Miss Peregrine and Peculiar Children: When Tim Burton Was Annoyed by Certain Critics

Miss Peregrine and Peculiar Children : a nanny from hell

Released in 2016, Miss Peregrine and Peculiar Children is the adaptation of the eponymous work by Ransom Riggs, which to date has five sequels. The starting point for the creation of this universe for the author is the discovery of strange vintage photos, on which a young girl levitates, or a little boy is covered with bees.

Clichés that seduce Tim Burton while reading the fantasy novel. The filmmaker then seizes it with the help of screenwriter Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass, Kingsman: Secret Service) and transposes it to the screen. To lend his features to the benevolent Miss Peregrine, the director calls on Eva Green, after their artistic encounter on Dark Shadows.

The actress therefore embodies Ombrune, a woman with the ability to transform into a bird, responsible for protect a group of children endowed with powers. In order to preserve them, in her huge home located in Wales, she creates a time loop on September 3, 1943. A cocoon in which manages to enter the young Jake (Asa Butterfield), by following the clues left by his late Grandfather Abe (Terence Stamp).

Jake then understands that he too has always had a gift. The teenager has the ability to see the Sepulchres, terrifying creatures led by the terrible Barron (Samuel L. Jackson), who hunt down particular children in order to devour their eyes to maintain a human appearance.

Ella Purnell, Chris O’Dowd, Judi Dench, Allison Janney, Rupert Everett and Kim Dickens complete the cast of the feature film, shot between Florida, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

Films too disturbing for young audiences?

Of beetle juice at Frankenweenie, Passing by Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton has always leaning on marginals, about disturbing men or monsters at first sight. A tradition that the director perpetuates with Miss Peregrine and Peculiar Children. In addition to the Sepulchres, the film also presents Gorgon twins or even little Claire, who has a huge mouth on the back of her head.

During the promotion of the feature film, the filmmaker returns to his singular filmography, to his love for creatures and tales. And when the journalist Igor Hansen-Love asks him during an interview for The Express focused around the fed up if he has none “not tired of scare children“, Tim Burton is annoyed by certain remarks. The director replies:

Oh no ! On the other hand, I’m really fed up with adults who tell me that my films are too dark, too creepy and too scary. When beetle juice and The strange Christmas of Mr. Jack came out, I was told that I was going to traumatize everyone! Nothing happened. When Batman: The Challenge went to the cinema, I was criticized for having excessively darkened the character of the comic strip. Hey ! Oh ! You have seen the violence of Batman what are we doing today? Have you seen the horrors children face daily on TV? I don’t know if these comments are hypocritical or stupid.

“All Tales Are Scary”

For Tim Burton, the problem therefore does not come from children and their sensitivity, but from adults. When Point also questions the fact that Miss Peregrine and Peculiar Children that is aimed at young audiences, the filmmaker explains again:

I have been told since the beginning of my career that my films are too dark. “Oh, The strange Christmas of Mr. Jack is too scary for children”, etc., etc. But no, it is not: it is the adults who think that the children will be afraid! Miss Peregrine, for example, is made in the spirit of great fairy tales. All tales are scary, some are even horrific. It’s a way for children to better grasp reality, to learn through the abstract by emotionally coping.

Director adds that horror and monster movies remain regardless less frightening than “our own imagination”. An imagination fueled by unforgettable feature films like Batman: The Challenge Where Sleepy Hollow, The Legend of the Headless Horseman for many…