In a recent interview on SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show,” Michael Keaton shared his excitement and enthusiasm for the upcoming “Beetlejuice” sequel, officially titled “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” The actor, who starred in the original 1988 film, has already seen a first cut of the new movie and has nothing but praise for it.
“I’ve seen it now. I’m going to see it again after a couple of little tweaks in the editing room, and I confidently say this thing is great,” Keaton said. “The [original] was so fun and exciting visually. [The sequel is] all that but really beautiful and interestingly emotional here and there. I wasn’t ready for that. It’s great.”
The highly anticipated sequel reunites Keaton with director Tim Burton and original cast members Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. The film also introduces newcomers Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe to the beloved franchise. While plot details remain under wraps, Ortega recently confirmed to Vanity Fair that she will be playing the daughter of Ryder’s character, Lydia Deetz.
“She’s weird, but in a different way and not in the way you’d assume, I would say,” Ortega revealed about her character, Astrid. “The relationship between Lydia and Astrid, my character, is very important. And it’s also really strange because it’s a lot of catching up and putting the pieces together of what’s gone on in Lydia’s life since, which is nice, I think, for anybody who loves the character and is excited to see her again.”
The emotional depth and mother-daughter dynamic in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” may be the reason behind Keaton’s surprise at the film’s unexpected emotional impact. Prior to filming the sequel, Keaton admitted to having only watched the original “Beetlejuice” once or twice from start to finish. However, he decided to revisit the classic before embarking on the new project.
“It’s like a piece of art, you know what I mean? It’s almost like you want to take it and put it in a museum,” Keaton said of the original film. “There’s just nothing like it. To do it again was a little, I guess intimidating, and I was nervous about it. I wanted to do it a long time ago. I thought maybe we should take another shot at it, and then the idea went away and no one seemed excited about it. Then it started coming back and I got excited.”
Keaton’s enthusiasm for the “Beetlejuice” sequel extends beyond the film’s emotional depth. In a separate interview with People magazine last month, he described the experience of shooting the movie as “the most fun I’ve had on set in a long time.”
The actor also revealed that he and director Tim Burton had agreed from the beginning that if they were to make a sequel, they wanted to maintain the handmade feel of the original and avoid relying too heavily on technology. “It had to feel handmade. It’s the most exciting thing. When you get to do that again after years of standing in front of a giant screen, pretending somebody’s across the way from you, this is just enormous fun,” Keaton explained.
As fans eagerly await the release of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” scheduled to hit theaters on Sept. 6, Michael Keaton’s glowing review of the film has only heightened the anticipation. With its visually stunning aesthetics, unexpected emotional depth, and the reunion of the original cast and creative team, the sequel promises to be a worthy follow-up to the beloved 1988 classic.
