Tim Burton is a director, artist, producer, animator, and writer. He has created gothic fantasy films such as "The Nightmare Before Christmas", "Edward Scissorhands", "Beetlejuice", "Corpse Bride" and many others. In addition to his original masterpieces, he has also created, and recreated, mega-blockbuster films such as "Batman" and "Batman Returns", "Planet of the Apes", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and even "Alice in Wonderland".
But here are 20 things you didn't know about one of the most iconic figures in the industry!
(These facts were contributed by IMDb.com, The Fact Site, and Metro News)
Facts you never knew about Tim Burton's early life
1. His mother, Jean Burton, owned a cat-themed gift shop in Burbank California, and his father, Bill Burton, was a minor-league baseball player.
2. While he was a pre-teen, Burton experimented and practiced stop-motion animation by making short films in his backyard.
3. Although a graduate of Burbank High School, Burton did not do very well in school.
4. Dr. Seuss and Roald Dahl were his childhood idols who greatly inspired Burton's creative works.
5. He studied character animation at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California.
6. "Stalk of the Celery Monster" and "King and Octopus" are two shorts that Burton created while at the California Institue of the Arts.
"Celery Monster" landed him an internship with Disney after they viewed the short film.
7. Some of his Disney works include working as an animator, storyboard artist and concept artist for "The Fox and the Hound," "The Black Cauldron," and "Tron," but his concepts were not featured in the final productions of the films.
Facts about Tim Burton's professional career
8. After the release of "Frankenweenie" in 1984, a movie about a little boy who tries to revive his deceased dog, Disney fired Burton for using company monies to create a film that was considered too dark and scary for children.
9. Paul Reubens asked Burton to direct "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" (1985) after seeing "Frakenweenie" and "Vincent." The spin-off had a budget of $8 million and grossed $40 million at the box office.
10. After producing high-grossing films on a very low budget, Burton was asked to direct "Batman."
11. "Edward Scissorhands" was made into a ballet in 2005 by Matthew Bourne; the performance was widely popular, and it has toured Europe, North America, Canada, Australia, and the UK.
12. Burton originally wrote and produced "The Nightmare Before Christmas" for Disney in 1993; it was originally supposed to be a rhyming children's book.
13. In 1996, Burton is given the opportunity to co-produce "James and the Giant Peach," written by his childhood hero, Roald Dahl.
14. 20th Century Fox really wanted Burton to cast Tom Cruise as "Edward in Edward Scissorhands." Tom Hanks was also offered the role but turned it down due to previous obligations.
15. Johnny Depp is a very close friend of Burton's, and he is also a godfather of Burton's two sons.
16. One of Burton's favorite films is "Dracula A.D. 1972."
17. Jack Skellington made his very first appearance in "Beetlejuice." You can see his head on Beetlejuice's hat in the carnival scene.
18. Charlie's dad works at Smilex Toothpaste, which is the same name of the product that the Joker sells in Burton's "Batman."
19. Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman costume in Batman Returns was vacuum sealed to her body after she put it on.
20. It took Burton's team an entire week of stop-motion animation to film one minute of "Nightmare."
