Beetlejuice 2 first look: Everything we know about Michael Keaton and Jenna Ortega horror comedy return
The first look at Beetlejuice 2, officially titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, was released on March 20, 2024. The film, directed by Tim Burton, will be released almost 36 years after the first movie, and many of the stars from the title will return to portray the iconic characters.
Michael Keaton will return as the iconic character Beetleguese in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but this time, he will be joined by Jenna Ortega. In the film, she will play Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Winona Ryder's Lydia Deetz.
Beetlejuice 2 features a death in the family
The first look at the upcoming film gave us looks at Michael Keaton's returning maniacal titular character in his classic getup while also showcasing Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, and Justine Theroux attending a funeral dressed in all-black.
While plot details of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice have not been revealed as of this writing, director Tim Burton recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the film. While he didn't reveal much, he hinted that a death in the family would kick off the movie's events.
It certainly is clear that the sequel will be picking up decades after Beetlejuice as Jenna Ortega will be playing the new generation of Deetz and will be joined not only by Winona Ryder's Lydia Deetz but also Catherine O'Hara's Delia Deetz. The death aspect is further highlighted by the release of a first-look photo where you can see the Deetz family and Justin Theroux's newly added Rory attending a funeral.
Details on other cast members, however, remain a secret. The film also stars actors like Arthur Conti, Bum Gorman, Willem Dafoe, and Monica Belluci, the latter of whom was reported to be playing Beetlegeuse's wife in the film.
Michael Keaton returns as Beetlegeuse
After returning as Tim Burton's Batman last year in The Flash, Michael Keaton returns as one of the other iconic characters helmed by the director. Keaton returns as Beetlegeuse in the movie.
Talking about Michael Keaton's return in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Burton revealed to Entertainment Weekly how the actor just got back into the role again.
He said,
"It was kind of scary for somebody who was maybe not that overly interested in doing it. It was such a beautiful thing for me to see all the cast, but he, sort of like demon possession, just went right back into it."
Burton also revealed why he felt the need to go with the title Beetlejuice Beetlejuice instead of just adding a simple two ahead of the title. He explained,
"It's been, what? Thirty-five years. So it didn't feel like Beetlejuice 2 to me."
He continued,
"It didn't feel like that kind of a movie. The other one I thought of, because one of my favorite Dracula movies is Dracula A.D. 1972, was Beetlejuice 2024 A.D. But this was a nice simple one."
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releases in theatres on September 6.