news culture Beetlejuice: 35 years later, this cult film by Tim Burton is finally getting a sequel. For what ?
With a release date set for Beetlejuice 2, let’s take a look back at the success of the 1988 cult film.
Summary
- A cult figure
- Burton’s style
- A possible summary
For a surprise, it’s a surprise! 35 years after the release of the first part, Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice has the rights to a sequel – which will be released on September 6, 2024 in the USA. Four actors have already been cast: Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, who will reprise their roles, as well as Jenna Ortega (Wednesday) and Justin Theroux (Mulholland Drive). A second work, following on from the particularly successful 1988 feature film, grossing around $74 million on a budget of $15 million. However, the original film is best remembered for its iconic character, Beetlejuice, who only lasts seven minutes on screen.
A cult figure
“Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice”! This name has been in our mind since the first screening of the film. Because of his burlesque, he became a cult in the world of Tim Burton. But what sticks in our minds the most is obviously her looks: striped outfit, cadaveric complexion, tousled hair. And it’s thanks to Michael Keaton himself that the character is so instantly recognizable. During an interview awarded in 2014 to Charlie Rose, former American journalist and talk show host, The actor reveals that at first he didn’t know how to define the role and the ghost’s appearance until he thought it wouldn’t work at all. After lengthy discussions with Tim Burton and a few days of reflection, the Beetlejuice performer asked for “a random bunch of wardrobes from different eras.” Keaton then directly presented his character’s appearance without showing it first: “The amazing thing is that he (Tim Burton, ed. ed.) has never seen anything like it. “We just discussed it,” explains the actor. That’s why we have Michael Keaton to thank. Without him, Beetlejuice probably never would have been the same.
Burton’s style
A unique character and an equally unique artistic touch. Today we no longer present Tim Burton’s unique style, which is simultaneously macabre, melancholic, strange, fantastic and poetic. His universe is strongly inspired by Romanticism and German Expressionism. This current, born at the beginning of the 20th century, can be found in the field of art in general, from literature to music and painting, with Vincent Van Gogh in particular being its forerunner. This influence can be seen in the creative’s short films, most notably Vincent in 1982 or Frankenweenie (1984). Beetlejuice is the director’s first feature film dedicated to this genre. It is a fantasy horror comedy dubbed by Tim Burton himself as a parody of the 1973 film The Exorcist. The project tells the story of Barbara and Adam Maitland, a young couple who died in a car accident at their country estate. A few years later, the Deetz family, Charles, Delia and their daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder), moved into this house. To get them to leave, the Maitlands invoke a “bio-exorcist” spirit named Beetlejuice to scare the new family. With the omnipresence of death, its monsters and its black humor, Burton shaped the viewers of his time.
A possible summary
The Beetlejuice sequel is now slated for September 6, 2024 in the US. No synopsis has been announced, but perhaps an idea from 1990 that was canceled at the time will be revived. This second work, called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, was meant to be totally burlesque. It was to follow the Deetz family’s move to Hawaii, where Charles is setting up a resort. But when everything seemed perfect, the company is actually based out of an old Kahuna graveyard (Hawaiian word referring to an expert in any field). The spirit returns from the afterlife to cause them trouble, but Beetlejuice doesn’t help, who becomes a hero by winning a surfing competition thanks to magic. Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton agreed at the time to make the film, but the actor and Tim Burton were busy with another success: Batman Returns. Unfortunately, Johnathan Games, who had been hired to write the feature film seven years earlier, said in 1997, “The screenplay for Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian is still owned by the Geffen Company and will probably never be made.” We’ll have to wait for the next announcements to know the Beetlejuice 2 synopsis.
