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), the sci-fi film Planet of the Apes (2001), the fantasy-drama Big Fish (2003), the musical adventure film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), and the fantasy films Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016).
Burton has often worked with actors Winona Ryder, Johnny Depp, Lisa Marie (former girlfriend), Helena Bonham Carter (his former domestic partner) and composer Danny Elfman, who scored all but three of Burton's films. Burton also wrote and illustrated the poetry book The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories, published in 1997 by British publishing house Faber and Faber, and a compilation of his drawings, sketches, and other artwork, entitled The Art of Tim Burton, was released in 2009. A follow-up to that book, entitled The Napkin Art of Tim Burton: Things You Think About in a Bar, containing sketches made by Burton on napkins at bars and restaurants he visited, was released in 2015. His accolades include nominations for two Academy Awards and three BAFTA Awards, and wins for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Known For
Pee-wee as Himself
Self · (1 episode)
2025
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
Self
2025
Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters
Self
2024
Designing the Burtonesque
Himself
2024
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Baby Beetlejuice (voice) (uncredited)
2024
A Look Through His Lens
Self
2024
100 Years of Warner Bros.
Self · (2 episodes)
2023
Beau geste
Self · (1 episode)
2023
Johnny Depp: The Love of the Bizarre
Self (archive footage)
2023
Il museo degli orrori di Dario Argento
self
2022
Mostra, Venise
Self - "Tapis Rouge" Guest · (1 episode)
2022
The Sparks Brothers
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2021
Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale
Self
2021
The Holiday Movies That Made Us
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2020
Joker: Put on a Happy Face
Self
2020
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A.
Self
2020
The Grand Tour
Self · (1 episode)
2016
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Passenger on an Attraction (uncredited)
2016
Live From Lincoln Center: Danny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton
2015
The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened?
Self
2015
The Making of Big Eyes
Himself
2015
Film Adventurer Karel Zeman
Self
2015
Don't Say No Until I Finish Talking: The Story of Richard D. Zanuck
Self
2013
Miniatures in Motion: Bringing Frankenweenie to Life
Himself
2012
Dark Shadows: The Collinses - Every Family Has Its Demons
Self
2012
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan
Self
2012
The Batmobile
Self
2012
Men in Black 3
Alien on TV Monitors (uncredited)
2012
Evening Urgant
Self · (1 episode)
2012
A Conversation with Danny Elfman & Tim Burton
2011
Christopher Lee: Gentleman of Horror
Self
2010
Alice in Wonderland: Finding Alice
Self
2010
Alice in Wonderland: The Mad Hatter
Self
2010
Alice in Wonderland: Effecting Wonderland
Himself
2010
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Self (archive footage)
2009
Shadows of the Bat: The Cinematic Saga of the Dark Knight
Self
2008
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Burton + Carter + Depp = Todd
Self
2008
El hormiguero
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2006
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: Sweet Sounds
Himself
2005
The Many Faces of Catwoman
Self
2005
The Culture Show
Self · (1 episode)
2004
Ed Wood: Pie Plates Over Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
2004
Ed Wood: Let's Shoot This @#!%
Self
2004
Mario Bava: Operazione paura
Self
2004
Leçon de Cinéma
Self · (1 episode)
2004
Heart of the Festival
2002
Once Upon a Time: The Super Heroes
Himself
2001
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
Self
2000
Sleepy Hollow: Behind the Legend
Self
2000
The Daily Show
Self · (1 episode)
1996
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Special Edition
Self
1994
Freaks, Nerds & Weirdos
Self
1994
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
Self
1994
A Century of Cinema
Self
1994
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Zero (voice) (uncredited)
1993
The Making of Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'
Self - Producer
1993
Hoffa
Corpse (uncredited)
1992
Singles
Brian
1992
The Bat, the Cat, and the Penguin
Self
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
(1 episode)
1992
The Making of Edward Scissorhands
Self
1990
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Thug in Alley (uncredited)
1985
Backstage at Disney
Himself
1983
Luau
The Supreme Being / Mortie
1982
Doctor of Doom
Don Carlo
1979
The Muppet Movie
Additional Muppet Performer
1979
Houdini: The Untold Story
Houdini
1971