‘I’m sure there will be’: Hold up, did Tim Burton just tease a reunion with his most polarizing partner in crime?

Tim Burton, the “Master of the Macabre,” is fresh off the success of Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, the long-awaited sequel to his 1988 cult classic. Now, fans are wondering whether some of his earlier iconic works could also get the sequel treatment.

The director was recently at the Marrakech International Film Festival where he answered questions during a Q&A, one of which was about his future plans of doing another sequel. Given Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice’s stellar performance, earning over $450 million globally, it’s only natural for fans to wonder what’s next on the director’s list of projects.

Burton, however, is adamant about not touching two of his most beloved works — the 1990 fantasy/romance film Edward Scissorhands, and the 1993 stop-motion animation musical The Nightmare Before Christmas. Both of these films “felt like a one-off thing” to Burton, and he added that there are some movies that “are best left on their own.”

The audience was also eager to know whether the director would reunite with his long-time collaborator, Johnny Depp, for another project. Burton answered “Well, I’m sure there will be.” And with that simple statement, fans are wondering if that collaboration is coming sooner than we think.

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s unique connection

When it comes to working with actors, Burton explained that his decisions aren’t based solely on choosing the talent he wants to collaborate with. “I never feel like, oh, I’m going to use this and that actor. It usually has to be based on the project I’m working on,” he explained. And it seems he found what he was looking for in Depp, as he’s the actor that he’s worked with the most.

Burton and Depp first met on Edward Scissorhands, and since the beginning, the director said there was an instant connection. “He was a bit similar to me, kind of suburban, white trash, whatever — we connected on some kind of level,” he said in a 2022 interview with Deadline. What he admired most about the actor was his love of the craft as opposed to “the business of it,” and it made him excited to see Depp’s transformation into playing a wide range of characters.

Apart from Edward Scissorhands, Burton has worked with Depp on seven other films: Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Dark Shadows (2012). Burton and Depp’s last partnership was 12 years ago, and fans of the director and actor can’t wait to see what’s in store regarding a future collaboration.

Meanwhile, it’s rumored that Burton is slated to direct a remake of the 1958 sci-fi/horror film Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. However, he’s currently keeping mum about the details, as he’s learned his lesson in the past and doesn’t want to divulge information unless he’s sure it’s a done deal. “I never like to talk about things too much. I’ve worked on so many projects, sometimes they happen, sometimes they don’t happen, so I don’t want to jinx anything,” he explained.