It’s the cult classic 1988 phenomenon made for all those who love all things strange and unusual, and now, 36 years on, a sequel to Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice is on its way!
WATCH NOW: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Official Teaser Trailer.
What is Beetlejuice about?
The first Beetlejuice film follows recently deceased ghosts – Adam and Barbara – played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, who enlists the help of a very sneaky spirit – Beetlejuice (portrayed by Michael Keaton) – to drive the unbearable Deetz family out of their former home.
What is the plot of the Beetlejuice sequel?
According to Warner Bros, the plot is as follows:
“After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River.
“Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic, and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened.
“With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.”
When will the Beetlejuice sequel be released?
In late November 2023 filming of the long-awaited sequel wrapped, Tim Burton himself confirming that the movie would be released on September 5, 2024.
“I tried to strip everything and go back to the basics of working with good people and actors and puppets. It was kind of like going back to why I liked making movies,” Tim said of the film.
While the news is exciting for fans, it’s been a long time in the coming, with rumours swirling of a sequel for more than a decade.
As far back as 2011, Deadline reported that several producers and director Tim Burton were working on the project, with both Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder publically expressing their interest in reprising their roles.
“I just think it’s like a little piece of art that you better get right if you ever do it again,” Michael said in 2017.
“Otherwise you just kind of don’t touch it.”
“Now that I think there’s gonna be a sequel, I’m like, ‘What if I say it three times and it doesn’t come true,” Winona joked in a previous appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
What has Michael Keaton said about the Beetlejuice sequel?
“Beetlejuice is the most f*****’ fun you can have working. It’s so fun, it’s so great. And you know what it is? We’re doing it exactly like we did the first movie,” Michael revealed during an Empire VIP event in June 2023.
“[Burton] and I were talking about it years and years ago, never telling anybody. We both agreed, [that] if it happens, it has to be done as close to the way we made it the first time.”
“Making stuff up, making stuff happen, improvising and riffing, but literally handmade stuff like people creating things with their hands and building something. It’s the most fun I’ve had on a movie in a long time.”
Which members of the original cast are returning for the Beetlejuice sequel?
Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara are the only members of the original cast who are set to return as they step into the shoes of Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz, and Delia Deetz once more.
Newcomer Jenny Ortega has joined the cast as the daughter of Winona Ryder’s character Lydia, a breakout star from the first film alongside the likes of Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, and Arthur Conti.
Unfortunately, Geena and Alec will not be returning given “ghosts don’t age.”
“I want to play every character I’ve ever played again,” Geena told PEOPLE in 2022.
But given her character (and Alecs) are ghosts in the first film, that may be easier said than done.
“I have a feeling that ghosts don’t age. How would they explain that they’re older?” she joked at the time.
Stream Beetlejuice on Apple TV+ from $12.99/mth, with a 7-day free trial.
