Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Star Originally Wanted to Have a Much More Devastating Death

The original Beetlejuice relies heavily on the world of the living interacting with the world of the dead, so it’s no surprise that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice similarly embraced death as a necessary part of life. Writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar recently recalled that, while some beloved characters met their demise in the movie, one performer suggested that their character take their own life, but that this idea was ruled out as being a bit too tragic for the otherwise lighthearted experience to include. The writers did, though, admit it was a great plan, just one that didn’t fit the vibe of the rest of the experience. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in theaters now.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

As evidenced by the trailers, a key component of the story is the death of Charles Deetz, which brings Lydia (Winona Ryder), Astrid (Jenna Ortega), and Delia (Catherine O’Hara) back to the home featured in the original movie. Delia is bitten by snakes that she believes to not be venomous, only to learn this isn’t true. She then transitions to the Neitherworld and is ultimately reunited with her husband. 

Millar noted that it was O’Hara’s idea to kill Delia, but it was originally in a more intense situation.

“That was actually Catherine’s idea. We were talking about her character, and she said, ‘I think she should commit suicide just because she’s so in love with Charles. The ultimate thing she can do is to join him in the afterlife,’” the writer pointed out. “It’s a great idea, but it felt like a weird well to go down in a comedy to have a main character commit suicide toward the end of the movie. What’s a more creative, bizarre way that she could die? That was an accidental death. So we got to his idea of the asps, which we really loved.”

Charles’ cause of death was explored through stop-motion animation, with the character’s plane crashing into the ocean, causing him to get eaten by a shark. Not only did the animated style make the grim demise a bit more lighthearted, but Charles continued to appear throughout the film as a wandering torso, embracing the silly spirit of the franchise. 

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in theaters now.

Do you think the movie should have gone with O’Hara’s pitched death? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!