Biography
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) and Dark Shadows (2012), as well as the television series Wednesday (2022). Burton also directed the superhero films Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992)...
Known For
Complete Filmography

The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
2025
as Self
THE AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE VAULT is a 2-disc, 500-minute odyssey that collects eight feature-length VHS mixtapes from the crackpots at AGFA—including tw...

Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters
2024
as Self
A look at Hammer’s progression from a back office in London’s Regent Street to its iconic status within the horror film genre. The company, started by...

Designing the Burtonesque
2024
as Himself
This film delves into Burton’s unique approach to world-building. From the context of the room – designed to evoke the historic movie palaces that Bur...

Edward Scissorhands
2024
Story
In a castle high on a hill lives Edward; a boy created by an eccentric inventor. When his creator dies he is left alone and unfinished with only sciss...

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
2024
as Baby Beetlejuice (voice) (uncredited)
After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Betelgeuse, Lydia's life is turned upside ...

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
2024
Director, Producer
After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Betelgeuse, Lydia's life is turned upside ...

A Look Through His Lens
2024
as Self
Oscar-winning cinematographer Philippe Rousselot offers a master class in image making, with insightful examples from his work on Diva, Hope and Glory...

Johnny Depp: The Love of the Bizarre
2023
as Self (archive footage)
Johnny Depp started off as a punk band guitarist, turning to acting to help pay the bills. But his dabbling catapulted him to global fame and there wa...

Il museo degli orrori di Dario Argento
2022
as self
Newly edited version of Luigi Cozzi's 1997 documentary "Il mondo di Dario Argento 3: Il museo degli orrori di Dario Argento" focusing on the museum-pa...

The Sparks Brothers
2021
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Take a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers Ron & Russell Mael, celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your fav...

Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale
2021
as Self
A documentary about the history of Catwoman from DC.

Joker: Put on a Happy Face
2020
as Self
Featuring interviews with filmmakers and industry legends, discover the origins and evolution of The Joker, and learn why The Clown Prince of Crime is...

AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A.
2020
as Self
Unleashed from the video vaults of the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA), AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #2: LATER IN L.A. is a brand new compilation of the mo...

Dumbo
2019
Director, Executive Producer
A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a struggling circus, but when the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his frien...

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
2016
as Passenger on an Attraction (uncredited)
A teenager finds himself transported to an island where he must help protect a group of orphans with special powers from creatures intent on destroyin...

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
2016
Director
A teenager finds himself transported to an island where he must help protect a group of orphans with special powers from creatures intent on destroyin...

Alice Through the Looking Glass
2016
Producer
Alice Kingsleigh returns to Underland and faces a new adventure in saving the Mad Hatter.

Live From Lincoln Center: Danny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton
2015
Composer and performer Danny Elfman, Tim Burton’s prolific musical collaborator, descends on Lincoln Center with an 88-piece orchestra, 44-voice choir...

The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened?
2015
as Self
The Death of 'Superman Lives': What Happened? feature film documents the process of development of the ill fated "Superman Lives" movie, that was to b...

The Making of Big Eyes
2015
as Himself
Behind the scenes of Big Eyes (2014)

Film Adventurer Karel Zeman
2015
as Self
A look at the life, work and importance of Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman (1910-89), a genius of world cinema, a wizard of special effects, revealing his...

Big Eyes
2014
Producer, Director
In the late 1950s and early '60s, artist Walter Keane achieves unbelievable fame and success with portraits of saucer-eyed waifs. However, no one real...

Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck
2013
as Self
A look at the life and work of legendary film producer Richard D. Zanuck.

Captain Sparky vs. The Flying Saucers
2013
Producer
Victor and his beloved dog Sparky watch one of their favorite home movies.

Miniatures in Motion: Bringing Frankenweenie to Life
2012
as Himself
Take an in-depth tour of the London set, and meet the filmmakers and artisans whose work, imagination, and heart breathe life into the film.

Miniatures in Motion: Bringing Frankenweenie to Life
2012
Director
Take an in-depth tour of the London set, and meet the filmmakers and artisans whose work, imagination, and heart breathe life into the film.

Dark Shadows: The Collinses - Every Family Has Its Demons
2012
as Self
A Look at the Cast of Dark Shadows (2012)

Frankenweenie
2012
Director, Idea, Producer
When a car hits young Victor's pet dog Sparky, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" ...

Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan
2012
as Self
There’s only one person who so accurately personifies movie magic in the history of film, and that man is special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen. Foc...

The Batmobile
2012
as Self
Witness all five Batmobiles together for the first time in history. Dive deep into every aspect of the most awe-inspiring weapon in Batman’s arsenal a...

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
2012
Producer
President Lincoln's mother is killed by a supernatural creature, which fuels his passion to crush vampires and their slave-owning helpers.

Men in Black 3
2012
as Alien on TV Monitors (uncredited)
Agents J and K are back...in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes ...

Dark Shadows
2012
Director
Vampire Barnabas Collins is inadvertently freed from his tomb and emerges into the very changed world of 1972. He returns to Collinwood Manor to find ...

A Conversation with Danny Elfman & Tim Burton
2011
An extended conversation between Danny Elfman and Tim Burton as they discuss their quarter-century collaboration.

A Conversation with Danny Elfman & Tim Burton
2011
Producer
An extended conversation between Danny Elfman and Tim Burton as they discuss their quarter-century collaboration.

Christopher Lee: Gentleman of Horror
2010
as Self
A documentary directed by Oliver Schwehm.
Alice in Wonderland: Finding Alice
2010
as Self
A look at Alice from Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Alice in Wonderland: Effecting Wonderland
2010
as Himself
A piece that takes a more general focus on the varied "disciplines" at work in the picture, from the different styles of CG-animation to motion captur...
Alice in Wonderland: The Mad Hatter
2010
as Self
A look at The Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Alice in Wonderland
2010
Director
Alice, now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny.

Waking Sleeping Beauty
2009
as Self (archive footage)
By the mid-1980s, the fabled animation studios of Walt Disney had fallen on hard times. The artists were polarized between newcomers hungry to innovat...

9
2009
Producer
When 9 first comes to life, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world. All humans are gone, and it is only by chance that he discovers a small comm...

Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight
2008
as Self
A 6 part documentary of making of Batman franchise.

The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Original Poem
2008
Writer
Tim Burton's original poem narrated by Christopher Lee.

Roy, The Toxic Boy
2008
Writer

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Burton + Carter + Depp = Todd
2008
as Self
A general making-of piece featuring principal members of the cast and crew. A brief history of the demon barber is provided, as well as the actors' pr...

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
2007
Director
The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop down in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with...

Sicko
2007
Thanks
A documentary about the corrupt health care system in The United States who's main goal is to make profit even if it means losing people’s lives. "The...

Cinema16: American Short Films
2006
Director
CINEMA16 celebrates the short film by showcasing some of the best classic and award-winning shorts on DVD. With over three hours of films CINEMA16: A...
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Sweet Sounds
2005
as Himself
Discover information from Burton, Elfman, Roy, and Jaynes. This one focuses on the movie’s Oompa-Loompa songs and offers one of the disc’s better prog...

Corpse Bride
2005
Director, Characters, Producer
In a 19th-century European village, a young man about to be married is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious corpse bride, while his ...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2005
Director
A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker.

The Many Faces of Catwoman
2005
as Self
History of the character Catwoman

Ed Wood: Let's Shoot This @#!%
2004
as Self
Introduced by Jonny Depp, this 14 minute behind the scenes featurette shows the filming of several scenes, without narration or interviews.

Ed Wood: Pie Plates Over Hollywood
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Production designer Tom Duffield shows how he created the look of the film and talks about the challenges of filming in black and white.

Mario Bava: Operazione paura
2004
as Self
Mario Bava Operazione Paura", hosted by Joe Dante, is an hommage of the Master of the Terror, the italian director Mario Bava

Big Fish
2003
Director
Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge myste...

Heart of the Festival
2002
A short film containing some of the highlights of the Cannes Film Festival's storied history.

Once Upon a Time: The Super Heroes
2001
as Himself
The historical saga of American superheroes. Born in the period between the Great Depression and the World War II to combat the hobgoblins of the mode...

Planet of the Apes
2001
Director
After a spectacular crash-landing on an uncharted planet, brash astronaut Leo Davidson finds himself trapped in a savage world where talking apes domi...

Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
2000
as Self
Director Garry S. Grant’s insightful documentary celebrates the work and legacy of auteur filmmaker Mario Bava, the grand master of Italian horror and...

The World of Stainboy
2000
Director, Producer, Character Designer
Local superhero Stainboy hunts down a series of oddball villains harnessing bizarre powers.

Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend
2000
as Self
A behind the scenes look at the making of Sleepy Hollow.

Sleepy Hollow
1999
Director
Skeptical young detective Ichabod Crane gets transferred to the hamlet of Sleepy Hollow, New York, where he is tasked with investigating the decapitat...

Mars Attacks!
1996
Director, Producer
A fleet of Martian spacecraft surrounds the world's major cities and all of humanity waits to see if the extraterrestrial visitors have, as they claim...

James and the Giant Peach
1996
Producer
When the young orphan boy James spills a magic bag of crocodile tongues, he finds himself in possession of a giant peach that flies him away to strang...

Batman Forever
1995
Producer
In the looming shadows of Gotham City, two villainous souls devise twin schemes of revenge against the city's dark guardian. Two-Face, disfigured by c...

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Special Edition
1994
as Self
Phil Hartman hosts this retrospective look back at the legacy and making of the classic 1966 holiday special 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'

Ed Wood
1994
Director, Producer
The mostly true story of the legendary "worst director of all time", who, with the help of his strange friends, filmed countless B-movies without ever...

Freaks, Nerds & Weirdos
1994
as Self
Documentary that gives a voice to the percentage of youth that were outcasts/non-conformists in the 90's. Interviews many famous musicians and other c...

Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
1994
as Self
Documentary focused on the creation of movie and television special effects, hosted by Roy Scheider and Jonathan Brandis, featuring behind the scenes ...

Cabin Boy
1994
Producer
A foul-mouthed finishing school graduate mistakenly winds up on an ill-fated fishing boat, and faces the wrath of a crew that considers him bad luck.

A Century of Cinema
1994
as Self
A look back at the first 100 years of the movies.

The Nightmare Before Christmas
1993
as Zero (voice) (uncredited)
Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus an...

The Nightmare Before Christmas
1993
Producer, Characters, Story
Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus an...

The Making of Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'
1993
as Self - Producer
Cast and crew take viewers behind the scenes into the production and creation of his 1993 stop-motion classic The Nightmare Before Christmas

Hoffa
1992
as Corpse (uncredited)
A portrait of union leader James R. Hoffa, as seen through the eyes of his friend, Bobby Ciaro. The film follows Hoffa through his countless battles w...

Singles
1992
as Brian
A group of young adults in their twenties, who share an apartment in the city of Seattle, ponder on love and face all the challenges of adulthood.

Batman Returns
1992
Producer, Director
Batman must face The Penguin, a sewer-dwelling gangleader intent on being accepted into Gotham society. Meanwhile, another Gotham resident finds hers...

The Bat, the Cat, and the Penguin
1992
as Self
Behind the scenes documentary about the making of Batman Returns.

The Making of Edward Scissorhands
1990
as Self
Behind the scenes of Edward Scissorhands

Edward Scissorhands
1990
Producer, Director, Story
A small suburban town receives a visit from a castaway unfinished science experiment named Edward.

Batman
1989
Director
Batman must face his most ruthless nemesis when a deformed madman calling himself "The Joker" seizes control of Gotham's criminal underworld.

Beetlejuice
1988
Director
A newly dead New England couple seeks help from a deranged demon exorcist to scare an affluent New York family out of their home.

Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
1986
Director
Based on the story "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp", directed by Tim Burton and starring Robert Carradine.

Pee-wee's Big Adventure
1985
as Thug in Alley (uncredited)
The eccentric and childish Pee-wee Herman embarks on a big adventure when his beloved bicycle is stolen. Armed with information from a fortune-teller ...

Pee-wee's Big Adventure
1985
Director
The eccentric and childish Pee-wee Herman embarks on a big adventure when his beloved bicycle is stolen. Armed with information from a fortune-teller ...

Frankenweenie
1984
Writer, Director, Idea
When young Victor's pet dog Sparky (who stars in Victor's home-made monster movies) is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only...

Hansel and Gretel
1983
Director, Production Design, Idea
Tim Burton's reimagined classic combines live action and stop motion, making for a creepy adventure into the woods. It is known for having aired only ...

Backstage at Disney
1983
as Himself
The various trials and errors in creating films at Disney, including aspects of "Something Wicked This Way Comes".

Vincent
1982
Writer, Production Design, Director
Young Vincent Malloy dreams of being just like Vincent Price and loses himself in macabre daydreams that annoy his mother.

Luau
1982
as The Supreme Being / Mortie
A tribute to the surf movies of the early 60's with some touches of visual surrealism.

Luau
1982
Director, Producer, Writer
A tribute to the surf movies of the early 60's with some touches of visual surrealism.

Doctor of Doom
1979
as Don Carlo
A doctor goes to a dinner party where he's made fun of and soon afterwards returns home and sends a monster to attack the people.

Doctor of Doom
1979
Writer, Director, Editor
A doctor goes to a dinner party where he's made fun of and soon afterwards returns home and sends a monster to attack the people.

The Muppet Movie
1979
as Additional Muppet Performer
The Muppets gather to watch their newly-finished big-budget rich-and-famous feature film: a talent agent persuades Kermit the Frog to leave the swamp ...

King and Octopus Animation
1979
Director
Tim Burton’s early animation of an octopus and a king.

Stalk of the Celery Monster
1979
Director, Producer, Writer
The only fragments remaining of the film today depict a dentist named Dr. Maxwell Payne making bloody experiments with his patients. He tries a woman,...

Prehistoric Caveman
1971
Director
An amateur short stop-motion animation about a simple adventure of a caveman, filmed by a young Tim Burton.

Houdini: The Untold Story
1971
as Houdini
Houdini's life and his problems with the world and people who do not believe in magic

Houdini: The Untold Story
1971
Director
Houdini's life and his problems with the world and people who do not believe in magic

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
N/A
Director
A remake of the 1958 film about an abused woman who grows to giant size following an alien encounter and sets out for revenge against her husband who ...
Untitled Tim Burton Animated Film
N/A
Director, Producer
A new animated feature. Plot TBA.