Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
July 27, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
A quiet encyclopedia with a personal desk
Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Screen & Stage • Film

Corpse Bride

Corpse Bride is a 2005 stop-motion animated dark fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson.

Updated July 27, 20261 min readCited sources

Corpse Bride is a 2005 stop-motion animated dark fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson. It follows Victor Van Dort, who accidentally becomes engaged to Emily, the corpse bride, after practicing his wedding vows in the woods.

What it is

A stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy set in a fictional Victorian-era world. The story splits between the land of the living and the land of the dead, with a gothic visual style and a romantic plot.

Key details

Released September 23, 2005, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Runtime: 76 minutes. Voice cast includes Johnny Depp as Victor Van Dort, Helena Bonham Carter as Emily, and Emily Watson as Victoria Everglot. Rated PG for brief mild language, action, and some scary images.

Source material

Based on a Russian-Jewish folktale adaptation known as "The Finger." In the original tale, a man inadvertently places a ring on a corpse's finger and becomes entangled in a supernatural marriage.

In short

  • Stop-motion animated film from 2005
  • Directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson
  • Based on a Russian-Jewish folktale
  • Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Canadian angle

Canadian readers may know Corpse Bride through its wide international home-video and television presence, and through Tim Burton’s broader popularity in Canadian film culture.

Quick questions

What is Corpse Bride about?
A shy groom accidentally marries a dead woman while practicing his wedding vows, leading him into the land of the dead.
Who directed Corpse Bride?
Tim Burton and Mike Johnson.
Who voices the main characters?
Johnny Depp voices Victor Van Dort, Helena Bonham Carter voices Emily, and Emily Watson voices Victoria Everglot.

Sources

  1. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121164/
    Supports: Release year, plot premise, alternative title, and cast information.
  2. Rotten Tomatoes — https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/corpse_bride
    Supports: Directors, screenwriters, distributor, rating, runtime, genre, and release date.
  3. Mental Floss — https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/89345/12-lively-facts-about-corpse-bride
    Supports: Background on the folktale source material and production facts about puppets.
  4. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0121164/plotsummary/
    Supports: Detailed plot summary and character names.