Why Tim Burton Hates The One Movie Genre He Actually Mastered
Tim Burton is known for his unique gothic style, but he once tackled a genre he openly despises, calling it 'fake' and 'boring.' Discover the surprising story behind the one biopic he made, why he broke his own rule for it, and how it became one of his most acclaimed projects.
When you think of a Tim Burton movie, a distinct image comes to mind. It probably involves Johnny Depp or Helena Bonham-Carter, a gothic setting, spiky hair, and maybe some creepy kids singing in the background. It’s a formula we’ve come to know and expect. While his films are often great, they almost always stick to a certain aesthetic. That’s why it was such a curveball in 1994 when Burton released Ed Wood, a biopic about the notoriously bad American horror director Edward Davis Wood Jr.
A Genre He Despises
Sure, Johnny Depp was front and center, but this wasn't a dark fantasy. It was a reality-based comedy-drama with a star-studded cast including Bill Murray and Sarah Jessica Parker. The project was especially surprising because Burton has been very vocal about his dislike for biopics. As he told Mark Salisbury for the book Burton on Burton: “I hate most biopics. I find that most biopics are stodgy and really boring, because people, in my opinion, take too much of a reverential approach, and it’s fake”.
He elaborated on his feelings, adding, “Every time I’ve seen a biopic, it just doesn’t feel real. There’s something about it, the sheer fact that it’s a movie and that an actor is portraying someone, means there’s a level of facade and fakery to it.” For Burton, the entire concept felt inauthentic from the start.
The 'Ed Wood' Exception
So, when it came to Ed Wood, Burton decided to do things differently. He let his personal admiration for the director shape the film's tone. Instead of trying to create a documentary-style account, he infused the story with his own ideas of what Wood was like. His approach was also influenced by his own meetings with horror legend Vincent Price, which helped him portray Wood’s friendship with Bela Lugosi, one of the original screen Draculas.
Burton explained his unique method: “In some ways I’m a purist. I wasn’t there with these people, I don’t know them, but I have a feeling about them. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m doing my feeling.” This personal touch set his project apart from the movies he criticized.
A Critical Darling, A Box Office Dud
The movie almost never happened. Many studio executives felt the public wouldn't be interested in a story about a director they barely knew. Burton’s insistence on shooting in black and white was the final straw for Columbia studios, which dropped the project. These worries turned out to be somewhat justified. Despite rave reviews from critics, the movie lost about $5 million at the box office. However, it did win two Oscars, and Burton still considers it one of his finest works.
Burton's Modern Era
Over the past decade, Burton has been less prolific, directing only two movies: Dumbo, after which he suggested he'd never work with Disney again, and the highly anticipated Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel to his 1980s smash hit. He has also signed on to direct a remake of the 1950s sci-fi flick Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, with a script by Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn. Additionally, he serves as a producer and directed eight episodes of Netflix’s Addams Family spin-off, Wednesday, a show that has already snagged four Emmys and features a cast of icons like Steve Buscemi, Christopher Lloyd, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.