Beetlejuice 2 Cinematographer Says Tim Burton Sequel Is “A Story About a Family”

Even though it doesn’t premiere for another year, many are already looking forward to the arrival of Beetlejuice 2, a sequel over three decades in the making. Tim Burton is returning to the director’s chair for the follow-up, and Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara are all set to return to the project. Though some set photos have teased the film’s plot, Beetlejuice 2 cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos says the project is all about family.

“At its heart ‘Beetlejuice [2]’ is a story about a family,” Zambarloukos said in a new interview with TheWrap. “And now it’s 30 years later and what are the intricacies and the human condition in keeping a family together all that time set in the craziest world possible? That’s why I choose projects. That human connection for me is always at the forefront.”

Previous set photos have potentially teased a familial relaitonship between Ryder and franchise newcomer Jenna Ortega, with one of them involved in a wedding—again.

Who’s all returning for Beetlejuice 2?

The filmmaker has once again entrusted Danny Elfman with the score, who’s already at work on the project. “I love being a fly on the wall when he’s shooting. I’ll be doing that in a couple of months, as you may know, on another Tim Burton project,” Elfman shared with Deadline in regards to collaborating with Burton on both Wednesday and the Beetlejuice sequel. “That is very exciting, to return to that world.”

“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,’” Elfman said of Keaton’s reprisal of the eponymous ghoul.

He added, “It’s perfect, you know? Everybody else has to play the next generation, except for Michael. I mean, he’s still like really fit and really active and really on it. And with the Beetlejuice makeup, I can’t even imagine it’s going to look like he’s changed practically at all. So, I can’t wait for that.”

Amongst the newcomers are Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, and Monica Bellucci. Beetlejuice 2 lands in theaters on September 6, 2024. The first film can be streamed on Hulu.