Beetlejuice 2 Adds Justin Theroux

Beetlejuice fans were given good news today when Warner Bros. revealed a release date for the highly anticipated Beetlejuice 2, with Deadline confirming today that Justin Theroux had joined the cast of the project. Details about the project have largely been kept under wraps by the studio, though Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are both reported to be returning to the project, which is said to be directed by Tim Burton from a script by Wednesday's Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Original composer Danny Elfman also is expected to return, with Jenna Ortega said to be joining the cast. Beetlejuice 2 is set to hit theaters on September 6, 2024.

The original film explored what happened when a married couple tragically dies and their spirits are left to reside in their former home, only for a new family to move in and entirely upend the quaint abode. The spirits enlist the help of the "Ghost with the Most" Beetlejuice (Keaton) to go to great lengths to spook the family, with the spirits striking up an emotional connection with young daughter Lydia Deetz (Ryder). Rumors claim that Ortega will be playing Lydia's daughter, leaving it possible that Theroux could play the father.

Production on the sequel is set to kick off this week, so it's possible that more details about the project will be emerging in the near future.

With 35 years having passed since the original movie debuted, the notion of a follow-up has seemed quite unlikely, especially since director Burton has dismissed the notion for years. With how much time has passed, there are understandably some complications about bringing the project to life, though Elfman recently noted how Keaton's character will have the easiest time being revived, thanks to the makeup application.

In response to people wondering how Keaton could return to that world, Elfman noted to Deadline, "I said, 'He's not even going to look that much different. That's the beauty of the Beetlejuice makeup. He already looked like he was 150 in the first one.'"  

For a large chunk of his career, Burton was known for the ways in which he blended whimsy with the macabre, though with projects like Big Eyes, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and Dumbo all earning underwhelming reactions from audiences, he returned to genre storytelling with Wednesday, a TV series that became one of the biggest hits of 2022. It's possible that an embrace of familiar material ignited his interest in pursuing a new Beetlejuice.

Beetlejuice 2 is set to hit theaters on September 6, 2024.

Are you looking forward to the sequel? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!