Edward Scissorhands’ character is partly inspired by a dog

Although Edward Scissorhands is mostly inspired by Burton’s childhood, the character is also based on screenwriter Caroline Thompson’s dog, Ariel.

The close relationship between a pet and its owner is how Thompson imagined Edward to be.

She said: “I had this beautiful Border Collie mix when I was in college ... She was everywhere I was, sitting next to me and enjoying everything I was enjoying, but not able to quite do it because she was a dog. And that's how Edward is. He's just sort of like, 'Uhhh, OK I want to be here, but how?'”