Discover everything you need to know about the highly anticipated sequel to Beetlejuice, including cast, plot details, and behind-the-scenes insights.
Beetlejuice 2: All We Know About the New Film
After more than 30 years, the film Beetlejuice is finally getting a sequel, much to the surprise of many fans. Titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice — or “Os Fantasmas Ainda Se Divertem: Beetjuice Beetlejuice” in Portuguese translation — the film is set to hit theaters in the United States on September 6.
The sequel sees Michael Keaton reprising his role as the bio-exorcist specialized in scaring the living, alongside Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, the young woman from the first film who is now an adult and has a teenage daughter to raise. Joining them are Jenna Ortega as Astrid (Lydia’s daughter), Willem Dafoe (Pobres Criaturas) as a ghost detective/ex-B-movie action star, and Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife — the correct name of the character.
While details of the plot have not been revealed, it’s known that the second film will be a direct continuation of the original. In the 1988 film, audiences were introduced to Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin), a couple who died in a car accident but haven’t accepted their ghostly conditions. Trapped in the material world, they haunt their old home.
However, a new family, consisting of Charles (Jeffrey Jones), Delia (Catherine O’Hara), and their teenage daughter Lydia, moves into the residence, and the two ghosts try to haunt them into leaving. Unable to scare the living, the duo summons the flamboyant spirit Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to make the new residents’ lives a living hell.
In the 2024 film, Lydia is now an adult with a daughter named Astrid. Despite their completely different styles — Lydia being more “dark” and melancholic while Astrid is more outgoing — the two are very close and must unite to defeat the mischievous spirits. The problem arises when Beetlejuice’s return forces Lydia to relive old traumas from her youth.
Newcomer to the cast, Ortega will portray a character distinct from her roles as Wednesday in the Netflix series and Tara Carpenter in Scream 6. This time, she’ll wear brighter clothes and be less dark, though her naturally somber expression may not help much in that regard. In an interview with international press, she expressed her excitement about the film.
“Bringing Beetlejuice back — of all stories — is so great because people need to revisit quirky tales. We need to introduce new artistic and creative ideas to the younger generation, who are always on their phones.”
She also mentioned that the entire team did an incredible job and that minimal CGI was used. Tim Burton, director of the first film who continues to helm the new production, was also pleased with the result. He commented that he liked what he saw on set and that the film reminded him why he enjoys making movies.
Is this the first sequel?
Yes. Despite the success of the 1980s Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the first official sequel to the storyline. In the 2010s, the director hired playwright Jonathan Gems (of Mars Attacks!) to write Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, but the idea didn’t materialize, and the draft was shelved in 2019.
The new sequel fortunately came to fruition but faced some setbacks, such as the 2023 writers’ strike. At the time production was halted, Burton mentioned having only a day and a half of completed shooting. Despite this, the film came together successfully and pleased its lead. Keaton mentioned he has already watched the film.X,X,X,X,X,X
“I’ve seen it now. I’ll watch it again after some minor tweaks in the editing room, and I can safely say it’s great. It’s just as fun and visually exciting as the first one, but it’s really beautiful and oddly touching here and there. I wasn’t prepared for that. It’s great.”
Now, Burton and the entire team must await the release to see if the film will capture the audience’s hearts or become an irrelevant sequel. It’s worth noting that the first film won the Oscar for Best Hair and Makeup in 1989 and grossed nearly $74 million at the box office. For those eager to watch (or rewatch) it, it’s available on Prime Video.
