Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Finally Hits Theaters: A Look Behind the Sequel’s Creation
This weekend marks the long-anticipated return of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" to theaters, a sequel that has taken considerable effort and some serendipitous factors to become a reality. The film is a follow-up to Tim Burton’s cherished 1988 classic.
Director Tim Burton has reunited much of the original cast for this sequel. Michael Keaton reprises his role as the iconic trickster demon Beetlejuice, while Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder return as Delia and Lydia Deetz, respectively. However, it was the addition of Jenna Ortega to the cast that proved instrumental in bringing "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" to life. Ortega plays Astrid, who is the daughter of Ryder’s character and the granddaughter of O’Hara’s character.
In a recent interview with CNN, O’Hara shared insight into the lengthy development of the sequel, saying, “Jenna had to be born, become an actress and work with Tim.” She elaborated, emphasizing that Burton’s thoughts on "this young girl’s life from her point of view" and his recognition of Ortega’s talent were crucial in finally making the sequel "click."
Notably, Ortega, who was born nearly 15 years after the original "Beetlejuice" was released, did not see the film until she was about nine years old. Her fresh addition to the long-awaited sequel has been met with enthusiasm.
In her talk with CNN, Ortega revealed that Burton offered her the role during their collaboration on the second season of Netflix’s hit series "Wednesday," which is based on another dark franchise, "The Addams Family." She explained, “I just was having a meeting with him about ‘Wednesday’ and he plopped the ‘Beetlejuice’ script in my lap.” Having not expected to join the project, Ortega was pleasantly surprised.
She went on to recount, “And then I read the script pretty much immediately, and obviously seeing Tim’s passion for it and having passion for not only the first film, but then the character Astrid herself, it just kind of felt like an almost instantaneous decision.”
Returning to roles that played pivotal parts in launching their careers in the 1980s, Ryder and O’Hara expressed that revisiting the "Beetlejuice" universe was both professionally and personally fulfilling. Ryder remarked, “There’s just nothing like it,” stressing the unique genre Burton created that combines "thriller and comedy with a lot of different things embroidered together." She described the experience as “really thrilling,” appreciating Burton’s ability to recreate the energy of intimacy and innovation.
Ortega echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the learning experience she gained from collaborating with Ryder and O’Hara, describing O’Hara as a “comedy legend.” She added, “I feel like Winona has this quality to her that – I’ve never quite seen anything like it before,” commending Ryder’s honest and vulnerable performance that still retains a mysterious quality.
Although it has taken over 30 years for this sequel to be realized, the cast remains open to the possibility of a third film in the "Beetlejuice" franchise, should Burton choose to develop it. O’Hara humorously noted, “Yeah, I’d like to be alive in 30 years!”
Fans are hopeful that it won’t take another three and a half decades to see a sequel materialize. After all, conjuring the ghost with the most requires saying his name three times.