Jenna Ortega’s viral Wednesday dress and Michele Pfeiffer’s Catwoman suit are among 600 items which will go on display as part of a new exhibition on the career of Tim Burton.
Held at London’s Design Museum, The World Of Tim Burton will take visitors through artefacts from across the director’s five-decade career, beginning with unreleased projects from the start of his career and finishing at his most recent film, 2024’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
The exhibition comes to London after a decade-long world tour which has seen it visit 14 cities in 11 countries since 2014, but this will be its first visit to the UK, with 90 new pieces added for the exhibition’s latest outing.
Ortega’s dress, which she famously wore while dancing to The Cramps’ 1981 cover of Ronnie Cook and The Gaylads’ Goo Goo Muck, while playing Wednesday Addams in the Netflix Addams Family spin-off series, Wednesday, will go on display for the first time at the exhibition.
Pfeiffer’s Catwoman costume from 1992’s Batman Returns, and the recognisable costume for Edward Scissorhands, complete with scissor hands, worn by actor Johnny Depp in the 1990 film, will also be among the costumes on display.
Characters such as the Martians from Mars Attacks! (1996), the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Emily from Corpse Bride (2005) will also feature.
Speaking about the exhibition on his career, Burton, 66, said: “It’s a strange thing, to put 50 years of art and your life on view for everyone to see, especially when that was never the original purpose.
“In the past, I have resisted having the exhibition in London, however collaborating with the Design Museum for this final stop was the right choice.
“They understand the art, and with the opportunity to adapt the show and highlight the way design interacts with the works, I’ve been able to view it all through an exciting new lens.”
Opening on October 25, the exhibition will see 18 of his films individually spotlighted including Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005).
The display will be split into different sections focusing on different periods of Burton’s career, with visitors walking around landscapes reminiscent of his filmography to a custom soundscape created by sound designer Tomi Rose.
Visitors will also be able to see a recreation of the studio where Burton works, which aims to give a “rare private glimpse into his creative process”.
The exhibition’s finale will be a new specially created cinema experience, showing a newly commissioned film, which will give voice to some of Burton’s key collaborators, and will be shown in a bespoke art-deco space reminiscent of the cinemas Burton would visit as a child growing up in Hollywood.
Burton’s expressionistic sketches and drawings that he has created prolifically since childhood will also be on display.
Maria McLintock, curator of The World Of Tim Burton at the Design Museum, said: “For Tim Burton, each film begins with a drawing, that he often returns to over time, almost like old friends.
“We’re thrilled to be displaying so many of these deeply personal works at the Design Museum this autumn, in the heart of the city he’s called home for over 20 years.
“This hugely successful show has delighted audiences across the globe for over a decade, but our Design Museum reimagining, with many new additions and new narratives, means this will be an unprecedented opportunity to be immersed in Tim Burton’s unique and singular vision.”
