Tim Burton is rightfully considered one of the most iconic directors of all time. At the very least, there is a distinctive, signature look to Tim Burton movies that viewers either love or hate. But this is exactly what makes Burton such a mastermind.
That being said, not each and every work in Burton's career was financially successful. In fact, he has directed movies that didn't necessarily earn all that much, especially according to modern standards. Yet, he has also had huge commercial success too which is exactly why it's so interesting to compare the movies from both ends of this spectrum.
Updated on January 14th, 2023 by Colin McCormick: Tim Burton's first foray into the television streaming world has proven to be a massive hit with Wednesday breaking all kinds of Netflix records. Burton's work in movies has also resulted in some massive successes as well as a few projects that stumbled at the box office. While his attention may be focused on the small screen at the moment, it is interesting to look back at the highest-grossing and lowest-grossing movies of Burton's career.
The Lowest-Grossing Tim Burton Movies
Ed Wood (1994) - $5,887,725
- Available to rent on Apple TV
Ed Wood is not a widely talked-about movie, but it's definitely not one considered to be weak in plot or character. In fact, despite being a commercial failure (on a budget of $18 million, it only earned under $6 million), it was praised by critics, won two Academy Awards, and even became a cult classic.
Johnny Depp plays Ed Wood whose real-life story is told in the film. Wood became a cult director only after his death, but even during his life, he was an eccentric person.
Big Eyes (2014) - $29,253,166
- Available on Netflix
Big Eyes is a peculiar addition to Burton's filmography. It doesn't have his signature dark overtones, but it does have some hints of Burton in it. Starring Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz, it earned $29 million on a budget of $10 million and was praised by critics which led to Adams winning a Golden Globe and Waltz getting a nomination.
Based on the true story of American artist Margaret Keane, it follows Margaret and her husband Walter as they sell her unique paintings under the guise of Walter being the one who created them.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985) - $41,047,344
- Available on HBO Max
Burton feature film directorial debut, Pee-wee's Big Adventure has a unique atmosphere of its own that is unlike most Burton works. And yet, it does have some elements that bring out the Burton in it. For the director, it was a huge success, grossing $41 million on a budget of $7 million. All these years later, Pee-wee's Big Adventure is a popular cult hit that still holds up.
The film follows the adventures of man-child Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) as he goes on a nationwide adventure looking for his stolen bicycle.
Beetlejuice (1988) - $74,714,298
- Available on HBO Max
It seems that Beetlejuice will forever be one of the best movies Burton ever made. Upon its release, it was a critical and commercial success (on a budget of $15 million, it grossed $74 million) proving that Burton is a truly worthy director.
The comedy is set in the afterlife and focuses on a recently deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who hire a malevolent spirit named Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) to drive out the new inhabitants of the house.
Frankenweenie (2012) - $84,247,681
- Available on Disney+
Frankenweenie has as much Burton in it as any other one of Burton's best works - and it manages to do this while being a black-and-white stop-motion animated movie. It got nominated on all the major awards and was praised by critics despite being a moderate box office success (with a budget of $39 million, it earned $81 million).
Based on Burton's 1984 short film of the same name, it follows a boy named Victor Frankenstein whose dog Sparky passes away. Stubbornly, Victor decides to try and bring him to life with the help of a scientific experiment.
Edward Scissorhands (1990) - $86,024,005
- Available on Prime Video, Disney+, fuboTV, AMC+, The Roku Channel and DIRECTV
Tim Burton's first collaboration with Johnny Depp hinted at the strange and fun projects they would work on together over the years. Despite Edward Scissorhands being a beloved classic, it wasn't among Burton's biggest box office hits. Still, with a budget of only $20 million, its worldwide total of $86 million made it a success.
Edward Scissorhands stars Depp as a titular character, a young man created by a scientist who dies before finishing him. After being accepted by a kind saleswoman, Edward attempts to adjust to his new suburban life. The movie feels like a throwback to the Universal movies with sympathetic monsters as the protagonist.
Mars Attacks (1996) - $101,381,197
- Available to rent on Apple TV
Mars Attacks was Tim Burton's attempt at a large, star-studded alien invasion movie with an oddball sense of humor. Undoubtedly, the huge ensemble of famous faces helped the movie somewhat, but its worldwide gross of $101 million on a $70 million budget was a big letdown.
Mars Attacks follows a number of different storylines revolving around an army of hideous aliens attacking Earth. The cast features Jack Nicholson, Natalie Portman, Pierce Brosnan, and Michael J. Fox to name only a few.
Corpse Bride (2015) - $118,113,252
- Available on The Roku Channel
Stop-motion animation has always been a big part of Burton's filmography and he used it for his first full-length animated movie as a director. Corpse Bride might not have the same legacy as the Burton-produced The Nightmare Before Christmas, but the creepy and charming movie managed to earn nearly $120 million worldwide.
The movie follows a nervous young man in the 1800s who accidentally finds himself betrothed to an undead bride. With a great sense of humor and Burton's dark vibes, it is not surprising the movie managed to earn a respectable sum.
Big Fish (2003) - $123,218,424
- Available on Starz and DIRECTV
The whimsical adventure Big Fish falls short of some of Burton's other big titles in terms of box office. However, given that it is not based on any widely known property like Batman or Alice in Wonderland, the fact that the movie earned $123 million worldwide is quite impressive.
The movie focuses on an older man on his deathbed whose wild stories have left his adult son feeling like he doesn't know his father. But flashbacks of his larger-than-life tales show the adventures he claims to have been on. Few directors are as ideal a fit as Burton to explore such a wild imagination.
The Highest-Grossing Tim Burton Movies
Sleepy Hollow (1999) - $206,071,502
- Available to rent on Apple TV
Burton's creepy vibes felt like the perfect match for bringing this classic horror tale to the biog screen. Sleepy Hollow not only drew in the horror movie crowd for this R-rated ghost story, but its big blockbuster feel made it a more mainstream hit as well with over $200 million at the global box office. It marked yet another collaboration between Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.
Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, reimagined as a 19th-century investigator, who travels to the titular town to investigate several grisly deaths. He soon finds that the townspeople live in fear of the supernatural threat known as the Headless Horseman.
Dark Shadows (2012) - $245,527,149
- Available on Hulu
Among the vampire movie trend of the 2010s, Burton delivered Dark Shadows, a reimaging of the television series of the same name. The cult following of the show and the fact that it is another collaboration between Burton and Depp makes the $245 million gross seem somewhat less than expected.
Depp stars as Barnabas Collins, an imprisoned vampire who is set free and finds himself living among his human ancestors in the 1970s. The movie also boasts a very fun supporting cast that includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Eva Green in a fun supporting role.
Batman Returns (1992) - $266,915,287
- Available on HBO Max
After the success of Batman, it was obvious that Tim Burton would return for a sequel with Michael Keaton once again donning the iconic Batman cowl. Batman Returns was another smash hit, but its $266 million gross was significantly less than the original, largely thanks to controversy over the movie's darker tone, which seemed unsuitable for kids.
Batman Returns finds iconic villains Penguin and Catwoman taking on the Dark Knight in this a wild, Christmas-set sequel.
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (2016) - $296,482,446
- Available on fuboTV, DIRECTV and USA
It's safe to say that Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children isn't the most iconic of Tim Burton movies. However, the family-friendly adventure proved to be a surprising success at the box office, earning $296 million worldwide.
Eva Green stars in the movie based on the novel of the same name. She plays Miss Peregrine, who is the runs a school filled with children who possess strange and secret powers with plenty of dangerous enemies threatening their happy existence.
Dumbo (2019) - $353,284,621
- Available on Disney+
Burton's most recent movie, Dumbo is one of the many Disney live-action remakes of its classic animated movies. It got mixed reviews from critics and grossed $353 million on a budget of $170 million.
The film follows a young elephant named Dumbo who has extremely large ears and discovers that he is able to fly. Luckily for the circus that he is born in, Dumbo can help it become successful again.
Planet Of The Apes (2001) - $362,211,740
- Available to rent on Apple TV
Of all the movies that Burton has ever directed, Planet of the Apes stands out as one of his worst despite being somewhat successful commercially (on a budget of $100 million, it earned $362 million). It wasn't received well at all and was subsequently rebooted by the studio.
The movie itself was actually a remake of the 1968 film adaptation of the sci-fi novel of the same name. The story follows an astronaut named Leo Davidson who crash-lands on a planet inhabited by humans and intelligent apes. The apes treat humans as slaves, but Leo manages to start a rebellion.
Batman (1989) - $411,569,241
- Available on HBO Max
Often hailed as one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, Batman was a true breakthrough for Burton. Both a critical and a commercial success (earned $411 million on a budget of only $35 million), it became a classic instantly.
Adapted from the DC Comics, it follows the rivalry between Bruce Wayne - Batman himself (Michael Keaton) - and his first major enemy Jack Napier, aka the Joker (Jack Nicholson). The movie is still regarded as a fan-favorite of the comic book genre and many still consider Keaton the best movie Batman.
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005) - $474,968,763
- Available on HBO Max and fuboTV
A critical and commercial success (earned $474 million on a budget of $150 million), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was yet another collaboration between Burton, Depp, and composer Danny Elfman.
Based on the 1964 novel by Roald Dahl, it tells the story of a young boy named Charlie who wins a golden ticket to the chocolate factory of an eccentric man named Willy Wonka.
Alice In Wonderland (2010) - $1,025,468,216
- Available on Disney+
Another Disney live-action remake which is actually credited for starting the trend in the first place, Alice in Wonderland got mixed reviews, was a huge commercial success (with a budget of $150-200 million, it earned over $1 billion), and got nominated on and won awards at the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.
Based on both Alice in Wonderland books, it follows the grown-up Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) who returns to Wonderland and has to fulfill a prophecy by fighting the Red Queen's creature Jabberwocky.