Beetlejuice, which showed the audience what his style is truly about.
The critical and commercial success of Beetlejuice opened many doors for Burton, who went on to direct three of his most popular and beloved projects: Batman Returns (1992), the latter considered among the greatest superhero movies ever. Since then, Burton has explored different places, characters, and stories but always with his signature touch of gothic fantasy, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, and Sweeney Todd.
Of course, The Addams Family director Barry Sonnenfeld revealed that before he ed the project, two other directors were approached: Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton, but they both turned down the offer. Sonnenfeld shared that producer Scott Rudin thought he wanted “a visual stylist, not just a comedy director”, which is why Burton was offered the project. The Addams Family fits Burton’s style perfectly, so it's a shame that he couldn't take the project, but now, 30 years later, he’s finally ing the Addams’ world with Wednesday.
Tim Burton reportedly turned down directing The Addams Family because he was working on Batman Returns, so the project landed in Sonnenfeld's hands. The Addams Family went through many obstacles during pre-production due to the rights to the characters, and it was the first big-screen adaptation of the cartoons by Charles Addams. Once the production crew overcame a series of problems, The Addams Family was released in 1991 and was a commercial success, granting it a sequel two years later. The Addams Family’s macabre and gothic style, along with its sense of humor, is a perfect fit for Tim Burton, and while it’s a shame that he wasn’t able to direct the first movie of this peculiar family, he now has a chance to give his unique touch to Wednesday and company.
Although not an adaptation of the cartoons or the 1964 TV series, Wednesday will reunite the audience with the Addams family, though the focus will be on the title character. Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) is now a high school student at Nevermore Academy, where she’s attempting to master her psychic powers, stop a monstrous killing spree of town citizens, and solve a supernatural mystery that hit her family decades ago, all while also navigating her new relationships. Tim Burton didn’t direct the first Addams Family movie, but three decades later, he’s giving them a chance and sharing his style with an already special family.