California Institute of the Arts alum and visionary filmmaker Tim Burton (Film/Video 1979) was honored with the 2,788th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

Burton, whose legendary career includes classic films like “Edward Scissorhands,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Beetlejuice,” shared how meaningful the star’s location was to him.

Located in front of the iconic Hollywood Toys & Costumes store, Burton recalled visiting the shop during his childhood.

“When I found out it was here, I almost started crying,” Burton said. “I’ve been coming here ever since I was a little child and this store hasn’t changed at all. So for me, it’s just an honor to have a star, but also to have it right here in front of this incredible shop.”

The ceremony was attended by several of Burton’s longtime friends and collaborators, including actors Danny DeVito and Monica Bellucci and costume designer Colleen Atwood. Special guest speakers included Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton, both of whom co-starred in the 1988 classic “Beetlejuice” and its 2024 sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”

Over the years, Burton has cemented his reputation as one of the most successful filmmakers in both live-action and animation genres, directing iconic films including “Ed Wood” (1994), “Sleepy Hollow” (1999), “Big Fish” (2003) and “Alice in Wonderland” (2010).

He’s been twice nominated for the Animated Feature Academy Award for “Corpse Bride” in 2006 and “Frankenweenie” in 2013.

Burton was accepted into the Animation School at Cal Arts, located in Valencia, in 1976, the second year of the program’s existance. He is a member of the large class of animators who graduated from CalArts in the 1979’s who have collectively generated more than $26 billion in box office revenue since 1985.