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 an American filmmaker and artist, known for his gothic horror and dark fantasy films, which popularized Goth culture in American cinema. He's received numerous accolades, including an Emmy Award and nominations for Academy Awards, Golden Globe Award, and BAFTA Awards. Burton was honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice International Film Festival in 2007 and received the Order of Arts and Letters by the Culture Minister of France in 2010.
1981: Worked on The Fox and the Hound
In 1981, Tim Burton worked as an animator, storyboard artist, graphic designer, art director, and concept artist on films such as The Fox and the Hound at Walt Disney Productions.
1982: Made his first short, Vincent, and produced Hansel and Gretel
In 1982, Tim Burton made his first short, Vincent, a six-minute black-and-white stop motion film based on a poem written by Burton. He also produced Hansel and Gretel, a Japanese-themed adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale for the Disney Channel.
1982: Paying tribute in short film Vincent
In 1982, Tim Burton paid tribute to Vincent Price in his short film Vincent.
1982: Worked on Tron
In 1982, Tim Burton worked as an animator, storyboard artist, graphic designer, art director, and concept artist on films such as Tron at Walt Disney Productions.
1983: Hansel and Gretel aired on the Disney Channel
In 1983, Tim Burton's short film "Hansel and Gretel", a Japanese-themed adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, aired once on the Disney Channel at 10:30 P.M. on Halloween.
1984: Creation of Frankenweenie Short Film
In 1984, Tim Burton created the short film Frankenweenie, which he later remade as a feature-length stop motion film released in 2012.
1984: Release of Frankenweenie
In 1984, Tim Burton's live-action short film, Frankenweenie, was released.
1985: Directed episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Faerie Tale Theatre
In 1985, Tim Burton directed episodes of the Alfred Hitchcock Presents revival and Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre.
1985: Directorial Debut with Pee-wee's Big Adventure
In 1985, Tim Burton made his directorial film debut with the comedy Pee-wee's Big Adventure.
1985: Worked on The Black Cauldron
In 1985, Tim Burton worked as an animator, storyboard artist, graphic designer, art director, and concept artist on films such as The Black Cauldron at Walt Disney Productions.
1986: Directed an episode of Faerie Tale Theatre
In 1986, Tim Burton directed an episode of Shelley Duvall's television series Faerie Tale Theatre.
1988: Release of Beetlejuice
In 1988, Tim Burton gained prominence for directing the film Beetlejuice.
June 1989: Release of Batman
In June 1989, Tim Burton's Batman was released and became a major box office hit, grossing over $250 million in the U.S. and $400 million worldwide. The film earned critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
1989: Release of Batman
In 1989, Tim Burton directed the superhero film Batman.
1990: Created Edward Scissorhands
In 1990, Tim Burton created a drawing that inspired Caroline Thompson to write the script for Edward Scissorhands, which Burton then directed.
1990: Consideration of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Since 1990, Tim Burton had been considering making Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
1992: Release of Batman Returns
In 1992, Tim Burton directed the superhero film Batman Returns.
1993: Produced The Nightmare Before Christmas
In 1993, Tim Burton produced The Nightmare Before Christmas for Disney. It was directed by Henry Selick and written by Caroline Thompson, based on Burton's original story, world, and characters.
1994: Production of Cabin Boy and Ed Wood
In 1994, Tim Burton co-produced the fantasy-comedy Cabin Boy. Adam Resnick directed the film. Burton also directed Ed Wood in 1994, a smaller-scale film about director Ed Wood, starring Johnny Depp. Danny Elfman did not score Ed Wood and Howard Shore took over the assignment. Ed Wood became a cult classic. Martin Landau won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup.
1994: Release of Ed Wood
In 1994, Tim Burton directed the biographical drama Ed Wood.
1994: Departure from Batman and Filming of Batman Forever
In 1994, Warner Bros. decided not to have Tim Burton direct a third Batman film and Burton mutually agreed to leave the project. Joel Schumacher became the director, and Burton became a producer. Michael Keaton resigned from the lead role, Val Kilmer replaced him, and filming for Batman Forever began in late 1994 with new actors such as Tommy Lee Jones, Nicole Kidman, Chris O'Donnell, and Jim Carrey.
1996: Production of James and the Giant Peach and Mars Attacks!
In 1996, Tim Burton and Selick reunited for James and the Giant Peach. Burton served as a producer due to his contributions to making Mars Attacks!. The film starred Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon, David Thewlis, Simon Callow, and Jane Leeves and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score (by Randy Newman).
1996: Co-produced James and the Giant Peach
In 1996, Tim Burton co-produced James and the Giant Peach, collaborating with Henry Selick again.
June 1997: Superman Film Enters Pre-Production
In June 1997, the Superman film, with Tim Burton directing and Nicolas Cage starring, entered pre-production.
1997: Release of The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories
In 1997, Tim Burton released the book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories.
April 1998: Superman Film Put on Hold, Burton Leaves
In April 1998, Warner Bros. put the Superman film on hold, and Tim Burton left to direct Sleepy Hollow.
1999: Release of Sleepy Hollow
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 stated on the audio commentary of the DVD release of Pee-wee's Big Adventure that as soon as Frankenweenie began, he was sold on Tim Burton's style.
2001: Release of Planet of the Apes
In 2001, Tim Burton directed the science fiction film Planet of the Apes.
2002: Disney Considers Nightmare Before Christmas Sequel
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.
2003: Direction of Big Fish
In 2003, Tim Burton directed Big Fish, based on the novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace. Ewan McGregor and Albert Finney starred as Edward Bloom. The film received four Golden Globe nominations and an Academy Award nomination for Elfman's score.
2005: Release of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Burton's Corpse Bride
In 2005, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was released. Johnny Depp starred as Willy Wonka. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was later nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. Tim Burton's Corpse Bride was released in 2005. This was Burton's first full-length stop motion film as a director.
2005: Release of Shane Acker's Short Film 9
In 2005, Shane Acker released his short film 9, which was about ragdolls. Tim Burton showed interest in producing a feature-length film of it.
2005: Release of Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
In 2005, Tim Burton directed the animated film Corpse Bride and the musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
2006: Direction of "Bones" Music Video
In 2006, Tim Burton directed his first music video, "Bones", which is the sixth single by The Killers from their album Sam's Town.
December 21, 2007: Release of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
On December 21, 2007, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, based on the 1979 Broadway musical, was released. Tim Burton's work on Sweeney Todd won the National Board of Review Award for Best Director and an Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
2007: Release of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
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.
May 2008: Start of Filming for Alice in Wonderland
In May 2008, filming for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland began. Locations included Torpoint and Plymouth, and filming lasted until October 14.
2009: Possibility of Nightmare Before Christmas Sequel
In 2009, Henry Selick stated that he could make a sequel to Nightmare Before Christmas if he and Tim Burton could create a good story for it.
2009: Promotion of 9 and Alice in Wonderland at Comic-Con
In 2009, Tim Burton appeared at Comic-Con in San Diego, California, to promote both 9 and Alice in Wonderland.
2009: Vincent on display at the Museum of Modern Art
In 2009, Tim Burton's short film "Vincent" went on public display at the Museum of Modern Art.
2009: Release of The Art of Tim Burton
In 2009, a compilation of Tim Burton's drawings, sketches, and other artwork, entitled The Art of Tim Burton, was released.
March 5, 2010: Release of Alice in Wonderland
On March 5, 2010, Alice in Wonderland was released. The film grossed $1 billion worldwide.
March 2010: Release of Alice in Wonderland
In March 2010, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was released, with additional material incorporated into the ACMI exhibition.
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.
2010: Release of Alice in Wonderland
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.
May 2011: Filming Begins for Dark Shadows
In May 2011, Tim Burton began filming Dark Shadows, a feature film adaptation of the 1960s television series of the same name.
November 2011: Negotiations to Direct Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
In November 2011, Tim Burton entered talks to direct a film adaptation of the fantasy novel Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
2011: Burton Attached to Direct Maleficent
In 2011, Tim Burton was briefly attached to direct Maleficent for Walt Disney Pictures, but he chose to pursue Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie instead.
2011: Vincent part of Tim Burton art exhibit at LACMA
In 2011, Tim Burton's short film "Vincent" was shown as part of the Tim Burton art exhibit at LACMA.
2011: Burton Working on Hunchback Adaptation
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: Release of Dark Shadows
On May 11, 2012, Dark Shadows was released, grossing $245 million worldwide.
June 22, 2012: Release of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
On June 22, 2012, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, co-produced by Tim Burton, was released. The film was based on the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith.
July 2012: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Project
In July 2012, it was announced that Tim Burton was working with Seth Grahame-Smith on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a project he had been considering making since 1990. Actor Michael Keaton also expressed interest in reprising his role as the title character along with Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz.
October 5, 2012: Release of Frankenweenie
On October 5, 2012, Tim Burton's remake of his 1984 short film, Frankenweenie, was released and met with positive reviews.
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, a darker animated film set in a post-apocalyptic world.
2012: Direction of "Here with Me" Music Video
In 2012, Tim Burton directed a second music video for The Killers, "Here with Me", starring Winona Ryder.
2012: Release of Frankenweenie, Dark Shadows
In 2012, Tim Burton directed the animated film Frankenweenie and the fantasy film Dark Shadows.
2012: Vincent shown at the Seoul Museum of Art
In 2012, Tim Burton's short film "Vincent" was shown at the Seoul Museum of Art.
July 17, 2013: Addams Family Adaptation Scrapped
On July 17, 2013, Tim Burton's 3D stop motion animation adaptation of The Addams Family 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 Begins for Big Eyes
In mid-2013, filming began in Vancouver, British Columbia, for Tim Burton's biographical drama film Big Eyes.
December 25, 2014: Release of Big Eyes
On December 25, 2014, Big Eyes was released in U.S. theaters. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
2014: Release of Big Eyes
In 2014, Tim Burton directed the biographical drama Big Eyes.
2015: Release of The Napkin Art of Tim Burton: Things You Think About in a Bar
In 2015, The Napkin Art of Tim Burton: Things You Think About in a Bar, containing sketches made by Burton on napkins at bars and restaurants, was released.
September 30, 2016: Release of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
On September 30, 2016, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, directed by Tim Burton, was released in theaters.
2016: Production of Alice Through the Looking Glass
In 2016, Tim Burton produced the film Alice Through the Looking Glass, which was directed by James Bobin.
October 2017: Mike Vukadinovich Hired for Beetlejuice 2 Script
In October 2017, Deadline Hollywood reported that Mike Vukadinovich was hired to write a script for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in time for the film's 30th anniversary.
March 29, 2019: Release of Dumbo
On March 29, 2019, Tim Burton's live-action adaptation of Dumbo was released, grossing $353 million worldwide but ultimately losing money.
April 2019: Beetlejuice 2 Shelved
In April 2019, Warner Bros. stated the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sequel had been shelved.
February 2021: Directing and Producing Wednesday for Netflix
In February 2021, Tim Burton was announced to be directing and producing Wednesday, a series for Netflix based on The Addams Family. This marked Burton's first television directing role since the 1980s.
September 2021: Production Begins for Wednesday
In September 2021, production began on the first season of Wednesday, the Netflix series directed and produced by Tim Burton.
February 2022: Beetlejuice 2 Announced Again
In February 2022, the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sequel was announced again, with Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment producing alongside Warner Bros.
October 2022: Burton Comments on Future Disney Projects
In October 2022, Tim Burton stated he would probably never work with The Walt Disney Company again after Dumbo, citing creative differences and Disney's focus on Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm.
November 2022: Release of Wednesday on Netflix
In November 2022, Wednesday was released on Netflix to critical acclaim.
2022: Directing Episodes for Wednesday
Starting in 2022, Tim Burton has directed several episodes for the Netflix series Wednesday, for which he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.
January 2023: Wednesday Renewed for Second Season
In January 2023, the show Wednesday was renewed for a second season.
May 10, 2023: Shooting Starts for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
On May 10, 2023, the sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice officially started shooting in London, with Tim Burton returning as director.
September 6, 2024: Release Date for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
The release date for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is set for September 6, 2024.
2024: Release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
In 2024, Tim Burton directed Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to the 1988 film.
August 2025: Premiere of Wednesday Season 2
In August 2025, the second season of Wednesday premiered.
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