Ed Woodis a 1994 American comedy-drama biopic directed and produced by Tim Burton , and starring Johnny Depp as cult filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr. The film concerns the period in Wood's life when he made his best-known films as well as his relationship with actor Bela Lugosi , played by Martin Landau . Sarah Jessica Parker , Patricia Arquette , Jeffrey Jones , Lisa Marie Smith , and Bill Murray are among the supporting cast.

The film was conceived by writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski when they were students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts . Irritated at being thought of solely as writers for family films with their work onProblem Childand its sequel , Alexander and Karaszewski struck a deal with Burton and Denise Di Novi to produce theEd Woodbiopic, and Michael Lehmann as director. Due to scheduling conflicts withAirheads, Lehmann had to vacate the director's position, which was taken over by Burton.

Ed Woodwas originally in development at Columbia Pictures , but the studio put the film in ' turnaround ' over Burton's decision to shoot in black-and-white .Ed Woodwas taken to Walt Disney Pictures , who released the film under their Touchstone Pictures banner. The film was released to critical acclaim, but was not a box office success. Landau and Rick Baker , who designed Landau's prosthetic makeup , won Academy Awards for their work on the film.

In 1952, Edward D. Wood, Jr. is struggling to join the film industry . Upon hearing of an announcement inVarietythat producer George Weiss is trying to purchase Christine Jorgensen 's life story , Ed is inspired to meet Weiss in person. Weiss explains thatVariety's announcement was a news leak , and it is impossible to purchase Jorgensen's rights. The producer decides to 'fictionalize' the film titledI Changed My Sex!, and "do it without the shemale ". One day, Ed meets his longtime idol Bela Lugosi , after spotting him trying out a coffin. Ed drives Béla home and the two become friends. Later, Ed decides to star Béla in the film and convinces Weiss that he is perfect to directI Changed My Sex!because he is a transvestite .

Ed and Weiss argue over the film's title: Weiss has already had the poster printed, which Ed changes toGlen or Glenda. The shoot finishes onGlen or Glenda, and Ed is enthusiastic that he starred, directed, wrote and produced his own film just like his hero Orson Welles did when he madeCitizen Kane.Glen or Glendais released to critical and financial failure. Ed is unsuccessful in getting a job at Warner Bros. , a producer there tells himGlen or Glendais the worst film he has ever seen, but Ed's girlfriend, Dolores Fuller , tells him that he is not " studio material ", and that he should find independent backers for his next film,Bride of the Monster. Ed is unsuccessful in finding money forBride of the Monster, but is introduced to the psychic The Amazing Criswell .

At a bar, Ed meets Loretta King , who he thinks has enough money to fundBride of the Atom. Filming begins, but is halted. Ed convinces meat packing industry tycoon, Don McCoy, to take over funding the film. McCoy does so, but on the condition that the film ends with a giant explosion, and that his son Tony, who "is a little slow ", is the leading man . The filming ofBride of the Monsterfinishes, but Dolores and Ed break up after the wrap party , because of Ed's circle of friends and transvestism. Also, Béla, who is revealed to be highly depressed and a morphine addict, attempts to conduct a double suicide with Ed, but is talked out of it. Béla is put in rehab , and Ed eventually finds happiness when he meets Kathy O'Hara, who is visiting her father. Ed takes her on a date and reveals to her his transvestism, which she accepts.

Ed begins to shoot a film with Béla outside his home. Ed and company attend the premiere forBride of the Monster, an angry mob chases them out of the theater. Sometime later, Béla dies leaving Ed without a star. Ed convinces a church leader named Reynolds that funding Ed's script for "Grave Robbers from Outer Space" would result in a box office success, and generate enough money for Reynold's dream project (the Twelve Apostles films). Dr. Tom Mason , Kathy's chiropractor , is chosen to be Béla's stand-in . However, Ed and the Baptists begin having conflicts over the title and content of the script which they want to have changed toPlan 9 from Outer Spacealong with Ed's B movie directing style, his casting decisions and his transvestism. This causes a distressed Ed to leave the set and immediately take a taxi to the nearest bar , where he encounters his idol Orson Welles . Welles tells Ed that "visions are worth fighting for", and filming forPlan 9finishes with Ed taking action against his producers. The film ends with the premiere ofPlan 9, and Ed and Kathy taking off to Las Vegas, Nevada to get married.