According to director Tara Wood, Johnny Depp was happy to delve into his decades-long friendship with Tim Burton for a new documentary about the filmmaker.
In a recent interview with People magazineWood revealed that she chatted with Depp for four hours over two days in France as she put together interviews for her four-part docuseries, Tim Burton: Life in the Line.
“I wish everyone could meet Johnny Depp because that’s another story. You can’t explain Johnny Depp to anyone,” Wood said. “You walk in and first of all he’s so endearing and kind that you immediately feel at ease. He was very open. I think his favorite subject is Tim Burton, so he was very willing to [chat].”
Depp is one of several A-list actors and frequent Burton collaborators on Life in the Line, including Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder and Helena Bonham Carter.
In the series, Depp discusses everything from his first meeting with Burton before they made Edward Scissorhands to Burton’s show of friendship during difficult times for Depp’s family.
“He shared a lot,” Wood told the outlet of her conversations with Depp. “That’s why I’m really excited to self-release because we could have made the bonus material into a documentary about just Tim and Johnny. There’s so many interesting things about their relationship and why they’re friends and how deep their friendship is.”
Life in the Line examines nearly every aspect of Burton’s life and career, from his upbringing in Burbank, California, to his most recent film, 2024’s. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Wood notes that Burton’s associates and friends identify a common thread in what she calls Burton’s “ode to Frankenstein” throughout his career.
“The misunderstood monster, you see that in all his films,” Wood said. “That’s Dumbo, that’s Sweeney Todd, that’s Corpse Bride, that’s Ichabod Crane, to a certain extent. That character – that’s Tim. That’s Johnny. That’s Winona. I think everyone would come back to that, the misunderstood monster. That’s his career.”
