Who is Tim Burton?
Timothy "Tim" Burton was born on 25 August 1958 to Jean Erickson and Bill Burton. He became interested in film at a young age. He found pleasure in watching films and creating artwork, and was not particularly academic. As a preteen, Burton would make short films in his garden. Today he is one of the most celebrated and well known movie directors, especially in the fantasy genre. Burton's personal life has attracted widespread media attention; he was married to actress Helena Bonham Carter (Enid, The King's Speech) for thirteen years. She has also appeared in projects directed by her husband, such as Dark Shadows (2010) and Big Fish (2003).
I intend to research a few films spanning a variety of eras.
Early films: 1980s
Vincent (1982)
Vincent is a six minute fantasy short film. It was released on 1 October 1982. The budget was $60,000. It is black and white footage. The production companies involved were Walt Disney Productions, it was originally distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Company in the USA. Vincent Malloy is seven years old. He dreams of being just like Vincent Price (an actor) and gets lost in grim daydreams at the annoyance of his mother. Vincent Price is the narrator of the film.
Batman (1989)
Batman is the first installment of Warner Bros. original Batman series. The film stars Michael Keaton, Kim Basinger and Jack Nicholson. Burton repeatedly disagreed with the producers of the film (Jon Peters and Peter Guber), mostly this was about casting. Tim Burton choose Michael Keaton for the titular role; they had built up a rapport following their work on Beetlejuice. This was in spite of Keaton's "average" physique, inexperience with action movies and reputation for being a comedic actor. The argument over casting caused Warner Bros. share price to decrease. Burton was ademant that he wanted an "ordinary" man to play Batman, rather than a stereotypical, bulked up superhero. However, casting Jack Nicholson as the joker reassured audiences and attracted older demographic who may not have otherwise seen the film.
When the film opened, it was supported by the biggest marketing and merchandising campaign in film history at the time. It made $250 million in the US alone and $400 million worldwide. The film was a stepping stone for Burton as it helped to establish him as a successful director.
1990s
Edward Scissorhands
Tim Burton cast his friend, actor Johnny Depp, who had a reputation for being a teen idol, as Edward. The film also stars Vincent Price as the creator of Edward. Edward looked human, but had scissors for hands because the inventor died before finishing him. The film is viewed as Burton's autobiography of his childhood. It made $86 million at the box office.
James and the Giant Peach
This is a musical fantasy based on the book by Roald Dahl. The film is a combination of live action and motion stop footage. It stars Susan Sarandon and RichardV Dreyfuss among others. It made $28.9 million at the box office.
2000s
Charlie and Chocolate Factory
This is a 2005 film, which stars Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie. After they gained approval from the Dahl Estate, Warner Bros. hired Tim Burton to direct the film in 2003. Following rewrites of the script by various people, Tim hired Jon August, whom he had worked with on Big Fish. He had not seen the 1971 film prior to being hired. Johnny Depp wanted his characterization of Willy Wonka to be distinct from that of Gene Wilder's. Burton also wanted Charlie to be an "average" boy who stayed out of trouble. Filming for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory began on 21st June 2004, at Pinewood Studios in London. Music composer Danny Elfman found the timings of filming challenging because they were also filming Corpse Bride. The Chocolate Room or River set piece took up all of Pinewood's 007 Stage. The British Equity rules state that children can only work for four and a half hours a day. Filming ended in December 2004. The film's running time is 115 minutes and had a budget of $150 million. It made $475 million at the box office.
Charlie and the Chocolate factory (2005) trailer
2010s
Alice in Wonderland (+ through looking glass)
Burton signed with Walt Disney Pictures to make two films Alice in Wonderland and Frankenweenie. He decided to develop the story because the original story by Lewis Caroll failed to grab him emotionally. He wanted to "keep the classic nature of Alice", whilst also making it an engaging movie where you get some psychology". He wanted to make Alice "more of a story rather than a series of events". Filming began in September and finished three months later. The movie stars Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska. It had a budget ranging from $150-$200 million and made $1.025 billion at the box office. In 2016, a sequel was released.
Alice in Wonderland (2010) trailer
Sources:Wikipedia - Tim Burton, Vincent, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, James and the Giant Peach (1996 film) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005 film) Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
IMDB - Tim Burton
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