Everything We Know about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
advertisement
VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
Daaaay-O! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we'll be looking over all that we know about the long-awaited sequel to the horror comedy classic, “Beetlejuice.” We'll be having a look at the cast, the story, the release and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be looking over all that we know about the long-awaited sequel to the horror comedy classic, “Beetlejuice.” Will you be watching “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” when it arrives in theaters? Share your excitement level in the comments below?
The road to “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has been a long and tenuous one. Sequel talks for “Beetlejuice 2” began almost immediately after the 1988 film more than quadrupled its budget at the box-office. In the early 90s, director Tim Burton hired British playwright Jonathan Gems to work on a script for what was then titled “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian.” The sequel script, which saw the Deetz family open a resort on haunted Hawaiian grounds, would lay dormant for decades until it was completely overhauled in the early-2010s. Alas, that script, and yet another in 2017, would also not see any action. Enter Brad Pitt’s production company. In February of 2022, Plan B Entertainment announced that it was officially producing the “Beetlejuice” sequel – for real this time!
Fans have long been adamant that a “Beetlejuice” sequel would not be complete without original director Tim Burton at the helm. Well, everyone can rest easy, as the renowned filmmaker is indeed back behind the camera for the follow-up to one of the most influential movies of his career. After all, it was in large part Burton’s groundbreaking craftsmanship on “Beetlejuice” that paved the way for his more-than impressive filmography, including the likes of “Batman” and “Edward Scissorhands.” For “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” Burton worked with screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar – both of whom co-created the Tim Burton-produced Netflix series, “Wednesday.” And to many fans' delight, the sequel will also see Burton reteam with his longtime collaborator and film composer, Danny Elfman!
With a slew of familiar faces and new additions, the cast of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is most certainly not lacking in star power. For starters, Michael Keaton is reprising his role as the titular troublemaker. Outside of “Beetlejuice,” Keaton and Tim Burton have worked together on several projects, including Burton’s “Batman” films and most recently, Disney’s live action “Dumbo.” In addition to Keaton, Hollywood mainstays Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder are back as the mother / daughter duo Delia and Lydia Deetz, respectively. Joining the cast will be current Hollywood “it girl” Jenna Ortega, fresh off successful stints in the rebooted Scream film series and as the titular macabre teen on Netflix’s “Wednesday.” Ortega plays the role of Astrid, the daughter of Ryder’s now-adult Lydia. Also appearing will be Justin Theroux as a character named Rory and Willem Dafoe as an afterlife lawman who was once a “B-movie action star.” In addition, veteran actress, and real-life partner to Tim Burton, Monica Bellucci is billed as Delores, a character rumored to be Beetlejuice’s ex-wife. Speaking of rumors, it’s also widely believed that 90’s action star Jean Claude Van Damme makes a cameo in the film. This has not been confirmed, however. What has been confirmed though, is that actor Jeffrey Jones will not reprise his role as Charles Deetz in the movie. In 2002, Jones was arrested on charges of engaging in inappropriate behavior with a minor and has since had to register as an offender.
Aside from the smallest of details, the overall plot of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is being kept close to the chest by the folks at Warner Bros. And, as of this publishing, only a brief teaser trailer has dropped for the film. However, we do know that the sequel looks to be a nice mix of old and new. The official synopsis reveals that a family tragedy brings the three generations of the Deetz family women back to Winter River – the site of the events in the first film. And by all accounts, it appears to be Astrid who discovers (and subsequently summons) “the juice” this time around. And, with “trouble brewing” in both the realms of the living and the dead, it looks like it will be up to Beetlejuice to save the day with his own brand of wacky mayhem.
With anticipation at a fever pitch, it’s no surprise that the cast and crew of the 35-years-later sequel are constantly being asked about the film. During an interview with The Independent, Tim Burton says that he made the followup “in the same spirit” as the original, adding that he “really enjoyed it.” For Burton, he says working on the film with “good people, actors and puppets” made him go back to why he liked making movies in the first place. Michael Keaton was also quick to praise his experience, telling Empire magazine that it was “the most fun he had working on a film in a long time.” He has also guaranteed fans will really dig it. As for Jenna Ortega, she has called the film “visually so exciting,” this due to the use of practical effects. She also teased her character during an interview with Vanity Fair, saying Astrid is probably not what we assume her to be. She continued by saying that the mother/daughter relationship between her and Winona Ryder plays a “very important part” in the movie. Perhaps most exciting, however, was Catherine O’Hara’s confirmation that Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) will be featured in the film. O’Hara made the comments on Kelly Ripa’s “Let’s Talk Off Camera” podcast, where she also heaped praise on working with Ortega, calling her “such a cool young woman.”
After years upon years of waiting, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” will finally hit cinema screens in the fall of 2024 – September 6th to be exact. While the original film opened in the month of March, the fall seems like the ideal time for the horror comedy sequel, making for a nice lead-in to the spooky season! And while the film will eventually find its way onto the Warner Bros’ streaming service Max, the big screen feels like the optimal way to experience all the atmospheric delights. Heck, we can almost picture the cinema themed popcorn bucket now…
Emerged From Development Hell
The road to “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has been a long and tenuous one. Sequel talks for “Beetlejuice 2” began almost immediately after the 1988 film more than quadrupled its budget at the box-office. In the early 90s, director Tim Burton hired British playwright Jonathan Gems to work on a script for what was then titled “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian.” The sequel script, which saw the Deetz family open a resort on haunted Hawaiian grounds, would lay dormant for decades until it was completely overhauled in the early-2010s. Alas, that script, and yet another in 2017, would also not see any action. Enter Brad Pitt’s production company. In February of 2022, Plan B Entertainment announced that it was officially producing the “Beetlejuice” sequel – for real this time!
From Tim Burton
Fans have long been adamant that a “Beetlejuice” sequel would not be complete without original director Tim Burton at the helm. Well, everyone can rest easy, as the renowned filmmaker is indeed back behind the camera for the follow-up to one of the most influential movies of his career. After all, it was in large part Burton’s groundbreaking craftsmanship on “Beetlejuice” that paved the way for his more-than impressive filmography, including the likes of “Batman” and “Edward Scissorhands.” For “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” Burton worked with screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar – both of whom co-created the Tim Burton-produced Netflix series, “Wednesday.” And to many fans' delight, the sequel will also see Burton reteam with his longtime collaborator and film composer, Danny Elfman!
The Cast
With a slew of familiar faces and new additions, the cast of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is most certainly not lacking in star power. For starters, Michael Keaton is reprising his role as the titular troublemaker. Outside of “Beetlejuice,” Keaton and Tim Burton have worked together on several projects, including Burton’s “Batman” films and most recently, Disney’s live action “Dumbo.” In addition to Keaton, Hollywood mainstays Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder are back as the mother / daughter duo Delia and Lydia Deetz, respectively. Joining the cast will be current Hollywood “it girl” Jenna Ortega, fresh off successful stints in the rebooted Scream film series and as the titular macabre teen on Netflix’s “Wednesday.” Ortega plays the role of Astrid, the daughter of Ryder’s now-adult Lydia. Also appearing will be Justin Theroux as a character named Rory and Willem Dafoe as an afterlife lawman who was once a “B-movie action star.” In addition, veteran actress, and real-life partner to Tim Burton, Monica Bellucci is billed as Delores, a character rumored to be Beetlejuice’s ex-wife. Speaking of rumors, it’s also widely believed that 90’s action star Jean Claude Van Damme makes a cameo in the film. This has not been confirmed, however. What has been confirmed though, is that actor Jeffrey Jones will not reprise his role as Charles Deetz in the movie. In 2002, Jones was arrested on charges of engaging in inappropriate behavior with a minor and has since had to register as an offender.
The Story
Aside from the smallest of details, the overall plot of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is being kept close to the chest by the folks at Warner Bros. And, as of this publishing, only a brief teaser trailer has dropped for the film. However, we do know that the sequel looks to be a nice mix of old and new. The official synopsis reveals that a family tragedy brings the three generations of the Deetz family women back to Winter River – the site of the events in the first film. And by all accounts, it appears to be Astrid who discovers (and subsequently summons) “the juice” this time around. And, with “trouble brewing” in both the realms of the living and the dead, it looks like it will be up to Beetlejuice to save the day with his own brand of wacky mayhem.
What’s Been Said
With anticipation at a fever pitch, it’s no surprise that the cast and crew of the 35-years-later sequel are constantly being asked about the film. During an interview with The Independent, Tim Burton says that he made the followup “in the same spirit” as the original, adding that he “really enjoyed it.” For Burton, he says working on the film with “good people, actors and puppets” made him go back to why he liked making movies in the first place. Michael Keaton was also quick to praise his experience, telling Empire magazine that it was “the most fun he had working on a film in a long time.” He has also guaranteed fans will really dig it. As for Jenna Ortega, she has called the film “visually so exciting,” this due to the use of practical effects. She also teased her character during an interview with Vanity Fair, saying Astrid is probably not what we assume her to be. She continued by saying that the mother/daughter relationship between her and Winona Ryder plays a “very important part” in the movie. Perhaps most exciting, however, was Catherine O’Hara’s confirmation that Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) will be featured in the film. O’Hara made the comments on Kelly Ripa’s “Let’s Talk Off Camera” podcast, where she also heaped praise on working with Ortega, calling her “such a cool young woman.”
Release
After years upon years of waiting, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” will finally hit cinema screens in the fall of 2024 – September 6th to be exact. While the original film opened in the month of March, the fall seems like the ideal time for the horror comedy sequel, making for a nice lead-in to the spooky season! And while the film will eventually find its way onto the Warner Bros’ streaming service Max, the big screen feels like the optimal way to experience all the atmospheric delights. Heck, we can almost picture the cinema themed popcorn bucket now…
