Beetlejuice 2: A Sequel to the '80s Classic is in the Works

In 1988, Beetlejuice was released, with the legendary actor Michael Keaton playing the eccentric title figure. After all these long years of waiting, a sequel is reportedly in the works, set to be released almost three and a half decades later than the original iconic movie. Here’s what we know.

The Legacy of Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice has undoubtedly left a mark on popular culture, and its popularity continues to conquer people’s hearts to this day. Its influence can be seen in the TV and gaming industries, with Nintendo having released titles featuring the main character. In 2018, a Broadway musical came to be that garnered quite a lot of interest. There is even a slot game that can be played at Virgin, considered one of the best online casinos USA.

Summarizing an old classic

The original 1988 fantasy comedy was centered around a story of a romantic couple who find themselves unexpectedly deceased, played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin. As they soon find out, someone else is now living in their former home, and it’s their task to get them out. Alas, their plans do not end up going entirely as intended, and they even find themselves befriending Lydia Deetz (played by Winona Ryder), the youngest of the inhabitants. Eventually, they turn to Betelgeuse (Beetlejuice) for help, who is none other than the obnoxiously eccentric bio-exorcist from the Netherworld.

The undisputed commercial success of the original

The original Beetlejuice became an international commercial hit, netting $74.2m in revenue, effectively five times the budget. On top of that, it secured an Academy Award in the Best Makeup category and three Saturn Awards in the categories of Best Makeup, Best Supporting Actress (Sylvia Sidney), and the Best Horror Film. Nowadays, you can hardly find anyone who hasn’t at least heard of the wacky characters starring in this cult classic.

A sequel that never came to be

In 1990, there was a plan to make a sequel called "Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian." Unfortunately, it never came to fruition. The non-materialized sequel’s plot once again revolved around the adventures of the Deetz family as they decided to move to Hawaii. There, they would square off against an ancient Hawaiian Kahuna, with the help of Beetlejuice, of course. Although both Keaton and Ryder had agreed to shoot the scenes, filming Batman Returns effectively took up all their time. Down the line, further complications arose, and eventually, the sequel was shelved altogether.

Things started moving once again in 2011

In 2011, Warner Bros started working with Seth Grahame-Smith, who was hired to write and produce a sequel to the Classic. But there were zero updates until 2017, when another writer stepped into his shoes for – you’ve guessed it – yet another rewrite. Unfortunately, in 2019, the project got shelved once more… until February 2022, when news of Beetlejuice 2 surfaced again. Tim Burton casually confirmed it in an interview. As for what happened to the previous rewrites, he revealed that he is only interested in doing the sequel as long as it catches the energy of the original.

What we know about the sequel

Among other things, Burton said Winona is going to be in it. No other actors have been confirmed at this point, but rumors are circulating that Johnny Depp might be involved. There hasn’t been an official confirmation whether Burton will be returning to the director’s chair either. All we have is an unconfirmed IMDB storyline that mentions the Maitland house exploding and Beetlejuice finding himself homeless and traveling back to the realm of the mortals. Discovering that The Jersey Devil is his long-lost son, the kooky scenarios are set in motion, and the original characters find themselves during another adventure.

Conclusion

The principal photography for the new sequel is scheduled to take place in the summer of 2022, and we can look forward to a 2025 release. The only question is, will things go through this time, or will we have to wait another three decades for Beetlejuice 2 to see the light of day?

Photo courtesy Depositphotos