The family dynamics of the original Beetlejuice is what made the Tim Burton movie such a success, which is exactly why family plays a major component of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The first plot details about the sequel confirmed that Charles Deetz, played in the 1988 movie by Jeffrey Jones, had died and it was his death that motivated key plot points. With the movie out now in theaters, fans have learned about the character’s fate, as well as the impact his demise had on the sequel. In 2002, Jones was arrested on charges of possession of child pornography and attempting to solicit a minor. Jones has still made a number of appearances in movies and TV projects but his criminal history likely impacted Burton’s decision on how to handle the character.ย
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WARNING: Spoilers below for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Since audiences last saw the Deetz family, Lydia (Winona Ryder) has used her abilities to connect with figures from the beyond to host a TV show about ghosts, while Delia (Catherine O’Hara) has become a notable artist. Early on in the film, Delia reveals to Lydia that Charles had died, as he embarked on a vacation to go bird watching. Recreated in an animated format, audiences witness that Charles’ plane crashed into the ocean, and while he survived the crash, he was bitten in half by a shark.
Given the nature of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, this isn’t the last we see of Charles, as he explores the Neitherworld as a brand-new ghost. With his death seeing him cut in half, however, audiences see the legs and lower torso of Charles, as well as hear his voice, as he stumbles and bumbles his way around the realm, while also getting to hear him communicating with those around him.ย
Following Charles’ death, Delia, Lydia, and Lydia’s daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) return to the iconic home from the original movie to grieve the loss of the figure, which also results in Astrid coming across the model in the attic in which Beetlegeuse (Michael Keaton) resided, as the “Ghost with the Most” ultimately returned to the home as well.
The bizarre series of events that caused Charles’ death were directly inspired by Burton’s own fears about death.
“The way Charles dies in that animated piece is Tim’s nightmare of dying. He literally pitched that: ‘My nightmare is, I’m in a plane crash, I survive the plane crash, I almost drown, and then a shark eats me,’” cowriter Alfred Gough revealed to Entertainment Weekly. “We were like, ‘Well, that’s genius. So that’s going to be how he dies.’”
No actor is credited with playing Charles or Charles’ voice in the movie.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in theaters now.
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