Horror History: Tim Burton’s EDWARD SCISSORHANDS Was Released In 1990
Mike Sprague
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On this day in horror history, director Tim Burton’s fantasy romance film Edward Scissorhands with Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder was released in 1990.
The film centers on a scientist (Vincent Price) who builds an animated human being, Edward (Depp). The scientist dies before he can finish assembling Edward, leaving the young man with a freakish appearance and scissor blades instead of hands. Loving suburban saleswoman Peg (Dianne Wiest) discovers Edward and takes him home. There he falls for Peg’s teen daughter (Winona Ryder). However, despite his kindness and artistic talent, Edward’s hands make him an outcast.
Burton conceived the movie from his childhood in the suburbs. Caroline Thompson (Addams Family, Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride) penned the script based on Burton’s story. Thompson hired during pre-production on Beetlejuice.
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Tom Cruise almost took the title role. As did Tom Hanks and Gary Oldman. Depp then grabbed ahold of the role. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role. The Inventor was written specifically for Vincent Price – his last major role.
Fox fast-tracked Edward Scissorhands after Burton’s Batman success. Burton produced with Denise Di Novi (Heathers, Ed Wood, James and the Giant Peach). Stan Winston (Jurassic Park, Aliens, Terminator 2) created and designed Edward’s scissor hands. Winston earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup.
With a budget of $20M, filming took place in Lutz, Florida between March – July 1990. Dianne Wiest co-starred with Anthony Michael Hall, and Alan Arkin. The film marks the fourth collaboration between Burton and composer Danny Elfman, who earned a Grammy Award nomination for his work on the score.
The film was a box office success snagging $6.3M in its opening weekend and $56.3M in the U.S. Elsewhere it earned $29.6M for a worldwide total of $86M. The film sports a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Critics Consensus reads: The first collaboration between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands is a magical modern fairy tale with gothic overtones and a sweet center.
How much do you love Edward Scissorhands?
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