How a Roald Dahl Flop Halted a Tim Burton Disney Masterpiece and Nearly Ruined His Career

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It might surprise some viewers, but many well-known filmmakers often work on projects that never make it to the big screen. These concepts can linger in developmental limbo for years, sometimes until the funding runs out, and at times, the creators lose interest and move on to more enticing ventures. This cycle leaves fans intrigued about what might have been produced instead.

During the mid-1990s, Tim Burton was all set to transform a cherished children’s book into a project reflecting his unique style. Unfortunately, following a disappointing performance at the box office with a previous production, Disney abruptly ended their collaboration with Burton and shut down his beloved studio as well. Nevertheless, fans continue to dream about what it would have been like if Burton had the opportunity to breathe life into this classic tale.

Toots and the Upside Down House Was Supposed to Be a Mixture of Animated Mediums

Before you explore the intricacies of Tim Burton’s film “Toots and the Upside Down House”, it’s crucial to grasp the importance of his production company, Skellington Productions. Established in 1992 following its acquisition by Disney, this company was later rechristened Skellington Productions. True to Burton’s style, this studio dabbled in a variety of art forms, from stop-motion animation to conventional filmmaking.

Following the phenomenal achievement of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, Disney was eager to explore more of Tim Burton’s creative ideas. In 1996, Burton announced his intentions to adapt Carol Hughes’ popular children’s book, “Toots and the Upside Down House”. The narrative centers around Toots, who stumbles upon a fascinating world turned upside-down hidden behind her house’s ceiling. Contrary to expectations, this new realm is not filled with enchantment and magic but rather inhabited by fearsome creatures such as goblins, sprites, and a cunning manifestation of Jack Frost. However, during Toots’ exciting adventure, she manages to reawaken her compassionate nature and finds understanding for her recently bereaved father. From this short description, it is clear that Hughes’ work maintains a dark tone yet retains enough fantasy elements to captivate young readers.

Tim Burton had grand ambitions for this venture and looked forward to recruiting some underrated talents. The production titled “Toots and the Reversed Dwelling House” was intended to be distributed by Miramax and marked their initial step into the animation sector. Moreover, the film was also slated to be helmed by Henry Selick, who has a reputation in the realm of stop-motion animation, particularly his work on The Nightmare Before Christmas. To add more excitement, Burton mentioned that the production would predominantly be stop-motion (2/3) with a touch of live-action (1/13), which promised an abundance of visual and creative appeal.

Considering all these factors, it’s hardly unexpected that the critics were brimming with anticipation about this project’s development. Even though Burton was relatively new in the Disney scene, many spectators were eager to witness more of his unique talent. With a state-of-the-art production studio, a team bursting with creativity, and a distributor eager to experiment, it appeared that everything was set for success.

Skellington Productions Failed Before It Even Got off the Ground

Initially planned for release in 1996, “Toots and the Upside Down House” didn’t make it to the big screen due to delays in production. Just three months after the debut of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”, Disney put out Tim Burton’s second feature, “Cabin Boy”. However, some viewers contend that this film was not truly a Burton project, which may have contributed to its failure. During this time, Burton was also working on “Ed Wood”, leading him to abandon “Cabin Boy” and delegate his responsibilities to Adam Resnick, an accomplished screenwriter but inexperienced director. Upon release, the film was met with a barrage of negative reviews. Although Tim Burton recovered from this box office disappointment fairly quickly, Adam Resnick had to labor diligently to restore his reputation.

Where to Stream Cabin Boy IMDb Score RT Score
Amazon Prime Video 5.3/10 48%

Despite receiving unfavorable responses for Cabin Boy, Disney remained undeterred and recruited the producer for their upcoming project, James and the Giant Peach. Inspired by Roald Dahl‘s timeless novel, the movie follows the adventures of a young boy named James who uses a magical crocodile’s tongue to grow an enormous peach tree. Inside the fruit, he befriends six insect companions, and they use the peach as a means of escape from his tumultuous home. The film received numerous accolades for its unique stop-motion animation and quirky dark undertones. However, it was deemed a commercial failure as it failed to recoup its substantial $38 million budget, earning only $37.7 million at the box office.

Where to Stream James and the Giant Peach IMDb Score RT Score
Disney+ 6.7/10 91%

In different times, Disney might have let this situation pass by, given their heavy production schedule in the early 2000s. However, they had grown tired of Tim Burton’s costly missteps, so they decided to shut down Burton’s production company, Skellington Productions, permanently. This move effectively cancelled all his upcoming projects, such as “Toots and the Upside Down House.” Additionally, a series for Nickelodeon that Burton was working on called KaBlam was transferred to another studio following the closure of Skellington Productions.

This Amplified Burton’s Rocky Relationship With Disney

It’s worth noting that Tim Burton’s conflicts with Disney didn’t begin when he closed his studio; instead, they trace back to the 1980s. During this time, Burton found Disney to be quite restrictive and not very receptive to innovative ideas. Despite being recruited by Disney while at the California Institute of Arts, they seldom allowed him the creative freedom to showcase his unique talents. While he was given opportunities to express his Gothic style in films like “Tron” and “The Black Cauldron”, Disney wasn’t overly fond of his affinity for darker themes. However, even when they managed to resolve their differences, things between them didn’t seem to improve significantly.

Following several profitable films at the box office, it appeared as if Burton could make a successful movie without Disney. However, in 2019, he chose to collaborate with them once more. Yet, after encountering numerous creative obstacles, the producer swore never to work with that studio again. At a renowned event, the producer stated:

An unexpected aspect of “James and the Giant Peach” is its exceptional status as a movie that has left a lasting impression on many contemporary viewers who watched it during their childhood years. Many would concur that Burton skillfully translated Dahl’s work, which was unadapted by the author himself during his lifetime. Nevertheless, numerous fans attribute the film’s lack of success to Disney’s insufficient promotion efforts for this unique project. Despite young children being familiar with the book, Burton’s interpretation differed significantly in terms of pace and style, leading some to believe that Disney may not have devoted enough effort to promoting this unconventional film.

Although it’s unfortunate that Burton didn’t have the chance to bring Hughes’ work to life on the big screen, many people think that Disney took things too far by not only canceling his projects but also shutting down his production studio. This studio, established in 1985 with Henry Selick, was a significant part of Burton’s career. Consequently, fans believe that Disney may have overstepped boundaries and ended all of Burton’s work without fully acknowledging the unique impact he has made on the movie industry as a whole.

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2025-06-06 07:09