Tim Burton and the cast of his upcoming “Beetlejuice” sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” received a rousing welcome from the audience during Warner Bros. Pictures’ CinemaCon presentation at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Burton described the gathering of his “Beetlejuice” family as “a big weird family reunion,” with stars Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, and Monica Bellucci joining him on stage.
Keaton humorously noted the absence of a dress code memo, as everyone was dressed in shades of black. Unfortunately, Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega couldn’t attend due to their current project schedules. Despite Ortega’s absence, both Burton and Keaton praised her seamless transition from Disney to horror, with Keaton noting that she inherently understood the tone and navigation of the “Beetlejuice” world.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” picks up with the Deetz family returning to Winter River after an unexpected tragedy. Lydia Deetz, now played by Ryder, is a mother to Ortega’s character, Astrid. When Astrid accidentally opens a portal to the afterlife, Beetlejuice returns to unleash his unique brand of chaos. Burton revealed that he has been considering a sequel since the original film’s release in 1987, fascinated by the Deetz family’s evolution. A new trailer, which Burton introduced, teases the central question: “The living. The dead. Can they co-exist?”
Keaton shared that he and Burton have discussed a sequel over the years, and the timing and script quality have finally aligned. Having seen the film twice, Keaton boldly declared, “It’s really fucking good.” The excitement for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has been growing since the release of the first trailer, which has garnered over 16 million views. The sequel, set to arrive on September 6, marks a significant milestone for Ortega, who has collaborated with Burton on the hit Netflix series “Wednesday.”
The CinemaCon event itself was infused with the spirit of “Beetlejuice,” as Warner Bros. executives Jeff Goldstein and Andrew Cripps took the stage in black-and-white striped suits and electrified white wigs, playfully engaging the audience. As “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” prepares to haunt theaters, fans can look forward to a reunion that promises to capture the essence of Burton’s quirky, ghostly charm, with a stellar cast and an eagerly anticipated return to the beloved franchise.
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