Beetlejuice 2: Tim Burton Teases “Back to Basics” Approach for Sequel

This year marked 35 years since Tim Burton’s beloved film, Beetlejuice, was released in theaters. Now, the director is returning for a sequel with many members of the original cast. Michael Keaton is back as the titular character alongside Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz and Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz in addition to franchise newcomers Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, and Monica Bellucci. Earlier this year, Keaton revealed the movie will be using practical effects. In a new interview with Independent, Burton talked about the film and teased a “back to basics” approach. 

“Honestly, I don’t really know, because I am really not that good at talking or speaking or trying to sell something, so to speak. Looking back, it’s a very, very strange journey that I can’t quite explain,” Burton said when asked about thriving in Hollywood. “That’s why it is hard for me to watch the movies afterwards, because I still feel the emotional whatever of it. I don’t get a release from that. But I do enjoy all the people I’ve worked with. On this last one, Beetlejuice 2, I really enjoyed it. I tried to strip everything and go back to the basics of working with good people and actors and puppets. It was kind of like going back to why I liked making movies.”

Michael Keaton on Returning To Beetlejuice:

“Beetlejuice is the most f*ckin’ fun you can have working,” Keaton shared with Empire . “It’s so fun, it’s so great. And you know what it is? We’re doing it exactly like we did the first movie … There’s a woman in the great waiting room for the afterlife literally with a fishing line – I want people to know this because I love it – tugging on the tail of a cat to make it move.” 

Keaton added, “[Burton] and I were talking about it years and years ago, never telling anybody. I said, ‘If it happens, first of all, we’ve both said we’re doing it many times. We both agreed, if it happens, it has to be done as close to the way we made it the first time. Making stuff up, making stuff happen, improvising and riffing, but literally handmade stuff like people creating things with their hands and building something. F*ckin’ great. It’s the most fun I’ve had working on a movie in I can’t tell you how long.”

Beetlejuice 2 lands in theaters on September 6, 2024. The first film is available to be streamed on Hulu.