The renowned filmmaker Tim Burton, known for his unique style that blends darkness and charm, has had a tumultuous relationship with Disney over the years. While he achieved great success with hits like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Burton’s creative vision often clashed with Disney’s sensibilities, leading to instances where he was dismissed and rehired multiple times. However, it appears that Burton has now decided to part ways with Disney for good.
During an interview with Deadline at the Lumière Festival in France, Burton revealed that his experience working with Disney on the 2019 live-action adaptation of Dumbo highlighted the fundamental differences between his filmmaking priorities and the company’s, making it challenging to maintain a constructive collaboration.
“My history with Disney has been a rollercoaster. I’ve been hired and let go several times over the course of my career there,” Burton stated. “With Dumbo, I came to the realization that my time with Disney has come to an end. I felt like Dumbo, trapped in a big, chaotic circus that I needed to break free from. The movie reflects this sentiment on a personal level.”
Tim Burton Says He’s Done Making Disney Movies, Calls Company a ‘Horrible Big Circus’ https://t.co/cNwoKWwueD pic.twitter.com/ruW2u3Decx
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) October 22, 2022
Besides the creative misalignment, Burton admitted that he has little interest in Disney’s major blockbuster franchises like Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He remarked, “The content has become too uniform, too standardized. There’s limited space for diverse storytelling,” referencing his more unconventional take on superhero narratives with the 1989 Batman film. “I thrive in a singular universe; the idea of managing multiple universes doesn’t resonate with me.”
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