110 Fun Facts About Edward Scissorhands

Who plays Edward?

Johnny Depp plays Edward. Edward Scissorhands (1990) was the first of his many collaborations with director Tim Burton.

Who plays Kim Boggs, the teenage daughter Edward falls for?

Winona Ryder plays Kim Boggs. She had already worked with Tim Burton as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice (1988).

Who wrote the screenplay, from a story by her and Burton?

Caroline Thompson wrote the screenplay from a story she developed with Tim Burton. She later wrote The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and co-wrote Corpse Bride (2005).

What is Peg Boggs's job when she discovers Edward?

Peg is a door-to-door Avon saleswoman. After a fruitless day on her rounds she drives up to the mansion on the hill and finds Edward alone in the attic.

Who plays Peg Boggs?

Dianne Wiest was the first actor to sign on, and Burton said her approval got the rest of the cast interested. She already had an Oscar, for Hannah and Her Sisters.

Who plays the Inventor, Edward's creator?

Vincent Price had narrated Burton's 1982 short Vincent, a tribute to him, and eight years later played Edward's creator. The director's childhood idol became the father of his hero.

Why was Edward left with scissors instead of hands?

The Inventor died before finishing him, of a heart attack, at the very moment he was about to fit Edward with real hands. Edward was left alone in the mansion, unfinished and ageless.

Who plays Kim's jealous boyfriend Jim?

A change of pace from his John Hughes geek roles.

Who plays Bill Boggs, Kim's father?

Alan Arkin plays Bill Boggs, Kim's deadpan father. Arkin had already been Oscar-nominated twice in the 1960s, for The Russians Are Coming and The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.

Who plays Joyce, the neighbour who tries to seduce Edward?

Kathy Baker plays Joyce Monroe, the bored housewife who corners Edward in the back room of her salon. Baker had come to films from the stage after an Obie for Fool for Love.

What is the name of the religious fanatic neighbour who distrusts Edward?

Esmeralda, played by O-Lan Jones, is the Bible-quoting neighbour who denounces Edward as a demon sent from hell and warns the others against him.

How does Edward first repay the neighbourhood's kindness?

By trimming hedges into topiaries, starting with a dinosaur on Peg's hedge. His jobs then climb from plants to pets to people: the neighbourhood dogs, then the women's hair.

What business does Joyce offer to help Edward open?

A hair salon, the natural next step once Edward has moved from hedges to dogs to the neighbourhood women's hair. The bank refuses him a loan.

What lie does Joyce tell the neighbourhood women about Edward?

It reduces their trust in him.

Why does Jim get Edward to pick the lock on his parents' house?

Jim plans to steal his father's electronics to buy a van, so he has Edward pick the lock of the locked room. A burglar alarm traps Edward inside while the others flee.

Why do the police decide Edward cannot be criminally charged for the break-in?

A police psychologist concludes that Edward's years of isolation left him without any sense of reality or morality, so he is released into the Boggses' custody rather than charged.

What does Edward carve at Christmas, causing 'snow' in the town?

An angel ice sculpture modelled on Kim. The ice shavings swirl down like snow and Kim dances in them, the moment the film's framing story gives as the origin of the town's snowfall.

How does Kim get injured during the ice-carving scene?

Kim then breaks up with Jim.

What does Kim ask Edward to do when he returns to the house?

Kim asks Edward to hold her. He answers 'I can't', so she steps into his arms and arranges the blades herself so they can embrace.

Whom does Edward save from a drunk driver, inadvertently cutting him?

Edward pushes Kevin, Kim's little brother, out of the path of a van driven by Jim's drunk friend, cutting the boy's face as he does. Onlookers think he attacked him.

How does Jim die?

Only after Jim strikes Kim.

What does Kim tell the gathering neighbours after Jim's death?

Kim tells them that Jim and Edward killed each other, holding up a spare scissor hand from the Inventor's workshop as proof, so Edward is left alone in the mansion.

Who is the elderly woman telling the story to her granddaughter?

Kim, who never saw Edward again after the night the town chased him back up the hill. She stayed away so he would remember her as she was in her youth.

Why does the elderly narrator believe Edward is still alive?

Because it would not be snowing without him. The town had never seen snow before Edward carved ice, so to Kim every flake since is proof that he is still up there.

What inspired the character, according to Burton?

A drawing Burton made as a teenager growing up in Burbank. He said the figure with blades for hands reflected his own isolation and inability to communicate.

During pre-production of which Burton film was the screenwriter hired to write Scissorhands?

Beetlejuice. During that film's pre-production Burton hired Caroline Thompson, then a young novelist, to write Edward Scissorhands as a spec script.

Which novel by the Scissorhands screenwriter, about an abortion that came back to life, impressed Burton?

First Born, Thompson's 1983 debut novel about an aborted fetus that comes back to life. Burton felt it shared the psychological elements he wanted for Edward.

The screenwriter described her Scissorhands script as what to Burton?

A 'love poem'. Thompson said she wrote the script as a love poem to Burton: 'Every detail was so important to Tim because it was so personal.'

Which studio sold the film rights to 20th Century Fox within months?

Warner Bros. held the project first but sold the rights to 20th Century Fox within months. Fox then gave Burton complete creative control over the film.

What was the film's budget originally projected to be?

The final budget was $20 million.

What form did Burton originally want the film to take?

A musical. Burton said the story 'seemed big and operatic' to him, but the idea was dropped and the film was made as a straight fantasy drama.

Newly A-list in 1989, Burton chose Scissorhands over which two options at his old studio?

Batman Returns and Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. After Batman's 1989 success Warner Bros. offered Burton both sequels, but he chose to make Edward Scissorhands at Fox first.

Which Universal Horror films influenced the storyline?

Frankenstein, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera: Burton drew on the misunderstood-monster tradition of those Universal films, along with King Kong and classic fairy tales.

Which star did Fox insist Burton meet about playing Edward?

Tom Cruise. Fox pressed Burton to meet him before casting; the talks went nowhere and Burton cast Johnny Depp instead.

What did the star Fox pushed for ask for when discussing the role?

A 'happier' ending. Tom Cruise reportedly wanted Edward's story to end more happily, which Burton would not give; he later said the casting 'worked out for the best'.

Which actor on Burton's shortlist found the script too 'quirky, strange' but loved the finished film?

Gary Oldman. He turned the part down because the script read as 'quirky, strange' to him, then admitted he understood the film 'within two minutes' of watching it.

Whom did the screenwriter favour for Edward?

Jim Carrey was also considered.

Which musician expressed interest in playing Edward, though Burton never spoke to him?

Michael Jackson. He let it be known he wanted to play Edward, but Burton never took the meeting. Tom Hanks and William Hurt were also considered.

Before Edward Scissorhands, which TV police series had made Johnny Depp a teen idol?

21 Jump Street, the Fox series in which Depp played an undercover cop working in high schools. Burton had never watched it; the pairing ran on through Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow and Sweeney Todd.

Whose films did Depp study to learn sympathy without dialogue?

Charlie Chaplin's. Depp watched Chaplin's silent films to learn how to win sympathy without dialogue, since Edward speaks only a handful of lines.

Why did Fox keep pictures of Depp in costume under wraps before release?

Executives were worried about Edward's image. Fox feared the pale, scarred, leather-clad look might put audiences off, so it held back photos of Depp in costume until release.

Which actress had auditioned for Kim before the part was cast?

Drew Barrymore auditioned for Kim, but Burton went with Winona Ryder, whom he had directed as Lydia in Beetlejuice two years earlier.

Which actor auditioned for Jim before the eventual choice was cast?

Hall was returning after a two-year break.

Where was the suburban neighbourhood filmed?

Lutz, Florida, a new subdivision north of Tampa. Burton had wanted his native Burbank, but it had changed too much since his childhood for the look he wanted.

On which street was the suburban neighbourhood filmed?

Tinsmith Circle, in the Carpenter's Run subdivision north of Tampa. The production repainted the street's near-identical new houses in muted pastels for the shoot.

Which four colours did production designer Bo Welch use to repaint the houses?

Sea-foam green, dirty flesh, butter and dirty blue, in Welch's own words. He also shrank the houses' window sizes to make the street look 'more paranoid'.

Where was the facade of the Gothic mansion built?

Just outside Dade City, Florida. The crew built only the mansion's exterior facade there, a short drive from the suburban set.

Where were the mansion interiors filmed?

A Fox soundstage in Century City, Los Angeles. After the Florida location shoot wrapped, the production moved to the studio lot for the mansion's attic and workshop interiors.

Roughly how much did filming inject into the Tampa Bay economy?

Along with hundreds of temporary jobs.

Who created Edward's scissor hands?

Stan Winston. His studio built Edward's scissor hands and prosthetic makeup, the same shop that had created the Terminator endoskeleton and the Aliens queen.

How long did Depp's wardrobe and prosthetic makeup take to apply?

The hands were by Stan Winston.

How were the giant topiaries made?

Thousands of small plastic plant sprigs.

Who composed the score?

Danny Elfman, Burton's regular composer from Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) onward. He has called the Edward Scissorhands score his most personal and favourite work.

How many musicians were in the orchestra for the score?

Elfman calls it his most personal work.

Songs by which singer appear in the film?

Tom Jones. His 'It's Not Unusual', 'Delilah' and 'With These Hands' all feature on the soundtrack, kitsch pop set against Elfman's score.

Which later Burton film reused 'It's Not Unusual'?

Mars Attacks! (1996), where the song comes back round for the finale after the Martians are beaten. Elfman scored both films.

Which two themes did Burton say the film mainly deals with?

Self-discovery and isolation. Burton said the story grew from his own teenage sense of being cut off, with Edward left alone in the mansion attic until Peg finds him.

Which classic film's climax does the mob-at-the-castle ending echo?

Frankenstein (1931). The neighbours' march up to the mansion mirrors the villagers storming the mill, a climax Burton had already parodied in his 1984 short Frankenweenie.

Burton called the killing of Jim what?

A 'high school fantasy'. Burton said Edward killing the jock Jim played out his own teenage resentments, a revenge on the Burbank jocks of his youth.

Where has Kim been when she first comes face to face with Edward?

On a camping trip. Kim comes home from camping with friends to find Edward, still a stranger to her, in her bedroom; she screams and the family rushes in.

How much did the film gross worldwide?

$86 million worldwide against a $20 million budget, of which $56.4 million came from North America.

What did Fox president Joe Roth consider marketing it as, before deciding not to?

'An E.T.-sized blockbuster'. Roth weighed a huge push, then held back: 'We want to be careful not to hype the movie out of the universe.'

When did the film go into wide release in the US?

December 14, 1990, following a limited opening on December 7; the wide run made it a Christmas-season release in the US.

What grade did CinemaScore audiences give the film?

Rotten Tomatoes has it at 92%.

Which critic gave it a mixed two-out-of-four-star review?

Roger Ebert. He gave it two stars out of four, writing that Burton had not yet found the storytelling strength to match his pictorial flair.

In which category did the film earn its only Academy Award nomination?

Best Makeup, the film's only nomination at the 63rd Academy Awards; the nominees lost to Dick Tracy's John Caglione Jr. and Doug Drexler.

Which BAFTA did the film win?

For Bo Welch.

Depp lost his Golden Globe nomination to which actor?

Gérard Depardieu for Green Card, who took Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy at the 1991 Golden Globes over Depp and Macaulay Culkin for Home Alone.

Which two genre awards did it win?

The Hugo and the Saturn. It took the 1991 Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation and the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film; Elfman's score was also Grammy-nominated.

Which network bought the television rights in October 2008?

Burton cites the film as his most personal work.

Which metal band recorded 'Scissorhands (The Last Snow)' in homage to the film?

Ice Nine Kills wrote 'The World in My Hands'.

In which animated series did Depp reprise Edward in a 2012 cutaway?

Family Guy. Depp voiced Edward in a cutaway in the 2012 episode 'Lois Comes Out of Her Shell', in which Edward takes a babysitting job with grim results.

What extinct creature is named Kootenichela deppi after Depp's role?

A lobster-like Cambrian arthropod, found in British Columbia's Kootenay National Park and named in 2013; 'chela' is a Latin word for claws or scissors, hence Depp's scissor-handed role.

Which publisher released a ten-issue Edward Scissorhands comic sequel from 2014 to 2015?

IDW Publishing. Written by Kate Leth with art by Drew Rausch, the ten-issue series picks up Edward's story decades after the film.

Which car was advertised in a 2021 Super Bowl ad based on the film?

The Cadillac Lyriq, an electric SUV, in the 'ScissorHandsFree' spot about Edgar Scissorhands; Winona Ryder returned as Kim, mother to Edward's son.

Who played Edgar, Edward's son, in the Super Bowl ad?

Timothée Chalamet played Edgar, the scissor-handed son who struggles with everyday tasks until his mother, Winona Ryder's Kim, hands him a car with hands-free driving.

Which video game added an Edward Scissorhands skin in October 2024?

A sign of the character's enduring pop-culture status.

Which choreographer created a dance adaptation that premiered at Sadler's Wells in 2005?

Matthew Bourne. His New Adventures company staged it to music built on Elfman's themes, and after an 11-week Sadler's Wells season it toured the UK, Asia and the US.

What did Winona Ryder wear to play Kim, against her natural look?

A blonde wig. The naturally dark-haired Ryder played the suburban teenager Kim in a blonde wig, the all-American look the character called for.

Into what did Depp alter his Winona tattoo after their 1993 split?

'Wino Forever'. Depp had 'Winona Forever' inked on his arm during their engagement; after they split in 1993 he had the last two letters of her name lasered off.

What was Depp's feature film debut?

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), in which Depp played Glen, the boyfriend swallowed by his bed. He said he 'ended up acting by accident' after moving to Los Angeles with his band.

How many films did Depp and Burton make together, from Scissorhands through 2012's Dark Shadows?

Eight, from Edward Scissorhands (1990) through Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland to Dark Shadows (2012).

Which John Waters film did Depp also star in during 1990?

Cry-Baby, Waters' 1950s juvenile-delinquent musical, which cast Depp as the teen rebel Wade 'Cry-Baby' Walker to lampoon his pin-up image.

What was the Kim Boggs actress's birth surname?

Horowitz. Born Winona Laura Horowitz in Minnesota in 1971, she was named after the nearby city of Winona and took her stage surname from singer Mitch Ryder.

At which 1989 premiere did Ryder first meet Depp?

Great Balls of Fire!, the Jerry Lee Lewis biopic starring Ryder; she met Depp at its June 1989 premiere and they began dating in February 1990.

For which two Woody Allen films did the Peg Boggs actress win Academy Awards?

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Bullets Over Broadway (1994), both Best Supporting Actress wins for Dianne Wiest, both directed by Woody Allen.

Which pop megahit did the Inventor's actor narrate?

Thriller, whose closing monologue and cackle are Price's. He also voiced Ratigan in The Great Mouse Detective, so a whole generation knew that voice before Edward.

In what year did the actor who played the Inventor die?

1993. Vincent Price died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on 25 October 1993, aged 82.

Which John Hughes films made the actor who played Jim famous?

Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, the Hughes run that made Anthony Michael Hall the archetypal 80s geek; he joined Saturday Night Live at 17 in 1985.

Why had the actor who played Jim taken a two-year break before Scissorhands?

He returned as the film's villain.

Which CBS series won the Joyce actress three Emmys as small-town doctor Jill Brock?

Picket Fences, David E. Kelley's CBS drama set in Rome, Wisconsin; Kathy Baker won three Emmys as Dr. Jill Brock across its 1992–96 run.

For which film did the Bill Boggs actor win his Academy Award?

Little Miss Sunshine (2006), which won Alan Arkin the Best Supporting Actor Oscar as the heroin-snorting, foul-mouthed grandfather Edwin Hoover.

Which band was the film's composer the lead singer of before scoring films?

Oingo Boingo. Elfman fronted the new-wave band before Burton and Paul Reubens, both fans, hired him to score Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985).

Which TV theme is among the composer's most famous?

The Simpsons. Elfman wrote its theme in 1989 for Matt Groening, and later the Desperate Housewives theme.

How many Academy Awards did the film's scissor-hands maker win in his career?

Four: Visual Effects for Aliens, Visual Effects and Makeup for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Visual Effects for Jurassic Park.

Which Danny DeVito character did the scissor-hands maker design prosthetics for next?

The Penguin. Winston's studio created DeVito's beaked, flipper-handed makeup for Batman Returns (1992), Burton's next film after Scissorhands.

Which actress, met on an earlier Burton set, did production designer Bo Welch marry?

Catherine O'Hara. Welch met her on Beetlejuice (1988), where she played Delia Deetz; they married in 1992.

Which poorly received 2003 film was Bo Welch's directorial debut?

The Cat in the Hat (2003), the Mike Myers vehicle that was Welch's feature debut as director and earned him a Razzie nomination for Worst Director.

Which two later Burton films did cinematographer Stefan Czapsky shoot after Scissorhands?

Batman Returns (1992) and Ed Wood (1994). Czapsky shot all three in a row for Burton; Ed Wood's black-and-white photography drew the most praise.

Which Ryder film had producer Denise Di Novi made before Scissorhands?

Heathers (1989), the black comedy that made Ryder a star; Di Novi went on to produce Scissorhands, Batman Returns, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Ed Wood with Burton.

In which 1990 film did Winona Ryder play Cher's teenage daughter?

Mermaids (1990), in which Ryder played Charlotte Flax, daughter of Cher's Mrs. Flax, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role.

Which studio gave the young director an animator's apprenticeship?

Walt Disney Productions. Burton's CalArts short Stalk of the Celery Monster caught the studio's eye and he joined Disney as an apprentice animator, working on The Fox and the Hound.

Which 1994 film was the Scissorhands screenwriter's directorial debut?

Black Beauty (1994), Caroline Thompson's adaptation of Anna Sewell's novel, was her first film as director; she had also written The Secret Garden (1993) and The Addams Family (1991).

Which Florida shopping centre provided a retail setting for the film?

Southgate Shopping Center in Lakeland, with its 1950s arch, stood in for the suburb's strip of shops; it lies east of Tampa along Interstate 4.

How long was the shooting schedule in the Tampa Bay area?

Three months. The Florida shoot ran through the spring and early summer of 1990 before the unit returned to Los Angeles for the mansion interiors.

Edward Scissorhands was which numbered feature collaboration between Burton and his composer?

Fourth, after Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), Beetlejuice (1988) and Batman (1989). Elfman has called this score his most personal and favourite work.

How old was Johnny Depp when Edward Scissorhands opened in December 1990?

27. Depp was born on 9 June 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky, so he was 27 when the film went into wide release in December 1990.

How much did Edward Scissorhands earn in its opening weekend of wide release?

About $6.3 million, from 1,372 theatres over December 14–16, 1990, a week after its limited opening.

What is the title of Elfman's cue for Kim's dance under the falling shavings?

'Ice Dance'. Elfman's wordless-choir cue plays as Kim twirls in the shavings from Edward's ice carving, and it has become the score's signature piece.

Where did Richard Crawford's stage adaptation of the film have its world premiere in June 2010?

It ran only until July 3, five years after Matthew Bourne's dance version opened at Sadler's Wells.