Director and writer Tim Burton has a knack for creating some of Hollywood’s quirkiest and most enchanting films. With a particular affection for the macabre and darkly off-beat, Burton’s stylized take on reality has a way of keeping audiences coming back for more. Never one to minimize visual style, Burton’s films are quickly recognizable by his unique choices in lighting and cinematography as well as character and set design.

While there is no doubt that Tim Burton is a gifted creator, certain releases attached to his name have a tendency to achieve cult status, while others seem to premier with little fanfare. What is it about films like The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands that keep audiences coming back for another rewatch?

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Burton’s Secret Weapon - Caroline Thompson

     20th Century Studios

Enter talented scriptwriter Caroline Thompson. Burton and Thompson crossed paths thanks to Thompson’s novel, First Born, which tells the disturbing story of an abortion that comes back to life. While in the middle of pre-production for Edward Scissorhands, Burton read the book and felt the story contained the same psychological elements he wanted to portray in the film.

In a modern retelling of Frankenstein, Edward Scissorhands tells the strange and often quite depressing story of a lonely man with scissors for hands looking for acceptance in a world of cookie-cutter houses and small-minded perspectives. He hired Thompson to write the screenplay as a spec script and the rest, as they say, is history. Edward Scissorhands would go on to receive a widely positive reception and gross over $80 million in profit for 20th Century Fox.

A Beautiful Nightmare

     Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

It was clear that Caroline Thompson had an instinctual knack for realizing a cohesive and fully contextualized rendering of Tim Burton’s often misunderstood style. Thompson would go on to write and heavily influence some of Burton’s most notable work. Under her practiced hand, The Nightmare Before Christmas evolved from a poem in the loose style of Dr. Seuss into a riveting story that would become a holiday staple.

Characters who were merely illustrations in Burton’s poem – Sally, the Mayor, and the devious trio of Lock, Shock, and Barrel – were developed into essential components of the film. Thompson also added the subplot of the only truly ‘bad’ character in the movie – the ghostly, insect-stuffed Oogie Boogie.

The Nightmare Before Christmas accomplished the ambitious task of combining Halloween and Christmas, creating an unforgettable story that somehow manages to be spooky and light-hearted at the same time. Nightmare is widely recognized as a visionary masterpiece in the arts of creative design, stop-motion technology, musical composition, and storytelling.

After several theatrical re-releases, the film has earned $91.5 million to date. Renowned critic, Roger Ebert, championed the film as one that rivaled Star Wars for its revolutionary effects. His critical consensus would go on to praise Nightmare.

A Corpse for a Bride​​​​​

     Warner Bros. Pictures

In 2005, Burton and Thompson would join forces once again as Thompson would help to pen the stop-motion animated film Corpse Bride. Its plot revolves around a nervous groom who finds himself inadvertently married to an undead bride. Much like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride was playfully macabre and deeply imaginative.

Reviews for the film were overwhelmingly positive, leaving many to wonder what otherworldly delight Burton and Thompson would cook up next. However, Corpse Bride marks the last occasion these two brilliant creators worked together.

Since Corpse Bride was released in 2005, Tim Burton has turned in his fair share of grim and heavily stylized movies – Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland, and Dark Shadows, to name just a few. While good films, few of Burton’s more recent properties have managed to grab the attention of viewers like earlier works, such as those discussed above. By many logical estimates, a return to the macabre magic offered in Burton’s very best work requires the return of Caroline Thompson as the lead scriptwriter for his projects.

Simply Meant to Be

     Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

In The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sally provides a realistic and moderating contrast to Jack’s limitless scheming and creativity. This seems a poetically suitable metaphor for the developmental chemistry of Burton and Thompson. Thompson has repeatedly shown that she possesses an unrivaled and almost mystical ability to translate Tim Burton’s spooky imaginings into highly successful and audience-adoring movie scripts.

Often, the first films people mention when discussing the many works of Tim Burton are those also attached to Caroline Thompson. Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Corpse Bride consistently prove to be among the most influential of Tim Burton’s career. Yet, nearly 17 years have passed since Burton last utilized the secret weapon that is Caroline Thompson.

With Beetlejuice 2 gaining new steam under Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B, there are fresh hopes that Thompson may be called on for script rewrites and story development. For now, we can only wait and hope to see the magically macabre duo unite once again.