Jenna Ortega Dishes About Working on ‘Beetlejuice 2’: “Some of the Most Fun I’ve Ever Had on a Set”
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You could say it's pretty strange and unusual to have to wait 36 long years for a movie sequel, but that's exactly what we're getting from Tim Burton's 1988 hit Beetlejuice. TBH, it's kinda fitting for the quirky horror-comedy-fantasy movie. The sequel, dubbed Beetlejuice 2, is finally, officially a go (with some big name actors signed on, both new and returning) after literal decades of trying to make it happen and, my god, it was a journey to get here.
As the legend goes, Tim Burton hired a writer for the sequel way back in 1990, which ended up being called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian and was set in, you guessed it, Hawaii. After a few years of attempted rewrites, the sequel was sidelined. Warner Bros. picked the idea back up in 2011 and batted it around for a few years before shelving it once again in 2019. Then in 2022, Brad Pitt's studio Plan B Entertainment (along with Warner Bros.) announced the sequel yet again, and by early 2023, Burton and the star-studded cast were all in, finally bringing an end to this truly wild roller coaster ride.
Filming officially started back in late May 2023 (there can't be any take-backsies at this point right?!) so here's everything we know so far about Beetlejuice 2.
Where is Beetlejuice 2 filming?
According to some leaked set photos from back in May, Beetlejuice 2 is filming just south-east of London in Buckinghamshire, England and is going by the secret name "Blue Hawaii"—an apparent nod to the original sequel script that never made it to the big screen.
Is there a release date for Beetlejuice 2 yet?
We'll all have to practice just a touch more patience, because Beetlejuice 2 isn't scheduled to come out for another year and a half. The rough release date atm is September 6, 2024. Although it's far away, a fall release is perfect for what is sure to become a Halloween-time movie.
According to Collider, the movie will premiere exclusively in theaters and will likely make its way over to the Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO Max for streaming afterwards.
Who's in the cast of Beetlejuice 2?
Okay, now this is where things get really exciting. First of all, Wednesday star Jenna Ortega has signed onto the movie which (A) is the perfect fit for the Gen Z queen of spookiness and (B) means we'll get to see whatever magic she and Tim Burton create on their second project together. A few other big-name newbies to the franchise—Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, and Justin Theroux—have also been cast in the sequel.
They'll be joining some of the original cast reprising their roles, including Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse (duh), Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, and the iconic Catherine O'Hara as Delia Deetz. At Empire's VIP event earlier this month, Keaton gushed about how excited he is to be reprising his role as the mischievous "bio-exorcist," saying, "Beetlejuice is the most f*ckin' 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."
"[Tim Burton] and I were talking about it years and years ago, never telling anybody. 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," he added.
What has the cast said about Beetlejuice 2?
At the 75th Emmy Awards on January 14, Jenna Ortega dished about the upcoming film on the red carpet, saying it was "some of the most fun I've ever had on a set." In conversation with Entertainment Tonight, she added that the film is "visually, so exciting."
"Everything was practical...I think we're not using very much CGI or something like that at all," she explained. 👀
What's the plot of Beetlejuice 2?
Right now, your guess is as good as ours, but there are a few (very small) clues we can use to speculate. We know that Jenna Ortega is playing the daughter of Lydia (Winona Ryder), and that Monica Bellucci is playing Betelgeuse's wife (!!). And according to Screen Rant, Willem Dafoe has been cast as an "afterlife law enforcer." Plus, even more recently-leaked pics from the set gave us some additional insight as to the plot since they showcased what appeared to be a wedding scene as Jenna wore a white tulle gown that was stained with a vibrant red hue. In-ter-est-ing!
JFYI, the original Hawaiian-themed sequel script followed the Deetz family moving to Hawaii to develop a resort there, only to discover it's sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. But the biggest surprise of all is the Betelgeuse winds up being the hero. Obviously the location has changed, but Beetlejuice 2 seems to still be about the Deetz family. Whether Betelgeuse still ends up being the hero or not remains to be seen!
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