Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and More Celebrate Tim Burton’s Legacy In New Four Part Docu-Series: 'He's a Visionary'

Tim Burton gets a new docu-series featuring in-depth interviews from Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, and more. Read on to know the details.

Written by Ipshita Chakraborty , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 15, 2025 | 03:14 PM GMT | 11.4K

Tim Burton with Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton (via Getty Images)

Winona Ryder, Johnny Depp, and more celebrities come together to celebrate and discuss the legacy of director Tim Burton in an upcoming docu-series. The new documentary delves into the life and work of creative mastermind director, Burton — and it's brimming with seasoned pros from his signature film canon.

From director Tara Wood (21 Years: Richard Linklater), the four-part doc series includes commentary from Burton's longtime collaborators such as Michael Keaton (Batman, Batman Returns), Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice), and former partner Helena Bonham Carter.

The four-part docuseries also includes Johnny Depp with whom Burton has collaborated in Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride, Ed Wood, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and more.

The series charts Burton's evolution from his youth in California — featuring never-before-seen images and early home films — through his latest movie, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.

According to Forbes, Wood's method avoids an interview with Burton himself — something she has done in her earlier documentaries about Quentin Tarantino and Richard Linklater. The film takes its shape from his colleagues, in this case offering a closer, untutored perspective on the life and working process of Burton without the need for the director to speak of himself.

In one of the episodes, Depp recalls, "My agent sets up this meeting with Tim Burton after Crybaby and I was sent the screenplay for Edward Scissorhands."

Depp himself looks back on that period, calling the script something that spoke to him on a profound level, creating an undeniable bond with the character.

He adds, "What I felt from reading that screenplay was … it had passed through everything, anything solid and went to the very core of whatever I am. The writing was beautiful. The character was beautiful. What I suppose attacked me emotionally was that Edward was me … it’s exactly what I should be doing."

Johnny Depp notes, "He’s an auteur, he’s a visionary, he’s an artist with images and thoughts. He’s got a lot going on in there. Tim is the real thing."

With intimate interviews, rare paintings, and even a previously unseen stop-motion short film, Wood's docu-series has the potential to provide the fullest exploration yet of Tim Burton's gothic whimsy. The first two episodes of the series have been screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024, with WME behind global sales.