The more we learn about Tim Burton's Beetlejuice 2 the more excited we are. From the return of music maestro Danny Elfman to the casting of Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci and, of course, the return of the iconic Winona Ryder, it's looking like the long-awaited sequel to the cult comedy-horror classic is going to be well worth the wait. And if all of those exciting developments weren't enough to get you hyped, wait until you hear what the ghost with the most himself, star Michael Keaton had to say today to Entertainment Weekly!
When asked how he felt being back in the striped suit for the first time since 1988, Keaton explained that:
"Beetlejuice is the most f--kin’ fun you can have working. 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."
The original Beetlejuice is famed for its intentionally hand-made look, with puppetry, prosthetics, make-up and stop motion effects used to replicate the schlocky, B-movie horrors that Burton grew up with. Understandably, some fans were concerned that a sequel might leave those effects behind in favor of more modern computer CGI effects. Worry not, dear '80s horror fan, because Mr Keaton has assured that that is definitely not the case:
"[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--kin’ great. It’s the most fun I’ve had working on a movie in I can’t tell you how long."
So there you have it, folks. While plot details for Beetlejuice 2 might still be tightly under wraps, it looks like we can be sure that we're gonna see some wild and wacky creatures and chaos, the likes of which make the original so beloved.
We've still got a long time to wait for Beetlejuice 2, as it won't hit cinemas until September 6 2024, but we'll bring all the updates to you as and when we get them!
