Timothy Walter "
Tim"
Burton[Tim Burton's middle name is cited as Walter by the Museum of Modern Art on its web appearance for a 2009 exhibition on Burton's art work and a book covering Burton's career as an artist and filmmaker, though it is cited as William by other sources, such as the Tim Burton Collective.] (born August 25, 1958) is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for quirky-themed movies such as
Beetlejuice,
Edward Scissorhands,
The Nightmare Before Christmas,
Ed Wood,
Sleepy Hollow,
Corpse Bride, and
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and for
blockbusters such as
Pee-wee's Big Adventure,
Batman,
Batman Returns,
Planet of the Apes,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and
Alice in Wonderland, his most recent film, which was the
second-highest-grossing film of 2010, and the
tenth-highest-grossing film of all time.
Burton is known for using recurring collaborators on his works; among them are
Johnny Depp, who has become a close friend of Burton since their first film together; musician
Danny Elfman, who has composed for all but five of the films Burton has directed or produced; and
domestic partner Helena Bonham Carter. He also wrote and illustrated the poetry book
The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories, published in 1997, and a compilation of his drawings, entitled
The Art of Tim Burton, was released in 2009. Burton has directed 16 films and produced 12, as of 2012. His next films are
an adaptation of the soap opera
Dark Shadows, scheduled to be released on May 11, 2012,
and
a remake of his 1984 short,
Frankenweenie, scheduled to be released on October 5, 2012.
