Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to Open Venice Film Festival

The highly-awaited Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is finally hitting theaters in September, and Tim Burton fans can expect to see the return of Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice (or Betelgeuse), Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, and Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz. The movie is also set to feature Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Danny DeVito. While most moviegoers will have to wait a couple of months to see the film, some lucky fans will get the chance to see the movie at the Venice Film Festival. 

The 81st Venice Film Festival is officially set to kick off with the world premiere of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The movie is expected to be screened out of competition on August 28th at the Sala Grande. “This will mark a return to the sort of glitzy red carpet with which Venice has become synonymous after last year’s Lido event had less star-wattage than usual as it took place amid the SAG-AFTRA strike,” Deadline explained.  

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marks the long-awaited return of one of the most iconic characters of Tim Burton’s cinema, but also the happy confirmation of the extraordinary visionary talent and the masterly realization of one of the most fascinating auteurs of his time. The Venice Biennale is honored and proud to host the world premiere of a work that features a surprising swing of creative imagination and driving hallucinatory rhythm,” Venice chief Alberto Barbera shared in a statement.

“I’m very excited by this,” Burton added. “It means a lot to me to have the world premiere of this film at the Venice Film Festival.”

What Is Beetlejuice Beetlejuice About?

You can read the official synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice here: “Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic, and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.” 

“Beetlejuice is the most f*ckin’ fun you can have working,” Keaton previously 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 Beetlejuice is currently scheduled to debut in theaters on September 6th.