It’s Showtime...Soon! The Long-Awaited 'Beetlejuice' Sequel Sets Release Date
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
It’s been 35 years since Tim Burton’s beloved film Beetlejuice hit theaters, and talks of a sequel have been occurring pretty much ever since. The original film follows a recently deceased couple, Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis), as they navigate the afterlife and try to spook the tacky new owners of their home, the Deetzes (Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones), into leaving. After their efforts fail, they hire a self-proclaimed “bio-exorcist” named Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), whose shenanigans become dangerous for both the Maitlands and the Deetz’s daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder).
The movie spawned a number of offshoots, including an animated series that ran from 1989-1991, a handful of video games and a well-received Broadway musical that premiered in 2019 and reopened in April 2022. Beetlejuice has had such a lasting impact since its release that it’s hard to believe there hasn’t been a sequel before now. After 35 years of starts and stops, it seems as though plans are finally moving forward. Read on to learn everything we know so far about Beetlejuice 2.
Related: How to Watch the Wizarding World Movies of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts in Order
Is there going to be a Beetlejuice 2 movie?
Yes! At a panel at the 2023 CinemaCon, Warner Bros. announced that the sequel is officially in development and now we have a release date. While that date is more than a year away, fans are sure to be circling the date Sept. 6, 2024 in red.
When will Beetlejuice 2 begin shooting?
Production is making plans for a summer 2023 shoot in London.
Who will write the Beetlejuice sequel?
While Warner Bros. has come aboard to produce the sequel, don’t expect details or leaks about the movie anytime soon. Shortly after Beetlejuice became a success, Tim Burton hired British screenwriter Jonathan Gems (Mars Attacks) to write a screenplay called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. The plot would involve the Deetzes in Hawaii, where Charles’ real estate development company is building a resort on an ancient burial ground. Hijinks would have no doubt ensued. Both Keaton and Ryder agreed to this sequel as long as Burton-directed, but Burton went with Batman Returns instead. By the time he returned to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian it was already the mid-'90s and enthusiasm had waned.
Interest was renewed in 2011, however, when Warner Bros. approached Seth Grahame-Smith (best known for his parody novel Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, who also worked with Burton on the adaptation of his book Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter) to write and produce a Beetlejuice sequel. Grahame-Smith agreed on the condition that Keaton reprise his role. Over the next few years, the principals involved in the original movie would affirm their commitment to working on a sequel, but Warner Bros. shelved the project in 2019, around the time the Broadway musical opened. No explicit reason was given. But now it's back!
Will Tim Burton direct Beetlejuice 2?
Yes! Tim Burton directed the original and we were struggling to imagine a Beetlejuice world without his iconic aesthetic involved. Now we don't have to! Burton, who has long expressed interest in returning to the movie, is back!
Burton had previously said that he would helm the movie under the right conditions. And Warner Bros. apparently made that happen. “It’s something that I really would like to do in the right circumstances, but it’s one of those films where it has to be right,” Burton told Collider in 2016. “It’s not a kind of a movie that cries out [for a sequel], it’s not the Beetlejuice trilogy. So it’s something that if the elements are right—because I do love the character and Michael’s amazing as that character, so yeah we’ll see. But there’s nothing concrete yet.”
Who will be in the Beetlejuice 2 cast?
Michael Keaton
Winona Ryder
Jenna Ortega
Justin Theroux
The full cast has still yet to be announced but we know the key players. Burton will reunite with Wednesday star Jenna Ortega. The Hollywood Reporter says she will play the daughter of the character played by Winona Ryder in the original movie.
Keaton and Ryder will reprise their roles.
Justin Theroux will be added to the mix too, but details on his character are under wraps.
Related: Is Wedding Crashers Finally Saying 'I Do' to a Sequel? What We Know So Far
Is Michael Keaton going to be in Beetlejuice 2?
Of course. It wouldn't be Beetlejuice without him!
When will Beetlejuice 2 be released?
Get out that 2024 calendar! Now circle Sept. 6, 2024, that the official release date for Beetlejuice 2. As far as we know, shooting has not yet begun and there's a writers strike so that date could move. The film could take much longer depending on shooting schedules, casting, etc.
Where can I watch Beetlejuice?
The 1988 classic is available to rent or buy on a variety of different platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Vudu, and Google Play.
