Tim Burton Found His Perfect Johnny Depp Replacement 9 Years Ago In This $296M Movie On Streaming – But It Still Hasn’t Paid Off

Back in 2016, Tim Burton collaborated with a young actor on Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and though the actor would have been a perfect Johnny Depp replacement, the pair have not worked together again. Since the mid-1980s, Burton has proved himself to be a groundbreaking director, showcasing his unique style and strangely heartfelt stories. From major franchises to beloved stop-motion movies, Burton’s projects are the kind that are easily recognizable and highly anticipated. However, there is one element of Burton’s career that he has struggled to maintain in recent years.

Burton has become known for a number of different things, but one notable aspect of his career has been Burton’s propensity to work with the same actors over and over again. The two most obvious examples of this are Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. Over the years, Depp has starred in eight Burton movies, while Carter has appeared in seven. Other actors like Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton are also frequent Burton collaborators. Yet, Burton has seemingly stopped bonding with certain actors, or at least has picked up far less in the last few years.

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children Proved Asa ʙuттerfield Was A Great Johnny Depp Replacement For Tim Burton

Burton & Depp’s Current Relationship Explained

After working together on Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, it became clear that Asa ʙuттerfield could be Burton’s new Johnny Depp. In the film, ʙuттerfield plays Jacob, a young man who follows his grandfather’s instructions to find a time loop, which bring him to a unique orphanage for children with uncanny abilities. In typical Burton form, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is very odd and quirky, and ʙuттerfield fits perfectly within this world. With his shocking blue eyes and slightly awkward demeanor, he succeeds at leading this colorful story.

Arguably, Burton is in need of a new Depp. The pair have not worked together since 2012, when Depp starred in Burton’s film, Dark Shadows, which was an unfortunate critical flop. In general, Depp’s career has slowed considerably, with the actor only working on four movies in the last five years. Because of this, Burton has recruited some new stars to appear in his films, from Colin Farrell in Dumbo to ʙuттerfield in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Yet, no one has really been able to take Depp’s place yet, aside from Jenna Ortega.

Asa ʙuттerfield & Tim Burton Still Haven’t Collaborated Again Since Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children

How ʙuттerfield & Burton Could Have Reunited


Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Since Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Burton and ʙuттerfield have yet to work together again. In the years following the movie, Burton has released two movies and a TV show: Dumbo, Wednesday, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Meanwhile, ʙuттerfield took on one of his most popular roles yet as Otis Milburn in the Netflix series Sєx Education from 2019 to 2023. He has also appeared in a number of small indie movies. Clearly, the two have been busy with their own endeavors, though there were a few opportunities for the pair to work together again.

It would have been great to see ʙuттerfield reunite with Burton in a project like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Despite being 27, the actor could still pull off being a teenager, and thus, he could have portrayed Jeremy, or some other character. Truthfully, seeing ʙuттerfield and Ortega on-screen together would be a real treat, especially since their personalities are so vastly different. At this point, Burton’s upcoming projects seem to be Wednesday season 2 and a remake of Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. Perhaps, ʙuттerfield would make his return in either of these.

Tim Burton Already Has A Great Way To Reunite With Asa ʙuттerfield

ʙuттerfield Needs A Boost


Wednesday speaking with someone in the school's infirmary in season 1

Arguably, the best way for Burton and ʙuттerfield to reunite is for ʙuттerfield to be cast in Wednesday. Although Wednesday season 2 has already wrapped, the show could easily be renewed for a third season, and ʙuттerfield would make the perfect addition. After proving his ability to fit into Burton’s strange worlds via Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, he could easily join Nevermore’s student body as an outcast or even a member of the Addams family if Burton was interested in expanding the iconic characters.

As Burton gains more and more fame with Wednesday, it would be great to see him return to ʙuттerfield.

Ultimately, it would be a shame for ʙuттerfield to only collaborate once with Burton. Over the years, he has proven himself to be a very talented actor, and his career after Sєx Education has been somewhat disappointing. As Burton gains more and more fame with Wednesday, it would be great to see him return to ʙuттerfield. Ella Purnell also made herself an ideal candidate to work with Burton again after her own performance in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Therefore, Burton should expand his network of favorite actors.

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