Tim Burton

Despite his contrarian artiste nature and indie filmmaker persona, director Tim Burton helmed some of the biggest blockbusters in Hollywood history. With his roots in drawing and animation, Burton crafted over his career distinctly designed films that reflected the gothic horror influences of his youth. Starting with "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" (1985), Burton quickly developed a reputation for a surreal artistic vision that often overshadowed narrative necessities. But his films were financially successful, leading to him directing the first two installments of the lucrative Dark Knight series, "Batman" (1989) and "Batman Returns" (1992). With "Ed Wood" (1994), however, Burton finally earned the respect of critics with his comically optimistic look at a befuddling filmmaker (Johnny Depp) prone to cross-dressing and making bad movies. Further cementing his reputation as a visual artist of the highest caliber, Burton lent his dark, deft touch to the likes of "Sleepy Hollow" (1999), "Big Fish" (2003) and the acclaimed macabre musical, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (2007). Three years later, the director delivered the smash hit "Alice in Wonderland" (2010), quickly followed by "Dark Shadows" (2012) and "Frankenweenie" (2012). Once considered an eccentric outsider, Burton had, without a doubt, evolved in to one of Hollywood's most admired and successful filmmakers with an instantly recognizable point of view.