Tim Burton Returns With ‘Big Eyes’

The following is an excerpt from ‘Big Eyes’ Images: Amy Adams is an Artist in Tim Burton’s Film

The Weinstein Company has positioned Big Eyes to hit theaters at the end of the year, no doubt hoping to capitalize on the film’s award season potential. Indeed, besides having five-time Oscar-nominee Amy Adams and two-time Oscar-winner Waltz as its leads, Burton’s period drama has socially relevant subject matter (see: sexism in the arts industry) and was inspired by a true story that almost sounds made-up; as Adams told USA Today, “This all seems so theatrical, like something you would design for a film. But that actually happened.”

The following is an excerpt from Sneak peek: Adams, Waltz unmask lie behind ‘Big Eyes’

Even growing up in Austria, Christoph Waltz was familiar with the doe-eyed artwork from the American husband-and-wife team Margaret and Walter Keane.

The mass-produced paintings were ubiquitous in the 1950s and ’60s. “I remember the pictures from the 1960s, they were everywhere,” says Waltz. He wasn’t surprised to learn years later the incredible drama behind the scenes with this famous couple. “We train ourselves to look for drama, to go for conflict because those are the stories worth telling. It would be expected that this (situation) too would be something extraordinary.”

This real-life story behind the Keane art-world sensation is the basis of the Tim Burton drama Big Eyes (due Dec. 25), starring Amy Adams as Margaret Keane and Waltz as Walter. The film follows them from the 1950s when the two art enthusiasts meet, marry and get swept up into worldwide stardom — all due to the popularity of the painted waif children with the large, sad eyes.

Walter told the world he did the paintings, but Margaret would later prove that she was the real artist.