Michael Keaton says that he let Tim Burton down in one of their movies together: "I was clueless… I sucked"

(Image credit: Disney)

Michael Keaton may be re-teaming with frequent collaborator Tim Burton for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but it's brought up some bad memories for the former Batman actor.

"I love working with Tim so much, but I don't think we ever really analyzed why we work pretty well together; we just do," Keaton told The New York Times, before revealing his decidedly low opinion of his own work on 2019's Dumbo, a remake of the 1941 Disney animated classic.

"I think I let him down on one movie, but that's just me, and it bugs me to this day. I was clueless on Dumbo. I sucked in Dumbo."

In response, Burton immediately disagreed. The director – who worked with Keaton on the original Beetlejuice, plus two Batman movies – said, "I don't even know what you're talking about, but whatever."

For his part, Burton had his own issues with the 2019 remake. Speaking at the Lumiere Festival in 2022 (H/T Deadline), he said, "The thing about Dumbo, is that's why I think my days with Disney are done, I realized that I was Dumbo, that I was working in this horrible big circus and I needed to escape. That movie is quite autobiographical at a certain level."

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, and Catherine O'Hara, is set to hit cinemas on September 6, 2024.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.