Loud applause on the “Walk of Fame” for Tim Burton: The director of films such as “Beetlejuice”, “Edward Scissorhands”, “Alice in Wonderland” and “Batman” was celebrated in the heart of Hollywood with a star on the famous sidewalk. In front of numerous spectators, photographers and prominent guests, the 66-year-old filmmaker unveiled the 2788th star plaque on the “Walk of Fame”.
This was a very special honor, said Burton, visibly moved. As a child, he took the bus from neighboring Burbank, where he grew up, to Hollywood Boulevard. At first, he believed that the star plaques with the names of famous people were their gravestones. At the time, he also browsed in nearby book and costume shops, the director said at the award ceremony.
Burton brought his partner, Italian actress Monica Bellucci, to the ceremony. Hollywood stars Michael Keaton (72) and Winona Ryder (52) were also enthusiastically celebrated. Last week they walked the red carpet with Burton at the opening of the Venice Film Festival. Under his direction, they are starring in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, the sequel to the cult horror comedy “Beetlejuice” from 1988.
Praise from Michael Keaton
Keaton, who plays a poltergeist, made a total of five films with Burton, including “Batman” and “Batman Returns”. As a guest speaker, Keaton raved about his long friendship and collaboration with Burton. The director had strange ideas that he never understood at first, the actor joked. But in the end, true art always comes out of them. He thanked Burton for casting him as Batman, despite resistance in Hollywood, because no one else believed a comedy actor could play this superhero role.
Winona Ryder praises the director
Winona Ryder paid tribute to the director, saying that Burton was the greatest of all for her. Giving him this star was like pinning a medal to Mount Everest, said the actress. Burton’s friendship was a “huge gift”. When she first met him during the filming of “Beetlejuice”, she was a “strange child”, but he gave her self-confidence and encouraged her to stay true to herself and be unconventional. Burton understands the outsiders and oddballs and celebrates them in his films.
Burton began his career as an animator at Walt Disney Studios and has a penchant for characters from the world of comics and fairy tales. His films are usually weird and scary, with comic and morbid touches.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240904-930-222242/1
This is a message directly from the dpa news channel.
