Burton's Loyalty Kept 'Sweeney Todd' Filming Amid Depp's Family Crisis

According to a new documentary, director Tim Burton went to great lengths to support his longtime friend and collaborator Johnny Depp when Depp's daughter Lily-Rose fell seriously ill during the filming of 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' in 2007.

At the time, 7-year-old Lily-Rose had contracted E. coli and was facing kidney failure. Depp, who shares Lily-Rose and son Jack with ex Vanessa Paradis, recalls having to call Burton and say he would have to drop out of the film to be with his family. However, Burton refused to let Depp leave, telling him "Whatever we have to do, we'll do. She's going to be fine. We'll make it work."

The documentary reveals that production on 'Sweeney Todd' was shut down for a few weeks while Depp stayed by Lily-Rose's side in the hospital. Burton, described as the "great uncle and godfather" to Depp's children, visited the family and brought flowers during this difficult time.

Despite the personal turmoil Depp was facing, the actor's real-life emotions are said to have come through in his performance, with the producer noting that "there's points in that movie where you're seeing real emotion come through, like he's channeling what he's going through personally."

Depp's longtime friendship and collaboration with Burton, which spanned films like 'Edward Scissorhands' and 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', clearly deepened during this crisis, with the director proving his unwavering loyalty and support for his friend.