Tim Burton He was known for mixing fantasy, horror, and gothic elements with drama and comedy in his films, and while some of them relied on music as part of the story, some of his projects almost became musicals, but ultimately never did. Tim Burton’s career as a director began in 1985 with the Pee-Wee’s Big Adventureafter which he introduced a more ominous, but interesting story Beetlejuicewhich was more in keeping with his unique visual style and gave audiences a clearer idea of ​​what to expect from his work.
Since then, Burton has explored a variety of worlds and genres in his films, telling original stories, adaptations or real-life stories, as he has done on projects such as Edward ScissorhandsAnd Sleepy HollowAnd Ed WoodMany of the characters in his films have become part of pop culture. Of course, Burton isn’t limited to just making movies, he’s directed and produced TV shows and music videos as well, and he almost added musicals to his resume. Three of Burton’s films were on the verge of becoming a musical at some point, though some are far from the musical genre, and here’s each one of them and why it never happened.
Batman: The Musical
In 1989, Tim Burton visits Gotham City Batmanwith Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Batman It did not tell the title character’s origin story but showed it in flashbacks, as this was the key to the relationship between Bruce Wayne and the Joker, whose real name is Jack Napier. Batman, then, followed the Caped Crusader as he tried to stop the Joker, who was laced hygiene products with a lethal chemical called Smylex that caused victims to die of laughter. The Joker planned to dose all of Gotham with Smylex during a show by filling giant show balloons with the chemical, but of course, Batman manages to stop him and save Gotham.
BatmanIts success made way for a sequel, Batman Returns, widely regarded as one of the best superhero films ever made, which saw Keaton reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman and take on three villains: wealthy industrialist Max Schreck (Christopher Walken), Shrek’s secretary-turned-vengeful villain Selina Kyle / Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer), and crime boss Oswald Cobblepot / Penguin (Danny DeVito). Unfortunately, Batman ReturnsThe dark tone led to Burton’s plans for a sequel being scrapped (although the film is now being lauded for its darker look), but Burton Batman The universe almost became a musical in the early 2000s, which would have been the first time the Dark Knight went on a musical track.
simply titled Batman: The MusicalThe project was a gothic rock opera with songs by composer Jim Steinman and a story by David Ives. Batman: The Musical It would have mixed elements of Burton’s Batman films, revealing that a young Selina Kyle also witnessed the murder of Bruce’s parents, and would have seen Batman and Catwoman develop a romance while also battling against the Joker. The project was canceled in 2004 and no apparent reason was revealed, but Steinman has released five of the songs he wrote for the music: “The Graveyard Shift”, “The Joker’s Song (Where Does He Get All Those Cool Toys?)”, “The Cat Song ( I need all the love I can get)”, “We’re Still the Kids We Once Were”, and “The Butcher is King in the Boar Land”.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Tim Burton has made several musical films in his career as a director, one of them as well Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Based on the children’s novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolates factory It tells the story of Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore), a young boy who lives in poverty with his family near the Wonka Factory, which is owned by the mysterious Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp). One day, Wonka announces a contest: he hides the golden pointers in five random Wonka bars around the world, and those who find them will get a tour of the factory, a permanent supply of chocolate, and a surprise prize at the end of the event. day. Charlie finds the final golden ticket and joins Augustus Globe, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregard, and Mike Teevy on a tour of Wonka’s factory, but at the end of the day, he’s the last kid standing thanks to his kind heart and good manners.
Burton added a musical element to it Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Through the Oompa Loompas, who every time one child is eliminated from the round, they burst into a moralizing song after each one. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory It was a critical and commercial success, and Warner Bros. This was during the film’s early development, and the studio announced plans to market the film with a Broadway musical following release. Warner and Burton both reiterated their interest in a musical for L.A Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2003, but the idea was shelved when the film went into production the following year and was ultimately scrapped.
Alice in Wonderland
In 2010, Burton shared his vision for Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland And Through the looking glass in Alice in Wonderland. It follows Alice Kingsley (Mia Wasikowska), a 19-year-old girl mourning the death of her father, haunted by recurring nightmares, and battling societal expectations in the year 1871, who, one day, accidentally falls down a rabbit hole that takes her to the Underland. . There she meets the White Rabbit, Dormouse, Dodo, Talking Flowers, twins Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Cheshire Cat, March Hare and Mad Hatter. Together with the Mad Hatter, who turns out to be an old friend of hers, Alice restores the White Queen to her throne by battling the Red Queen and the Jabberwocky.
despite of Alice in Wonderland Not a hit with critics, it was a box office success, which led to plans to adapt it for the stage. Walt Disney Theater was in talks with Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton to develop Alice in Wonderland in a Broadway musical, with Burton expected to provide the overall designs for it and with Rob Ashford in charge of directing and choreography. Unfortunately, no more has been said about the project, and while no proper cancellation has been announced, it’s been quite a while since then, and it’s not likely to get picked up.
