Random Fascinating Facts Most People Don't Know About Tim Burton (15 items)

(#5) He Didn't Actually Direct "The Nightmare Before Christmas"

The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of Burton's most famous films, but he didn't direct it. He developed and produced the animated feature, but frequent collaborator Henry Selick was the man calling the shots behind the camera. Burton was in the middle of shooting and editing Batman Returns for Warner Bros. when work began on The Nightmare Before Christmas.
(#11) He Made A Kung Fu Version Of Hansel And Gretel

In the early '80s, the Disney Channel tapped Burton to direct a new version of Hansel and Gretel. His Japanese-themed adaptation of the classic children's story featured stop-motion animation and a kung fu fight between Hansel, Gretel, and the witch.
Disney ran it just one time on Halloween in 1982, and it was never seen on the airwaves again. Many fans thought the TV special was just an urban legend, until it popped up at MoMA in a Burton retrospective.
(#1) Disney Fired Him Because His Work Was Too Disturbing

Burton made Frankenweenie not once, but twice. He originally completed it in 1984 as a short film for Disney, but it got him fired from the storied animation studio. Studio execs said he had wasted their money, and test screenings convinced marketers that kids would be frightened by the film.

Burton went on to become a huge Hollywood success after Disney dumped him, which allowed him to come back and make Frankenweenie the way he always wanted to.
(#2) Jack Skellington Appears In Lots Of His Films

Jack Skellington is one of the most recognizable Burton characters ever created. The bony figure stars in The Nightmare Before Christmas, but also pops up in a lot of other places, some of which have no connection to Burton. In Burton-land: Jack shows up in Beetlejuice on top of the hat/carousel, in the bow tie of the Mad Hatter in Alice In Wonderland, and in a quick cameo in the closing moments of Vincent.

He also pops up in an episode of South Park, has a cameo in Finding Nemo, and even finds time to help out in Kingdom Hearts, the popular RPG from Square.
(#15) He Was Supposed To Direct "After Hours"

Martin Scorsese's After Hours is arguably one of the most underrated surrealist comedies of all time. Burton was attached to direct the film, but bowed out once Scorsese became available. Scorsese was supposed to be working on The Last Temptation Of Christ at the time, but their financing fell through and he was looking for another project.
(#8) He Did Concept Art For "The Black Cauldron"

After studying animation at CalArts, Burton landed an apprenticeship at Walt Disney Productions. While none of his work made it into the final film, Burton did concept art for the Disney animated feature The Black Cauldron.