The Two Disastrous Sci-Fi Movies That Prove Tim Burton Should Avoid The Genre

Filmmaker Tim Burton is renowned for his signature gothic horror style, a blend of eerie, surreal worlds, macabre topics, and spindly, eccentric characters often making his films instantly recognizable and favorites for many. But Burton isn't a filmmaker who likes to stick to one genre.

Burton has directed, produced, and written movies covering a range of genres over the years. He's made us laugh with comedies like "Beetlejuice," taken on the caped crusader in action flicks like "Batman," pulled on our heartstrings in romantic dramas like "Big Fish," made Halloween a Christmas staple with "The Nightmare Before Christmas," and even managed to adapt an award-winning musical for the big screen with "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Like many filmmakers, Burton's movies have seen varying levels of box office and critical success over the years, but there's one genre he's notably struggled to crack: sci-fi. Below, we look at Burton's two big sci-fi flops — and what went wrong.

Released in 1996, "Mars Attacks" is an alien invasion parody inspired by a set of Topps sci-fi trading cards from 1962. Directed by Tim Burton, the outrageous, dark sci-fi comedy features a star-studded ensemble, including A-list actors Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, Glenn Close, and Sarah Jessica Parker. On paper, it should've been a hit — in reality, it's one of Burton's biggest blockbuster flops. "Mars Attacks"' total budget (production and marketing combined) came to $100 million, $1 million less than the $101 million the film grossed in theaters. The movie was considered a box office bomb in the U.S., where it only took in $37.8 million, and received mixed reviews from critics at the time.

Some praised Burton's references to cheesy sci-fi B-movies, with the Dallas Observer describing "Mars Attacks" as "the funniest piece of giddy schlock heartlessness ever committed to film." However, others didn't find the movie quite as funny. The New York Times panned the film, calling it "more often weird than funny and most often just flat," while The Washington Post described it as "aimlessly plotted and blandly written."

In 2026, "Mars Attacks" may not be certified "Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, due to its 56% Tomatometer rating, but the film is now considered by some to be a misunderstood cult classic due to its campy, quirky aesthetic, over-the-top absurdity, cartoonish violence, and witty satire of politicians, the government, and news media.

Pierre Boulle's "Planet of the Apes" has seen various film adaptations over the years, from Franklin J. Schaffner's 1968 silver screen classic to the rebooted series starring Andy Serkis. However, Tim Burton's take on the beloved dystopian science fiction novel is considered one of the worst. Released in 2001, directed by Burton, "Planet of the Apes" stars Mark Wahlberg as an Air Force astronaut who crash lands on a strange planet where evolved talking apes have enslaved humans. Like "Mars Attacks," Burton's remake of the original "Planet of the Apes" movie boasts a star-studded cast, including Tim Roth, Paul Giamatti, Helena Bonham Carter, and Michael Duncan Clarke. However, unlike Burton's other sci-fi venture, the box office wasn't this film's biggest problem.

"Planet of the Apes" was a commercial success, taking in an (at the time) record-breaking $68.5 million at the box office during its opening weekend and grossing a total of $180 million in North America. However, critics had a mixed response to Burton's remake. Roger Ebert called the movie "great looking," praising its sets, makeup design, and Burton's respect of the original 1968 film, but said this was "not enough" to make the movie memorable. The Wall Street Journal criticized the movie's "clumsiness," calling it a "disjointed botch." On the other hand, the San Francisco Chronicle described it as an "amazing display of imagination."

In 2026, "Planet of the Apes" has a Tomatometer rating of 42%, the second-lowest score for a Burton film on Rotten Tomatoes (second only to "Dark Shadows"), but not low enough to make it one of the worst movies of all time. While Burton was reportedly pleased with how the film turned out, he told The Guardian in 2001 that he'd "rather jump out a window" than direct a sequel. Ouch.