Filmmaker Tim Burton is on the verge of a major comeback with the upcoming film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The long-awaited sequel to 1988’s Beetlejuice reunites Burton with several original cast members, notably Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara. It’s a return to his roots and a reminder to many that Tim Burton once stated he’d never work with Disney again after Dumbo.
Fortunately, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is happening at Warner Bros., a studio which Burton has had a long relationship with. In fact, Tim Burton and Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton previously collaborated on the mega-hit superhero film Batman and its sequel, Batman Returns. This obvious string of hits, however, made it sting all the worse when Tim Burton came out with Dumbo for Disney.
The 2019 film was far from Burton’s first collaboration with the studio. In fact, many of his earliest jobs came from Disney when he started out as an animator. However, by 2019, his work with the studio was quite far-removed from what both he and fans had become accustomed to.
As noted by Deadline, the experience was so negative for the celebrated filmmaker, that he said he’d no longer be working with Disney on any future projects. Here’s what he shared at the time:
“My history is that I started out there. I was hired and fired like several times throughout my career there. The thing about Dumbo, is that’s why I think my days with Disney are done, I realized that I was Dumbo, that I was working in this horrible big circus and I needed to escape. That movie is quite autobiographical at a certain level.”
Fortunately, Burton appears to be in a much better place now. In fact, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice looks like it could very well be one of his biggest films yet. For fans of both Burton and the Beetlejuice brand, it’s certainly going to be a fun time at the theater.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding filmmaker Tim Burton and his upcoming projects as we have them. For now, fans can look forward to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and it seems unlikely that we should expect any Disney collaborations in the future.