Say Beetlejuice Three Times and You’ll Get Jenna Ortega
Scream queen Jenna Ortega has summoned her next spooky project. The Wednesday actress will star in a sequel to Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s 1988 horror-comedy starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder (per Variety). Ortega is playing the daughter of Lydia Deetz, who gets roped into yet another crazy scheme by the ghost with the most. Many of the first film’s cast are returning, 36 years later. Different ideas to bring back Beetlejuice have been rumored for decades, including the fabled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. “We talked about lots of different things,” Burton told EW. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted Mansion, Beetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.” On March 20, Warner Bros. released first look pics of Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Ortega, and more. Here’s everything we know about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Who’s back from Beetlejuice 1 (and who isn’t)?
Keaton and Ryder will resume their roles as the poltergeist Beetlejuice and goth girl Lydia Deetz, respectively. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Catherine O’Hara is returning as Delia Deetz, which means she’ll play Ortega’s on-screen grandma. There are some cast members unsurprisingly not announced to return, namely Jeffrey Jones and Alec Baldwin.
And who are the Neitherworld noobs?
Willem Defoe is reportedly playing a law enforcement officer in the afterlife, while Monica Bellucci (The Matrix Reloaded) is said to be in talks to star as Beetlejuice’s wife. Justin Theroux (Mulholland Drive) will also have a part to play in the upcoming film, though details on his character are slim at the moment. We know is name is Rory, though. House of the Dragon’s Arthur Conti will also play a part in the ghostly to-do.
Lemme get a look at these ghouls
Tim Burton says he is using stop-motion animation to bring back classic effects into ‘BEETLEJUICE 2’
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 20, 2024
“It needed a back-to-basics, handmade quality. It reenergized why I love making movies.”
(Source: https://t.co/hzMuLevrQH) pic.twitter.com/5iVQRV6rhW
Entertainment Weekly had first look pics of the living Deetz family, who gather after a death in the family. “That’s all I will say,” Burton said of the plot.
When does Beetlejuice Beetlejuice creep into theaters?
Warner Bros. plans to release the film on September 6, 2024, just ahead of spooky season. Production is set to begin in London on May 10 with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment producing the Mike Vukadinovich screenplay and Burton returning to direct. It’s still unclear who or what calls Beetlejuice back into the world for the sequel — in the first film, the unfriendly ghost is summoned by a home’s recently deceased owners to haunt the new inhabitants. Perhaps Ortega says Beetlejuice three times to haunt the Wednesday writers?
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