Skip to content
MovieCove
Mark Burton

Mark Burton

Writer and producer, also director · Born September 30, 1960 (66) · USA

BAFTA Award winner · Oscar nominee

Mark Burton (born 23 September 1960) is a British television writer, screenwriter, television producer, film producer, and film director. After turning up at BBC Radio's Light Entertainment Department, Burton teamed up with John O'Farrell, and the two were commissioned for Week Ending by Harry Thompson (who later named his two pet rats Burton and O'Farrell). The pair won the BBCLight Entertainment Contract Award and went on to write or contribute to a number of radio series, including Little Blighty on the Down, McKay the New, and with Pete Sinclair, the multi-award-winning A Look Back at the Nineties and Look Back at the Future, in which Burton also performed. Burton also created the BBC Radio 4 panel game We've Been Here Before, presented by Clive Anderson. Burton and O’Farrell were commissioned for Spitting Image in 1988, and the following year they became two of the lead writers on the show. They also wrote for Clive Anderson Talks Back, Nick Hancock on Room 101, Murder Most Horrid, and co-wrote some of the Heads to Heads for Alas Smith and Jones. In 1993, they left Spitting Image and became the first writers credited for the scripted parts of Have I Got News For You? Also for Hat Trick Productions, they wrote a BBC1 sitcom The Peter Principle starring Jim Broadbent (known as The Boss in the US). The pair are credited for 'additional dialogue' for the Aardman film Chicken Run, but after a decade of collaboration, Burton and O'Farrell began to work on separate projects. Although he continued to do some TV comedy scriptwriting (with credits for 2DTV, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and Mike Bassett: Manager), Burton began to focus on screenwriting, most notably with DreamWorks Animation Madagascar. Other major screenplay credits include Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (which won an Oscar in 2006 for Best Animated Feature Film), Gnomeo and Juliet, and Aliens in the Attic. He adapted the novel of his former writing partner for the ITV film 'May Contain Nuts' and also wrote and produced the BBC short film One of Those Days. He also wrote and made his directorial debut with Richard Starzak with Shaun the Sheep Movie, which got nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. He would later return to write its sequel, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon with Jon Brown, based on a story by Starzak. Burton is a musician and songwriter, having composed the music for the comedy rock musical The Next Big Thing, which he wrote and produced with Pete Sinclair. He also shares the credit for the original music in 'One of Those Days' and has written songs and parodies for a number of radio shows. Description above from the Wikipedia article Mark Burton, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 30, 1960 (66)
From
USA
Works as
Writer and producer, also director
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 28 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 28% in 30 days

What are Mark Burton's films like?

Across their 16 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Genres

Animation11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
45%
Society
27%
Self
18%
Power
4%
Ideas
4%
Morality
2%
Community11 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 15 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 3

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 8 · Charged 7 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 12

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 14 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 15 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
16
Warm
8
Thrilling
8
Hopeful
3
Absurd
4
Other
6

How their films linger

Feel-good15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Mark Burton's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 16 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mark Burton's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

28 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page.

  • Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom(2026)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl(2024)

    Executive Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Paddington in Peru(2024)

    Screenplay · Screenstory

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget(2023)

    Additional Writing · Writer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas(2021)

    Executive Producer · Story

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Ada Twist, Scientist(2021)

    Show 61 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all shows

  • Star Wars: Visions(2021)

    Show 1 episode · Executive Consultant

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all shows

  • Madagascar: A Little Wild(2020)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all shows

  • A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon(2019)

    Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Angry Birds Movie 2(2019)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Early Man(2018)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Paddington 2(2017)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Shaun the Sheep Movie(2015)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • So You Want to Be a Pirate!(2012)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Kikoriki: Team Invincible(2011)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Gnomeo & Juliet(2011)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Aliens in the Attic(2009)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • May Contain: Nuts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Adaptation

  • A Matter of Loaf and Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Creative Consultant · Writer

  • One of Those Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Writer

  • Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit(2005)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Madagascar(2005)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Chicken Run(2000)

    Additional Dialogue · Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Peter Principle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show Creator

  • Never Mind the Horrocks(1996)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Spitting Image: Election Special '92 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Writer

  • Murder Most Horrid(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Spitting Image: The Sound of Maggie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Writer

Career shape

A full career of 27 titles from 1989 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Madagascar (2005)

$543M worldwide

Highest rated

Paddington 2 (2017)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (2026)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 27: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting23 of 27: 16 only writing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thProducing4 of 27: 1 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew6 of 27: 3 only other crew, 3 with another role

27 titles, 7 with more than one role — writing and other crew overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1980s1 · crew1990s4 · crew2000s7 · crew2010s8 · crew2020s7 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

a BAFTA Award from 4 major nominations, 2006–2025.

WinNomination
  1. 2025
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Outstanding British Film of the Year
  2. 2016
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Animated Film
  3. 2006
    • BAFTA Award, won

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Mark Burton's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 79th percentile, the median of all 18; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 85th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 22 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · producer

Ada Twist, Scientist (2021)

99th percentile spread · 47% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Paddington 2 (2017)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 60/100 and the plot and story 51/100 in their films, across 14 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Mark Burton's work okay for kids?

Across up to 12 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore12 titles16–47 · median 30 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity12 titles8–24 · median 15 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity12 titles4–29 · median 16 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs12 titles5–20 · median 12 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles24–47 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Mark Burton work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mark Burton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Nick Park shares the most, 9.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

  • Carla Shelley9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Carla Shelley
  • Peter Lord9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Peter Lord
  • David Sproxton7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with David Sproxton
  • Richard Beek6 titles    See all 6 shared titles with Richard Beek

Mixed roles