barnabas finds himself in a complicated situation. He is engaged to Josette but is also having an affair with Angelique, a servant who happens to be a witch. When Barnabas rejects Angelique, she uses her magic to murder his parents and place a curse on him. In addition, Angelique casts a spell on ...

The film Alice in Wonderland (2010), directed by Tim Burton and produced by Walt Disney Pictures, follows the story of a 19-year-old Alice Kingsleigh. Still grieving the loss of her father and feeling trapped by societal expectations, Alice begins to have strange recurring dreams. At a garden party, she is proposed to by Hamish Ascot, but her attention is soon drawn to a familiar white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and carrying a pocket watch. Following the rabbit down a rabbit hole, she accidentally shrinks after drinking from a bottle labeled ‘Drink Me’ (also known as a Pishsalver). This makes it impossible ...

In the  musical slasher film, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), directed by Tim Burton and written by John Logan, a barber named Benjamin Barker arrives in London with young sailor Anthony Hope. After being falsely convicted and sent to Australia by corrupt Judge Turpin, who desired his wife Lucy, Barker assumes the identity of ‘Sweeney Todd’ and returns to his old shop above Nellie Lovett’s meat pie shop on Fleet Street. Lovett, who harbors unrequited love for him, informs Todd that after his exile, Turpin drove Lucy to suicide and ...

Corpse Bride (2005) is a stop-motion animated musical fantasy film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by John August, Caroline Thompson, and Pamela Pettler. It is based on characters created by Burton and Carlos Grangel. Set in an unnamed Victorian era town, the story follows the arranged marriage preparations of Victor Van Dort, son of nouveau riche fish merchants, and ...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) is a whimsical musical movie, directed by Tim Burton and written by John August. It is based on Roald Dahl’s beloved novel of the same name from 1964. The story follows Charlie Bucket, a kind and affectionate young boy living in poverty with his family near the famous Wonka Factory. Willy Wonka, the eccentric owner of the company, has closed his factory to outsiders for years due to issues with industrial espionage. As a result, all of his employees, including Charlie’s ...

Big Fish (2003), directed by Tim Burton and based on the novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace, follows the life of Edward Bloom. At his son William’s wedding, Edward reminisces about the day Will was born, claiming to have caught a giant catfish with his wedding ring as bait. Growing up, Will often heard these fantastical stories, but never believed them to be true. This caused a rift between him and his father. However, when Edward is diagnosed with cancer years later, Will and his pregnant wife Joséphine visit Edward at their ...

Planet of the Apes (2001) is an American science fiction adventure film directed by Tim Burton and written by William Broyles Jr., Lawrence Konner, and Mark Rosenthal. Serving as the sixth installment in the Planet of the Apes film series, it is loosely based on Pierre Boulle’s 1963 novel and also acts as a remake of the 1968 movie adaptation. In 2029, Leo Davidson works closely with trained apes on the United ...

The World of Stainboy (2005) is a flash animation series created by director Tim Burton and animated by Flinch Studio. Stainboy, the main character, initially appeared in two short poems from Tim Burton’s book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories. This series marks Burton’s return to the superhero genre since Batman Returns. Stainboy is employed by Burbank police, and in each episode he receives instructions to locate and apprehend social outcasts, many of whom are from the Oyster Boy book. Each of the six episodes has a ...

Tim Burton’s gothic supernatural horror film, Sleepy Hollow (1999), is a loose adaptation of Washington Irving’s short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Set in 1799, the film follows New York City police constable Ichabod Crane as he investigates a string of brutal murders in the upstate Dutch hamlet. Among the insular town elders who receive him are wealthy Baltus Van Tassel, town doctor Thomas Lancaster, Reverend Steenwyck, notary James Hardenbrook, and magistrate Samuel Philipse. According to local beliefs, the killer is an undead headless ...

Mars Attacks! (1996), an American black comedy science fiction film, was directed by Tim Burton and co-produced by Larry J. Franco. When Earth is suddenly visited by a massive fleet of flying saucers from Mars, President James Dale addresses the nation. Among those following the developing story are talk show host Nathalie Lake and her boyfriend Jason Stone, who try to take advantage of the situation with an interview featuring Professor Donald Kessler, Dale’s scientific advisor. However, their plans are interrupted by a broadcast from the Martian leader. As the ...

The American biographical comedy-drama, Ed Wood (1994), was directed and produced by Tim Burton. At the time, Ed was determined to make a name for himself in the film industry. He heard that producer George Weiss was looking to purchase Christine Jorgensen’s life story from an announcement in Variety magazine. Hoping to direct a film based on this story titled I Changed My Sex!, Ed met with Weiss, but was not selected. However, he did have the opportunity to meet his lifelong idol, horror film star Bela Lugosi, and their friendship began. Convinced that having a well-known actor in the film would attract ...

Tim Burton directed Batman Returns (1992), a superhero movie with a screenplay by Daniel Waters. Set in Gotham City, the film tells the story of two wealthy parents who reject their deformed son Oswald and leave him to be raised by penguins in the sewers. Thirty-three years later, during the holiday season, a powerful businessman named Max Shreck is kidnapped by the Red Triangle gang – a former circus troupe known for abducting children across the country – and taken to an abandoned zoo. The leader of the gang, Oswald (now going by the name Penguin), uses evidence of ...

Directed by Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands (1990) is an American gothic romantic fantasy film. On a snowy night, an elderly woman shares a bedtime tale with her granddaughter about a young man named Edward, who possesses scissors for hands. Peg Boggs, a door-to-door Avon saleswoman, visits the eerie Gothic mansion where Edward resides. Created by an old inventor, Edward is an ageless humanoid who was homeschooled until the inventor’s untimely death from a heart attack. Left unfinished without hands, Peg discovers Edward and offers to bring him to her home upon realizing he poses no threat. At the Boggs household, ...

Batman (1989), a superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, is directed by Tim Burton. It marks the beginning of Warner Bros.’ original Batman film series. At a fundraiser hosted by billionaire Bruce Wayne, who is secretly Batman, reporter Alexander Knox and photojournalist Vicki Vale investigate sightings of the ‘Batman’, a masked vigilante targeting criminals in Gotham City. It was during this event that Wayne becomes enamored with Vale. ...

Beetlejuice (1988) is a movie directed by Tim Burton, which falls under the genre of American fantasy horror comedy. In Winter River, Connecticut, a married couple named Barbara and Adam Maitland spend their vacation decorating their picturesque country home. During a drive back from town, Barbara swerves to avoid a dog which results in their car crashing through the side of a covered bridge and into the river. Upon returning home, they notice that they no longer have reflections. When Adam tries to leave the house, he finds himself in an otherworldly desert-like landscape filled with large ‘sandworms’. ...

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), directed by Tim Burton, follows Pee-wee Herman’s quest to find his beloved, heavily accessorized bicycle. His neighbor and rival, Francis Buxton, has his sights set on the bike and Dottie, an employee at a bike shop, has a crush on Pee-wee. However, he does not reciprocate her feelings. As Pee-wee embarks on a shopping spree, his bike is stolen. Though the police are not concerned about the theft, Pee-wee suspects Francis and confronts him. Francis’ father assures him that his son had nothing to do with it. Desperate to retrieve his prized possession, Pee-wee offers a ...