The 2019 remake of “Dumbo” opened to mixed reviews, leaving its star Michael Keaton and director Tim Burton reflecting on what went wrong. In recent interviews, both Keaton and Burton expressed their disappointment with the final product.
Keaton, known for his iconic roles in “Batman” and “Beetlejuice,” admitted to feeling clueless during the filming of “Dumbo.” He told The New York Times, “I think I let [Tim Burton] down on one movie, but that’s just me, and it bugs me to this day. I was clueless on Dumbo. I sucked in Dumbo.” Keaton’s candid admission highlights the challenges of bringing a beloved classic to life.
Burton, the mastermind behind “Edward Scissorhands” and “Sleepy Hollow,” also shared his doubts about the remake. In an interview with Variety, he confessed, “Honestly, after Dumbo, I really didn’t know. I thought that could have been it, really. I could have retired, or become… well, I wouldn’t have become an animator again, that’s over.” Burton’s words suggest a sense of disillusionment with the Hollywood system, where budget constraints and expectations can stifle creativity.
Both Keaton and Burton’s comments underscore the importance of artistic freedom and self-reflection in the creative process. Burton emphasized the need to stay true to oneself, saying, “Oftentimes, when you get into Hollywood, you try to be responsible to what you’re doing with the budget and everything else, but sometimes you might lose yourself a little bit… This reinforced the feeling for me that it’s important that I do what I want to do, because then everybody will benefit.”
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