It's been more than three decades since audiences last saw Beetlejuice do his thing on the big screen, but that's about to change. After years in development hell, the sequel to the 1988 black comedy is in the works and with the original film's major players returning. Cast, plot, release date and more, we review everything we know about the return of the pinstriped-suited ghost.
Tim Burton, responsible for the first film and recent hits like Netflix's Wednesday, is returning to take over directing duties. Warner Bros. also confirmed at CinemaCon 2023 that the screenwriting team includes Seth Grahame-Smith (Tenebrous Shadows) and David Katzenberg (It), who are reprising the work of writer Michael McDowell.
As for the cast, Michael Keaton was key to this sequel. In 2022, not only was it official that the actor would return to take over the lead role, but so would Winona Ryder as Lydia, and even Catherine O'Hara as Delia Deetz, his uptight mother. Along with the returning cast members, there are several big names joining Beetlejuice 2. After much rumor and speculation, it was confirmed that Jenna Ortega will play Lydia's daughter. Willem Dafoe, meanwhile, will play a former B-movie actor who functions as a detective in the afterlife. Other reports indicate that Monica Bellucci will play Beetlejuice's wife.
On the other hand, the film's plot, Haris Zambarloukos, the film's director of photography gave a preview of its plot in August 2023. The industry professional noted that he chose the project because of the "human connection" that is apparently at the forefront of Beetlejuice 2: "At its core, Beetlejuice is a story about a family. And now, 30 years later, it begs the question, what are the intricacies and the human condition to keep a family together all that time in the craziest world possible?"
As for the premiere, Warner Bros. has set the film's release date for September 6, 2024. It is still unknown if the film will suffer any delay as a result of the screenwriters' and actors' strikes, but to date it is known that it is progressing steadily in post-production.
