Career Timeline of Tim Burton: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Tim Burton built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Tim Burton is a celebrated American filmmaker and producer, renowned for his unique gothic horror and dark fantasy style that significantly impacted American cinema and popularized Goth culture. His work has garnered him an Emmy Award and nominations for prestigious awards like the Academy Awards, Golden Globe, and BAFTAs. Recognized for his lifetime achievements, he received the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival in 2007 and the Order of Arts and Letters from the Culture Minister of France in 2010.
7 hours ago : Tim Burton Teases New Movie and Animated Project After Beetlejuice 2 Success
Tim Burton is hinting at an upcoming movie after the success of Beetlejuice 2. He also mentioned a new animated project, stating that he is currently waiting for the script.
1958: Start of 'Surviving Burbank' exhibition coverage
In 1958, the "Surviving Burbank" section of the Tim Burton exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art began to cover Tim Burton's younger years.
1976: End of 'Surviving Burbank' exhibition coverage
In 1976, the "Surviving Burbank" section of the Tim Burton exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art concluded its coverage of Tim Burton's younger years.
1977: Start of 'Beautifying Burbank' exhibition coverage
In 1977, the "Beautifying Burbank" section of the Tim Burton exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art began, covering his time with CalArts and Walt Disney.
1981: Animator for The Fox and the Hound
In 1981, Tim Burton worked as an animator on "The Fox and the Hound" at Walt Disney Productions, marking his early career in animation.
1982: Made first short, Vincent
In 1982, Tim Burton created his first short film, "Vincent", a black-and-white stop motion film based on his poem and narrated by Vincent Price.
1982: Animator for Tron
In 1982, Tim Burton worked as an animator, storyboard artist, graphic designer, art director, and concept artist on the film "Tron".
1982: Tribute to Vincent Price
Tim Burton paid tribute to Vincent Price, one of his horror film idols, in his short film in 1982, demonstrating the early influences that shaped his career.
1983: Aired Hansel and Gretel
In 1983, Tim Burton's "Hansel and Gretel", a Japanese-themed adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, aired once on the Disney Channel on Halloween night and was then shelved.
1984: Frankenweenie Release
In 1984, Tim Burton's live-action short film, "Frankenweenie," was released, telling the story of a young boy who tries to revive his dog.
1984: End of 'Beautifying Burbank' exhibition coverage
In 1984, the "Beautifying Burbank" section of the Tim Burton exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art concluded its coverage of his time with CalArts and Walt Disney.
1984: Creation of Short Film Frankenweenie
In 2012, Tim Burton remade his 1984 short film, Frankenweenie, as a feature-length stop motion film.
1985: Directed episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Faerie Tale Theatre
In 1985, Tim Burton directed episodes of the revival of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Faerie Tale Theatre", contributing to anthology horror series.
1985: Pee-wee's Big Adventure directorial debut
In 1985, Tim Burton made his directorial film debut with the comedy "Pee-wee's Big Adventure".
1985: Work on The Black Cauldron
In 1985, Tim Burton worked as an animator, storyboard artist, graphic designer, art director, and concept artist on the film "The Black Cauldron".
1985: Start of 'Beyond Burbank' exhibition coverage
In 1985, the "Beyond Burbank" section of the Tim Burton exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art began, covering his career from 1985 onward.
1986: Directed Faerie Tale Theatre episode
In 1986, Tim Burton directed an episode of Shelley Duvall's television series "Faerie Tale Theatre", marking another step in his early television directing career.
June 1989: Batman release
In June 1989, Tim Burton's "Batman" was released, backed by a major marketing campaign. It became a significant box office success, grossing over $250 million in the U.S. and $400 million worldwide, earning critical acclaim and establishing Burton as a profitable director.
1989: Batman release
In 1989, Tim Burton directed the superhero film "Batman".
1990: Edward Scissorhands creation
In 1990, Tim Burton created a drawing that inspired the script for "Edward Scissorhands", which he directed, starring Johnny Depp as Edward and Vincent Price in one of his final roles.
1990: Burton first considered Beetlejuice 2
In 1990, Tim Burton first considered making Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
1992: Batman Returns release
In 1992, Tim Burton directed "Batman Returns", a sequel to his earlier superhero film.
1993: The Nightmare Before Christmas production
In 1993, Tim Burton produced "The Nightmare Before Christmas" for Disney, directed by Henry Selick and written by Caroline Thompson. The film was released under Disney's Touchstone Pictures.
1994: Directing Responsibilities Handed Over for Ed Wood; Cabin Boy Produced
In 1994, Tim Burton and Denise Di Novi produced the fantasy-comedy Cabin Boy. Originally slated to direct it, Burton handed the role to Adam Resnick after being offered Ed Wood. Burton directed Ed Wood (1994), starring Johnny Depp. Danny Elfman was replaced with Howard Shore as composer and Martin Landau won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the film received the Academy Award for Best Makeup.
1994: Ed Wood release
In 1994, Tim Burton directed the biographical drama "Ed Wood".
1994: Departure from Batman Directing; Filming for Batman Forever Begins
In 1994, Warner Bros. did not want Tim Burton to direct a third Batman installment. Burton and Warner Bros. mutually agreed to part ways. Joel Schumacher was chosen to direct the third film, while Burton would only produce it. Filming for Batman Forever began in late 1994. Michael Keaton resigned from the lead role and was replaced by Val Kilmer.
1996: James and the Giant Peach Co-Production
In 1996, Tim Burton co-produced "James and the Giant Peach", collaborating again with Henry Selick.
June 1997: Superman film enters pre-production
In June 1997, the Superman film that Tim Burton was set to direct entered pre-production with Nicolas Cage as Superman. Wesley Strick was hired to rewrite Kevin Smith's script.
1997: The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories release
In 1997, Tim Burton released the book "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories".
April 1998: Superman film put on hold
In April 1998, Warner Bros. put the Superman film directed by Tim Burton on hold due to budgetary reasons, after ordering another rewrite. Burton then left the project to direct Sleepy Hollow.
1999: Sleepy Hollow release
In 1999, Tim Burton directed the supernatural horror film "Sleepy Hollow".
2000: Audio commentary of Pee-wee's Big Adventure DVD release
In 2000, Paul Reubens mentioned on the audio commentary of the DVD release of "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" that he chose Tim Burton to direct the film after seeing "Frankenweenie".
2001: Planet of the Apes release
In 2001, Tim Burton directed the science fiction film "Planet of the Apes".
2002: Disney considers a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas
In 2002, The Walt Disney Company considered producing a computer-animated sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but Tim Burton convinced them to drop the idea, wanting to preserve the film's purity.
2003: Big Fish Release
In 2003, Tim Burton directed Big Fish, based on the novel by Daniel Wallace. The film received four Golden Globe nominations and an Academy Award nomination for Danny Elfman's score. This film marked the second collaboration between Burton and Helena Bonham Carter, as well as Burton and Danny DeVito.
2005: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Release; Corpse Bride Production
In 2005, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp, was released and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Simultaneously, Burton, Depp, and Elfman worked on Corpse Bride, Burton's first full-length stop motion film as a director.
2005: Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory release
In 2005, Tim Burton directed the animated film "Corpse Bride" and the musical "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory".
2005: Shows interest in 9.
In 2005, after seeing Shane Acker's short film 9, Tim Burton showed interest in producing a feature-length adaptation of the film.
2006: Directs "Bones" Music Video
In 2006, Tim Burton directed his first music video, "Bones", for The Killers' song from the album Sam's Town.
December 21, 2007: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Released
On December 21, 2007, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was released to critical acclaim, grossing $153 million worldwide. Burton's work won a National Board of Review Award for Best Director and an Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
2007: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street release
In 2007, Tim Burton directed the musical "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street".
2007: Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement
In 2007, Tim Burton was honored with the Venice International Film Festival's Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, recognizing his contributions to the film industry.
May 2008: Filming Begins for Alice in Wonderland
Filming for Alice in Wonderland began in May 2008, with locations including Torpoint and Plymouth.
November 22, 2009: Tim Burton retrospective at MoMA
On November 22, 2009, a Tim Burton retrospective opened at the MoMA in New York, featuring over 700 drawings, paintings, and other works from his career.
2009: Henry Selick considers a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas
In 2009, Henry Selick stated that he could make a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas if he and Burton could create a good story for it.
2009: The Art of Tim Burton released
In 2009, The Art of Tim Burton, a compilation of Tim Burton's drawings, sketches, and artwork, was released.
2009: Vincent goes on public display
In 2009, Tim Burton's short film, Vincent, went on public display at the Museum of Modern Art.
March 5, 2010: Alice in Wonderland Released
On March 5, 2010, Alice in Wonderland was released. The film won two Academy Awards, grossing $1 billion worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing film of Burton's career.
March 2010: Alice in Wonderland released
In March 2010, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was released, and additional material from the film was incorporated into the ACMI exhibition in Melbourne.
April 26, 2010: Tim Burton retrospective at MoMA ends
On April 26, 2010, the Tim Burton retrospective at the MoMA in New York concluded.
July 19, 2010: Burton to direct Monsterpocalypse
On July 19, 2010, Tim Burton was announced as the director of the upcoming film adaptation of Monsterpocalypse.
October 10, 2010: ACMI Tim Burton exhibition ends
On October 10, 2010, the Tim Burton exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne concluded.
2010: Alice in Wonderland release
In 2010, Tim Burton directed the fantasy film "Alice in Wonderland".
2010: Order of Arts and Letters
In 2010, Tim Burton was given the Order of Arts and Letters by the Culture Minister of France, further recognizing his impact on the arts.
May 2011: Filming of Dark Shadows Begins
In May 2011, Tim Burton began filming Dark Shadows, a feature film adaptation of the 1960s television series.
October 31, 2011: The Art of Tim Burton exhibition at LACMA ends
On October 31, 2011, "The Art of Tim Burton" exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) concluded.
November 2011: Talks to Direct Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
In November 2011, Tim Burton entered talks to direct a film adaptation of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
2011: Burton considers directing Maleficent
In 2011, Tim Burton was briefly attached to direct Maleficent for Walt Disney Pictures, but chose to pursue Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie instead.
2011: Tim Burton art exhibit at LACMA
In 2011, Tim Burton's art was exhibited at LACMA as part of a Tim Burton art exhibit, showcasing his diverse creative works.
2011: Burton to direct The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
In 2011, it was reported that Tim Burton was working on a live-action adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame starring Josh Brolin, but the project did not move forward.
May 11, 2012: Dark Shadows Released
On May 11, 2012, Dark Shadows was released and grossed $245 million worldwide.
June 22, 2012: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Released
On June 22, 2012, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, co-produced by Tim Burton, was released. The film received mixed reviews and performed poorly at the box office.
July 2012: Working on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice announced
In July 2012, it was announced that Tim Burton was working with Seth Grahame-Smith on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a project he had considered since 1990. Michael Keaton expressed interest in reprising his role.
October 5, 2012: Frankenweenie Released
On October 5, 2012, Tim Burton's feature-length stop motion film Frankenweenie was released to positive reviews.
December 12, 2012: Tim Burton at Seoul Museum of Art exhibition opens
On December 12, 2012, the "Tim Burton at Seoul Museum of Art" exhibition opened in Seoul, South Korea. It featured 862 of Burton's works.
2012: Burton to work with Valve on Deep
In 2012, Shane Acker confirmed that Tim Burton would work with Valve to create his next animated feature film, Deep, set in a post-apocalyptic world.
2012: Directs "Here with Me" Music Video
In 2012, Tim Burton directed a second music video for The Killers, "Here with Me", starring Winona Ryder.
2012: Frankenweenie and Dark Shadows Release
In 2012, Tim Burton directed the animated film "Frankenweenie" and the fantasy film "Dark Shadows".
2012: Shown at the Seoul Museum of Art
In 2012, Tim Burton's short, Hansel and Gretel, was shown at the Seoul Museum of Art.
April 15, 2013: Tim Burton at Seoul Museum of Art exhibition ends
On April 15, 2013, the Tim Burton exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art concluded. The exhibition was divided into three parts covering different eras of Burton's life and work.
July 17, 2013: 3D stop motion animation adaptation of The Addams Family scrapped
On July 17, 2013, the 3D stop motion animation adaptation of The Addams Family, which Tim Burton was reported to direct, was scrapped.
2013: Acker focuses on Beasts of Burden
In 2013, Shane Acker began focusing on another project called Beasts of Burden, and there have been no further mentions of Deep since then.
2013: Filming of Big Eyes Began
In mid-2013, filming began in Vancouver, British Columbia, for Tim Burton's biographical drama film Big Eyes.
August 8, 2014: Tim Burton and His World exhibition in Prague ends
On August 8, 2014, the "Tim Burton and His World" exhibition at the Stone Bell House in Prague, Czech Republic, concluded.
December 25, 2014: Big Eyes Released
On December 25, 2014, Big Eyes, directed by Tim Burton and starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, was released in U.S. theaters. The film received generally positive reviews.
2014: Big Eyes release
In 2014, Tim Burton directed the biographical drama "Big Eyes".
2015: The Napkin Art of Tim Burton: Things You Think About in a Bar released
In 2015, The Napkin Art of Tim Burton: Things You Think About in a Bar, a book containing sketches made by Tim Burton on napkins, was released.
February 4, 2016: Tim Burton and His World exhibition in São Paulo opens
On February 4, 2016, the "Tim Burton and His World" exhibition premiered at the Museu da Imagem e do Som in São Paulo, Brazil.
September 30, 2016: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Released
On September 30, 2016, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, directed by Tim Burton, was released in theatres.
November 5, 2016: Tim Burton and His World exhibition in Hong Kong opens
On November 5, 2016, the "Tim Burton and His World" exhibition opened at Artis Tree in Taikoo Place, Hong Kong.
2016: Alice Through the Looking Glass Released
In 2016, Tim Burton produced the film Alice Through the Looking Glass, which was directed by James Bobin.
January 23, 2017: Tim Burton and His World exhibition in Hong Kong ends
On January 23, 2017, the "Tim Burton and His World" exhibition in Artis Tree in Taikoo Place, Hong Kong, concluded.
October 2017: Mike Vukadinovich hired to write Beetlejuice 2 script
In October 2017, Mike Vukadinovich was hired to write a script for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, aiming for the film's 30th anniversary.
March 29, 2019: Dumbo Released
On March 29, 2019, Tim Burton's live-action adaptation of Disney's Dumbo was released.
April 2019: Beetlejuice 2 shelved
In April 2019, Warner Bros. announced that the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sequel had been shelved.
August 11, 2019: Tim Burton and His World exhibition in Brasília ends
On August 11, 2019, the "Tim Burton and His World" exhibition at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil in Brasília concluded.
October 2019: Lost Vegas: Tim Burton exhibition opened
In October 2019, Burton's first exhibition in the United States in nearly a decade, Lost Vegas: Tim Burton, opened at The Neon Museum in Las Vegas.
February 2021: Directing and producing Wednesday for Netflix
In February 2021, it was announced that Tim Burton would be directing and producing Wednesday, a series for Netflix based on The Addams Family. This marked his first television directing role since the 1980s.
September 2021: Production of Wednesday began
In September 2021, production began on Wednesday, the Netflix series directed and produced by Tim Burton. The first season aimed for a November 2022 release.
February 2022: Beetlejuice 2 revived
In February 2022, the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sequel was announced again, produced by Brad Pitt's studio Plan B Entertainment, alongside Warner Bros.
October 2022: Burton says he will probably never work with Disney again
In October 2022, Tim Burton stated he would likely never work with The Walt Disney Company again after Dumbo. He cited differences in style and Disney's focus on Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm as reasons, feeling there was less room for diverse creative approaches.
November 2022: Release of Wednesday
In November 2022, Wednesday, the series directed and produced by Tim Burton, was released on Netflix and received critical acclaim.
2022: Directed episodes for Wednesday
Starting in 2022, Tim Burton directed several episodes for the Netflix series "Wednesday".
May 10, 2023: Beetlejuice 2 starts shooting
On May 10, 2023, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice officially started shooting in London, with Tim Burton as director. Keaton and Ryder reprise their roles, and Ortega and Theroux joined the cast.
September 6, 2024: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice release date
September 6, 2024, is the announced release date for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, directed by Tim Burton.
2024: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice release
In 2024, Tim Burton directed "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", the sequel to the 1988 film.
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