Making a BEETLEJUICE SEQUEL—it’s (probably) happening!

MoviesGhostsComedy
Written By Chris Well

Is Warner Bros. finally making Beetlejuice 2?

Wednesday star Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe are reported as joining the Beetlejuice sequel cast.

(Updated May 15, 2023)

After floating in development for years, Warner Bros. mentioned as part of their CinemaCon 2023 panel that Beetlejuice 2 is going to happen. The original 1988 movie Beetlejuice—the classic horror-comedy directed by Tim Burton—told the story of a ghostly husband and wife trying to stop their  home from being completely remodeled by its new residents, and calling on the titular bio-exorcist. The movie included stars Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, plus Winona Ryder, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Catherine O’Hara, and Glenn Shadix, among others.

Find the Beetlejuice movie on Amazon

Over the years, there have been several attempts to get a Beetlejuice sequel going. During Warner Bros. presentation at the convention for theater workers, the studio claimed that Beetlejuice 2 is officially in the works.

Updated list of cast members for the Beetlejuice sequel

Over the past few weeks, there have been a growing number of updates about the movie. For one, Warner Bros. has announced that Beetlejuice 2 will appear on the big screen September 6, 2024.

Michael Keaton is said to be returning as the (hilariously) annoying phantom title character. (It’s especially funny to think that back in the 1980s, Keaton played Beetlejuice and Batman within a year of each other—and is now returning to BOTH roles DECADES later, again within like a year of each other.)

Other cast members from the original movie returning for the sequel include Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. New cast members promised for the sequel include Jenna Ortega (said to be playing the daughter of Ryder’s character), Monica Bellucci (said to be playing Beetlejuice’s wife—which would mean he’s been doing pretty well since the last movie), and Willem Dafoe (said to be playing a security officer in the afterlife).

The legacy of the original Beetlejuice movie

The original film is one of the most loved horror comedy movies of all time. Beetlejuice has gone on to inspire a cartoon TV show, video games, and a popular stage musical. There is even a cookbook on the way!

I also want to mention the fun—and somewhat surprising—crossover that came when the cartoon version of Beetlejuice guest starred on the 2020 Teen Titans Go! episode “Ghost with the Most.” For this appearance, Beetlejuice was voiced by Alex Brightman, repeating his role from the Broadway musical.

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Chris Well

Chris Well been a writer pretty much his entire life. (Well, since his childhood.) Over the years, he has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio, and books. He now is the chief of the website Monster Complex, celebrating monster stories in lit and pop culture. He also writes horror comedy fiction that embraces Universal Monsters, 1960s sitcoms, 1980s action movies, and the X-Files.

https://chriswell.substack.com/
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