After spending many years at just the rumor stage, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are set to finally reprise their roles in Beetlejuice 2. The first movie cemented Keaton's status as one of Hollywood's favorite nuts and most lovably devious and quirky performers. Beetlejuice is a movie about a sweet and adorable couple, played by the incomparable Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin. They move into a large, beautiful house on a hill, only to die in a tragic car accident. The couple is stuck navigating the great in-between, traversing the limbo between the mortal world and the afterlife.
When a new family moves into their home, the family's neglected emo child, played by Winona Ryder, finds her style dark and edgy enough to see the recently deceased couple. The result is a hilarious confrontation between the living, the dead, and the mischievous and scheming forces of the hearse-chasing spirit Betelgeuse.
It is not known if Geena Davis will return to reprise her role in Beetlejuice 2, should the house where the events of the first film take place become central to the plot of the next movie. It is also unknown if Alec Baldwin will be using this opportunity to continue his transition back into the industry after the tragic shooting of DP Halyna Hutchins on the set of his movie Rust.
The sequel has been confirmed to be in the works at Brad Pitt's Plan B production company, allowing hopes to swell that the film, remaining dormant for a significant number of years, can finally find what it needs to take flight. The sequel to the classic 1988 Beetlejuice film has been stuck in a constant 'happening - not happening' limbo, and news that the film has moved past the rumor stage has had fans brimming with anticipation. Director Tim Burton has also weighed in on the film, adding to the excitement. While keeping our fingers crossed that the film goes on to become a reality, here is everything we hope to see from Beetlejuice 2!
Updated November 2022 by Jessica Peerez: If you're excited about the long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel, you'll be happy to know we've updated this article with additional info about the movie.
Beetlejuice 2: A New Halloween Classic
We love Halloween movies, and Beetlejuice has been one of our favorites for many a decade! Keaton's iconic performance as the swindling afterlife counselor has been one of the most iconic of his prolific, versatile career, alongside his run as Batman and his brilliant Shakespearian role in Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing. It's difficult to think of Halloween in all its spooktacular glory without thinking of Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse.
Hopefully, Beetlejuice 2 will seize the opportunity to make something both nostalgically fun and freshly definitive Creatively speaking, it can be guessed that the key to making Beetlejuice 2 as eccentric, captivating, and unique as the original lies with another character.
Winona Ryder as the Iconic Lydia
Everyone's talking about the Brenaissance, and everybody's raving about the Keanaissance, and rightfully so, but where are all our Winonaissance fans at? Winona Ryder has enjoyed a much-deserved return to stardom following her casting as the iconic Joyce Byers in Netflix's Stranger Things. This is fantastic news to anyone who has ever seen any '90s movie, lived in the '90s, or heard of the '90s. Winona Ryder is a staple to the coming-of-age genre that raised so many of us, be it the more slapstick Beetlejuice or the original film adaptation of Little Women, which co-starred Susan Sarandon, Claire Danes, and the one and only Christian Bale. What little girl didn't want to grow up to be just like the free-spirited, sassy Joe March?
Beetlejuice's Lydia was a hilarious and empowering take on the "troubled child" trope. The depiction of her situation, a bright and intelligent child raised by two bickering, superficial, and often ridiculous parents, gave power to her character. She wasn't troubled or a troublemaker as much as she was neglected, lonely, under-stimulated, and wanting honesty and change. The character resonated with so many and though housed in a horror-comedy, was an important portrayal of the real issues that misunderstood, aesthetic adolescents grapple with.
Speaking of her parents, the character's wayward mother was played by Catherine O'Hara. It is still unknown whether O'Hara will be lending her remarkable talent to the sequel as well, with many remaining curious about what Lydia's relationship with her mother is like now. Most importantly, we will see Lydia deal with Betelgeuse again after their extremely concerning interactions in the first movie. With anticipation for Winona Ryder running high, fans are also excited to see what Michael Keaton has in store for the role after so many years.
Johnny Depp Joining the Iconic Cast
Rumors have been widely circulating that there is a possibility of former Pirates of the Caribbean actor Johnny Depp joining the cast of Beetlejuice 2. Despite the lack of an official confirmation, both Depp and Beetlejuice fans have been extremely excited over the news. They have taken to social media to speculate Depp's possible roles in the film. With Michael Keaton pegged to reprise his role as the titular character and Depp not having a role attached to him yet, fans anticipate that the actor will appear in the film, even if it is simply for a cameo.
The long-standing relationship between Depp and director Tim Burton has also contributed to the rumors about Depp's appearance in Beetlejuice 2. The director partnered up with Depp back in 1990 for Edward Scissorhands, and if they do come together again for Beetlejuice, it will be the duo's ninth collaboration.
For now, Burton cautions that the film is still in the very early stages of development, with nothing set in stone. Talking at a press conference at the Lumière Festival in October 2022, the director said:
“I only know if I’m making a film when I’m actually on the set shooting. I try to go back to the root of everything. It springs from a seed and then it grows, rather than out of these statements. I am working on ideas and things but it’s all very early days. We’ll set how it goes. How’s that for a none answer?”
While the film does not have a confirmed release date at the time of writing, Beetlejuice 2 is expected to release sometime in 2025.