Tim Burton is a unique actor known for his skills as a director and his success as a producer. His name is associated with great movies, actors and roles that will remain forever in the history of cinema. He attended the California Institute of the Arts and did his first animation project working on The Fox and the Hound for Disney in 1981, however, he did not receive credit for his help on the film. In this article I will talk about his success as a director, his movies and what we can expect from him in the future.
Awards and nominations are part of what defines directors’ success, along with their box office numbers, reputation, and other indicators as well. Of the three major awards given to directors, Tim Burton was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year in 2005 for his film Corpse Bride. In 2004, Burton was nominated for the Deal Lean Award for Directing at the BAFTA Awards for his film Big Fish. His last film Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2008. The film won an award presented by the National Board of Review in the same year. He won the Future Festival Digital Award at the Venice Film Festival in 2005 for Corpse Bride. Burton has been nominated for over thirty awards and won a significant number of those over thirty.
In 2000, USA Today published a list of directors to watch out for. Tim Burton respectively ranks fifth in this list of more than 800 directors. This surprising ranking left him fifth behind only (1) Steven Spielberg (2) James Cameron (3) George Lucas and (4) Ron Howard.
Burton has worked with very famous actors giving them roles that showcase their incredible talents. Three leading actors he has worked with include: Johnny Depp, Ewan McGregor and Mark Wahlberg. He has worked with Johnny Depp on numerous occasions on such films as Sweeney Todd: The Evil Barber of Fleet Street, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. Ewan McGregor starred in his 2004 film Big Fish. His film Planet of the Apes starred Mark Wahlberg.
In any industry, there will be those who appreciate the work of others in their field and find it easier to put them down than to give them the praise they deserve. Looking at the reviews that Tim Burton has received for his work from his viewers, they are nothing but good. Fans of him are very dedicated and have words of praise for Burton that include: genius, quirky, visionary, exceptionally weird, phenomenal, amazing, creative, and eccentric. For any professional to receive accolades like this for their work, it has to be a phenomenal feeling, to say the least.
In an interview conducted by about.com representative Rebecca Murray, Tim Burton was asked what exactly it is that attracts the dead. After joking about his upbringing, which led to his interest in the undead, his real response was that he’s always been a fan of monster movies and even somehow fascinated by them. Living close to Mexico and seeing their Day of the Dead celebration gave him a much more positive approach to thinking about death, and therefore that take on the dark subject that the United States tends to see.
Burton’s friendship with Johnny Depp is part of the audience’s appeal to the director. Having worked together on many films has given the two the opportunity to get to know each other. Burton knows what roles are right for Depp, the ones he knows only the department can play, and he makes sure to cast him in those roles. Depp’s spontaneity is appealing to directors as it gives them the opportunity to literally watch a character grow before their eyes. This spontaneity goes so well with Burton’s movies and hopefully they’ll continue to make great movies together.
Burton currently has the movie Coraline in theaters, which has made it to the top 5. It will be released in 2009, a 9 movie. A focus feature production, it is an animated film starring the voices of Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, John C. Riley. , Crispin Glover, and Martin Landau. The world of the character named 9 is coming to an end and it’s up to him and those left with him to keep it going. His mission: protect the future. The movie is not rated yet but it is classified under Adaptation, Fantasy and Action genres. 2010 will bring another adaptation of Alice in Wonderland simply titled Alice, directed by Tim Burton. Walt Disney Pictures brings another installment of the movie that features a lot of big names this time. Mia Wasikowska (as Alice), Matt Lucas (as Tweedledee/Tweedledum), Johnny Depp (no surprise; where there’s a Tim Burton movie, there’s Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter), Michael Sheen and Anne Hathaway (the White Queen) star. in the film that is also not rated yet.
Tim Burton has received many honors for his work as a director and producer. His success is not easy to come by and he rightly deserves his place among the best directors. Keep an eye out for more of Burton’s work across numerous genres that bring a more celebrated feel to death and the walking dead.