Top 10 Unscripted Moments from Beetlejuice

“Beetlejuice” (1988)

Aside from ad-libbing an estimated 90% of his dialogue, Michael Keaton helped devise everything from how Betelgeuse walks to his iconic appearance. Makeup artist Ve Neill initially followed the character’s original design. Tim Burton thought he looked too “nasty,” giving Neill freedom to whip up something original. Keaton contributed, feeling Betelgeuse’s hair should look like he “stuck [his] finger in an electrical socket,” that he should be covered in mold since “he lives under rocks,” and that his nose should be broken. The crew improvised the latter with fake lips, putting them on both sides of Keaton’s nose. Keaton also asked the wardrobe department to send him costumes from random time periods. When Keaton walked on stage, Burton knew they were on the right track.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (2024)

Returning to “Beetlejuice” 36 years later, Burton again gave the cast room to improvise. Justin Theroux took advantage of this as Rory, Lydia’s sleazy boyfriend and producer. Speaking with Burton on how to play the character, Theroux developed Rory into an overly emotional narcissist who acts like he’s the main character in a soap opera. At the same time, Rory is a people-pleasure who desperately wants validation from Lydia and Astrid, albeit for his own selfish reasons. As over-the-top as Roy can be, Theroux and Buron wanted his co-dependent relationship with Lydia to feel believable. Beyond helping to mold the character’s persona, Burton allowed Theroux to fill in the blanks that weren’t on the print page, doing plenty of riffing on set.

“Beetlejuice” (1988)

“Beetlejuice” almost had a much darker ending with Lydia dying. The shooting script discarded this idea, ending with Lydia’s levitating dance. There were still several differences, however. Instead of co-existing, Charles and Delia would’ve moved away, letting the Maitlands raise Lydia. Most notably, Betelgeuse’s final scene in the waiting room wasn’t in the script. One possible ending would’ve seen Betelgeuse running away from the sandworm, although this was seemingly never shot. Following test screenings, the filmmakers decided that the titular ghost needed a proper exit. They returned to the waiting room set where Betelgeuse tries to get ahead, but instead gets his head shrunk. In addition to ensuring Betelgeuse will live on in death, this eleventh-hour addition gave Keaton one last chance to get nuts.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (2024)

Like Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara proved to be a master of improv in both films. Reprising her role as Delia Deetz, O’Hara came up with several touches, rewriting parts of her speech at Charles’ grave. In one of the sequel’s happiest accidents, O’Hara lept at the chance to channel Moira Rose. At her art gallery, Delia is seen wearing black and white, waving her arms. Behind her is a projection of crows. Originally, different birds were to be used. When O’Hara realized the scene would feature crows, though, she asked Burton if he wanted her to flap her arms like a bird. She isn’t sure if Burton got the reference, but O’Hara knew “Schitt’s Creek” fans would notice a parallel to “The Crows Have Eyes.”

“Beetlejuice” (1988)

Michael Keaton was so unpredictable in “Beetlejuice” that Alec Baldwin had a hard time keeping it together whenever they shared the screen. One particular ad-lib nearly had Baldwin choking on his laughter. Seeking out a bio-exorcist, Adam and Barbara find themselves getting uncomfortably close to the Ghost with the Most. Between spouting several unscripted lines, Keaton spontaneously hawked a loogie into his jacket. To top this off, Keaton said that he was saying it for later. This is where Baldwin lost it, which is presumably why the film subsequently cuts to another shot. While Baldwin thought this movie might ruin his career at one point, there’s no denying that he laughed a lot on set. We wonder if Betelgeuse is still saving that loogie.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” (2024)

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” naturally builds to a dance number, complete with lip-syncing. Although choreographer Corey Baker and associate choreographer Chris George Scott oversaw the grand finale, they wanted it to feel improvised. As such, they encouraged cast members like Catherine O’Hara and Jenna Ortega to play around. The “Wednesday” star is no stranger to improvised dancing, although she felt less self-conscious having others to collaborate with. Burton didn’t always know what Ortega and O’Hara had in store. That’s precisely why he wanted the cameras to keep rolling, letting them do whatever came to mind. While the finished scene is another instant classic, we’re curious to see what dance moves might’ve been left on the cutting room floor. The blooper reel for this sequel mustn’t be buried!

“Beetlejuice” (1988)

Catherine O’Hara ad-libbed arguably Delia’s most memorable line from the first movie. Arriving at their new home in Winter River, Delia wastes no time redecorating. When Charles confronts her, Delia puts him in his place with her sharp tongue. Delia might be Charles’ wife, but she’s an artist first and foremost. Taking away her freedom of expression will send Delia on a one-way street to insanity. You’d better believe that she’ll drag Charles along for the ride. Although the line itself is funny and relatable, the way O’Hara delivers it leaves us to wonder if Delia is already going insane. Originally, Delia was going to say, “The woman who lived here had the aesthetic instincts of Betty Crocker,” hence why Barbara wanted to “get her.”

“Beetlejuice” (1988)

You’ve gotta miss the good old days when a PG movie could away with one f-bomb. Declining Betelgeuse’s services, Barbara and Adam head home. The script then reads as follows: “Betelgeuse walks to a tree and kicks it hard. The whole huge tree falls, KABLOOM!” That’s essentially how it plays out in the film, although Michael Keaton added one more line and gesture that left every parent questioning how “family-friendly” this film truly is. Within the context of the film, Betelgeuse is addressing Adam, who built the model. Behind the scenes, though, it’s been rumored that Keaton was addressing the people who built the set. In any case, Burton was compelled to keep the profanity in, throwing in a honking sound effect for good measure.

“Beetlejuice” (1988)

It’s impossible to imagine the dinner scene without “Day-O,” but “The Banana Boat Song” wasn’t always going to be featured in the movie. In the screenplay, Delia, Charles, and their guest break out uncontrollably singing “If I Didn’t Care,” an Ink Spots song. “When a Man Loves a Woman” was suggested as an alternative, but Catherine O’Hara and Jeffrey Jones felt that calypso music would be a better fit for the scene. The crew just so happened to have a cassette with the Harry Belafonte song, which reportedly wasn’t expensive to license. Just as the musical choice was a late addition, the dancing was kept spontaneous. O’Hara told Entertainment Weekly, “We had a choreographer, but we all got to add our stupid moves.”

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few other moments that weren’t in the shooting script.

Betelgeuse’s Introduction, “Beetlejuice” (1988)
The Filmmakers Scraped the Scripted Intro with Betelgeuse Puppeteering a Corpse

“Ghost with the Most,” “Beetlejuice” (1988)
Betelgeuse Was Going to Call Himself a “High Spirit”

“A Little Late to Be Neurotic,” “Beetlejuice” (1988)
Delia’s Original Line Here Was, “One Of Those Shrimp Dropped Down My Kamali”

Ring Finger, “Beetlejuice” (1988)
Funny How This Came Back in the Sequel

“It’s Showtime,” “Beetlejuice” (1988)
It Was Written as a Direction, But Not as a Line

“Beetlejuice” (1988)

Although it’s become common knowledge among cinema fans, it’s still surprising that Michael Keaton is only on screen for about 17 minutes. If they shot the script word for word, Betelgeuse might’ve had even less screen time. The scene where Betelgeuse officially meets the Maitlands goes by quickly in the screenplay. Keaton contributed an assortment of jokes and alternative lines. In Keaton’s most extensive unscripted moment, he goes into Betelgeuse’s backstory, claiming to be a student of Juilliard and Havard. While we have a hard time believing that, the sequel would confirm he did indeed live through the Black Plague and it was a good time… for a while. Much like “The Exorcist,” this improvised monologue keeps getting funnier every time we see it.

Do you have any behind-the-scenes trivia about the “Beetlejuice” movies? Let us know in the comments.