Summary

  • Tim Burton almost quit filmmaking after the disastrous reception of the live-action Dumbo movie.
  • The film fell far short at the box office compared to other Disney live-action remakes.
  • After his unexpected slump, Burton turned to TV development and found his spark again with Wednesday.

The live-action live-action Dumbo earned poor reviews and proved to be a box office disappointment, earning just $353 million on a budget of $170 million.

After five years of inactivity in theaters, Burton returned from his reprieve to develop Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but Dumbo's poor reception still weighs on him. In an interview with Variety, he explained that he nearly quit filmmaking because of the little elephant. He returned for the show Wednesday in 2022 and cites it as rejuvenating his love for making content, which is why he returned to movies in the aftermath. Check out his full quote below:

It felt like there was a change around the time of COVID where everything was just in flux. And so, rather than get caught up in that, I just worked on my own feelings and things. Then Wednesday came along. That reconnected me to making things. We went off to Romania and it felt like it was a creative health camp. It went so well... Honestly, after Dumbo, I really didn’t know. I thought that could have been it, really. I could have retired, or become… well, I wouldn’t have become an animator again, that’s over. (Laughs)

But [Beetlejuice Beetlejuice] did reenergize me. Oftentimes, when you get into Hollywood, you try to be responsible to what you’re doing with the budget and everything else but sometimes you might lose yourself a little bit. This reinforced the feeling for me that it’s important that I do what I want to do, because then everybody will benefit.

Why Was The Dumbo Movie So Devastating?

The Live-Action Dumbo Nearly Ended Tim Burton's Career

Dumbo stumbled in every avenue that it could. It earned a 46% score on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer and a 48% from audiences. That fell far short of the original, which earned a 90% Tomatometer score and a 70% among regular viewers. The disastrous response meant that word-of-mouth encouragement never came, prompting viewers to skip Disney's remake. The reviewers typically cited a bland story, poor animation, and a refusal to remain faithful to the original work.

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Unfortunately, the movie also stumbled at the box office when compared to Disney's other live-action remakes. It fell far short of The Lion King's $1.67 million total and landed in the lower half of the gross takes. Only Alice Through the Looking Glass, Cruella, Christopher Robin, and the pandemic release Mulan came close to matching its low total, which is an especially disappointing result for one of Disney's oldest franchises. Check out the chart below, which showcases the budgets and box office totals for Disney's reimagined movies:

Title

Budget

Box Office Total

The Lion King (2019)

$250 million

$1.67 billion

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

$160 million

$1.3 billion

Aladdin (2019)

$183 million

$1.05 billion

The Jungle Book (2016)

$175 million

$967 million

The Little Mermaid (2023)

$240 million

$570 million

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)

$186 million

$492 million

Dumbo (2019)

$170 million

$353 million

Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)

$170 million

$300 million

Cruella (2021)

$100 million

$234 million

Christopher Robin (2018)

$70 million

$198 million

Mulan (2020)

$200 million

$70 million

After such a resounding failure, Burton stepped away from movies and turned to TV development. His previous movie, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), had a mixed reception, and his other live-action adaptation, Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), earned even less than Dumbo, with its $300 million take. In his unexpected slump, it is only natural to consider stepping away from movies. Wednesday helped him find his lost spark, and it is why Burton elected to remain in the industry even despite his immense displeasure.

Source: Variety

Dumbo (2019) - Poster - Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny Devito & Eva Green

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Dumbo
PG
Family
Fantasy
Adventure
4/10
7.8/10
Release Date
March 27, 2019
Runtime
112 Minutes
Director
Tim Burton

Cast

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WHERE TO WATCH

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Dumbo, directed by Tim Burton, is a live-action adaptation of Disney's classic 1941 animated film. The story centers on a young elephant with oversized ears that enable him to fly, captivating audiences and saving a struggling circus. Starring Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, and Eva Green, the film delves into themes of family and personal growth while showcasing Burton's signature visual style.

Writers
Ehren Kruger
Studio(s)
Tim Burton Productions, Walt Disney Pictures, Infinite Detective, Secret Machine Entertainment, British Film Commission, South Australian Film Corporation
Budget
170000000.0
Main Genre
Family