Beetlejuice was a Tim Burton classic. We all know how eccentric Burton could be, but Beetlejuice took his style to the next level. We all loved the film regardless of how odd and creepy it was. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 30 years since the original film first came out. Since the movie came out in 1988, fans have been clamoring for a sequel, but it literally took decades before talks about the project even surfaced. Will we be seeing a Beetlejuice sequel any time soon? All the principal players are still around after all, and the way the movie ended left a huge opening for a sequel.
There has been conflicting news lately about the possibility of the sequel. Some people say that the project is dead, while others claim that there’s actually a screenplay already written for it. Some claim that a new screenplay is being commissioned for a completely new story. That was the latest as of 2017, and so far, we know that Mike Vukadinovich has been hired to do that rewrite. Tim Burton is still expected to direct, of course, and sources have said that he’s actually extremely excited about this project.
Burton’s original Beetlejuice featured a recently deceased ghost couple Adam and Barbara (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis). In the story, they are trying to get rid of the new tenants of their home with the help of Lydia (Winona Ryder), the daughter of the new tenants. Things go a little crazy when Lydia accidentally releases Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), a playful ghost who has a lot of tricks up his sleeves to help the couple with their goals.
It’ll be interesting to see where that story has gone 30 years down the road. We can easily imagine Adam and Barbara still around as ghosts, but that storyline will be virtually impossible considering how much Baldwin and Davis has aged over the last three decades. It can be the same for Michael Keaton, but Betelgeuse wore makeup for the entirety of the show. So the aging situation can easily be remedied with props, costumes, and special effects. The best approach would probably be to take Lydia’s character as a grown woman now, probably with children of her own. We can imagine Lydia thirty years down the road being acquainted with Betelgeuse again. Part of the story could be her death as well, where she might need the help of Betelgeuse to navigate her new life as a ghost.
Regardless of how the writers will take it, the thought of a Beetlejuice sequel is interesting and fun. We can only picture how much better the effects will be now with all the tech developments that had been missing in the last film. There are so many special effects possibilities now, and what better time to create a sequel than now?
It seems that the project is in the early stages still and that no actors have been contracted to play any parts. As it stands, the movement is very slow on the project, so there’s a good chance that the film might be scratched altogether. There might be a better possibility of a complete recreation of Beetlejuice with new players coming in to play. We don’t hate the idea entirely, especially since many movies from that time has been remade already.
As a matter of fact, the film is actually getting a stage adaptation. The musical has been written and casting is already in the process. Before we know it, the musical will have hit the stage already before any further news of a sequel will come out. The pre-Broadway run is set to happen at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. by October of this year.
We haven’t lost hope just yet. Once the musical gets out and depending on how good it turns out to be, we might expect to get more momentum for the film to move forward. Burton might be taking his time just to be careful, but if we’ve already waited for 30 years, we’re sure that we can wait just a few years more. We’d rather have a great sequel than one that feels rushed. Who’s rushing anyway? Ghosts won’t go anywhere.
Follow Us
