Renowned director Tim Burton opens up about his experience working for Disney. Before becoming the visionary director and producer he is today, Burton’s first job after attending the California Institute of the Arts was as an animator at Disney. Burton worked for the company from 1981 to 1984, when he was fired by Disney after making the short movie Frankenweenie, which the studio claimed would be too scary for children.
In a conversation with the Independent, Burton reflects on his time at Disney. Burton admitted that he “should have known early on” that things would not work out with Disney. Now, he characterizes his time at Disney as “a mixed bag.” Check out the full quote from Burton below:
“I should have known early on that I had a troubled relationship with Disney. That should have been the first sign.
“I guess it’s like Burbank, only worse… it’s like a family. I can look back and recognize the many, many positives of working there, and all the opportunities I’ve had. I can acknowledge each and every one of those very deeply, and very positively. Equally, on the other side, I can identify the negative, soul-destroying side. As in life, it’s a mixed bag.”
Why Leaving Disney Was Good for Tim Burton
The project that got Burton fired from Disney was 1984’s Frankenweenie, which would pay off years later in his career. In 2012, Burton adapted his dog-based Frankenstein adaptation into a feature movie of the same name. The 2012 supernatural movie Frankenweenie was a distinctive and well-received adaptation, with a characteristic black-and-white style that elevated the ghoulish look of its stop-motion protagonists.
Frankenweenie reveals one key truth about Burton’s career — he was not meant for Disney. Leaving Disney was a turning point for the director to innovate more crafts in his wheelhouse. While his feature debut was in the absurdist comedy Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Burton went on to make the haunted house movie Beetlejuice. Both movies were produced under Warner Bros, with Beetlejuice 2 in the makings. Following this, he directed and produced numerous other gothic and supernatural motion pictures, including Ed Wood, Corpse Bride, and Edward Scissorhands.
Luckily for Burton, his bygone Disney era did not ruin his relationship with the studio. Nearly four decades after his firing from the company, Burton teamed up with Walt Disney Studios for a remake of Alice in Wonderland. Two years later, Disney shockingly supported the feature adaptation of the short film that got him fired — Frankenweenie. Disney may have evolved their delicate sensibilities since 1984, but either way, leaving the studio was ultimately the best outcome for Burton’s legendary career.
