Rick Heinrichs is one of film’s most original and innovative visual artists, masterfully creating alternate universes entirely appropriate to his film’s stories and settings. Most recently, Heinrichs has designed the monumental sets and ships for Jerry Bruckheimer’s production of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” both directed by Gore Verbinski. His work on “Dead Man’s Chest” has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) as well as an Art Directors Guild award. He won the Academy Award for his work on Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow,” for which he also won the BAFTA and Art Directors Guild Awards, among others. He received another Oscar nomination and Art Directors Guild Award for his highly imaginative designs for “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
The creative collaboration between Heinrichs and Tim Burton dates back to their early studio days at Walt Disney Prods. when the two produced the stop-motion animated short, “Vincent”, live action “Hansel and Gretel”, and theatrical short, "Frankenweenie". They later teamed on Burton’s first theatrical feature, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and then “Beetlejuice.” Heinrichs had already begun his climb up the film career ladder as set designer on “Ghostbusters II” and "Joe Vs, The Volcano" in 1989, before joining Burton the following year on “Edward Scissorhands” in the same capacity.
In 1992, Heinrichs moved up to art director on Burton’s “Batman Returns,” having previously asst. art directed on “Soapdish.” He also served that year as visual consultant on “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Later, Heinrichs was production designer on Burton’s hit remake of “Planet of the Apes.”
Heinrichs’ other credits as production designer include the Coen Brothers’ classics “Fargo” and “The Big Lebowski”, and Ang Lee’s “Hulk” He also worked as art director on “Tall Tale” and “Last Action Hero”, and as set designer on Terry Gilliam’s “The Fisher King”.
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children
