Over 35 years after his cult classic Beetlejuice, Tim Burton is bringing part 2 to the cinema. The sequel was inspired by his Netflix hit Wednesday with Jenna Ortega.
In 1988, the horror comedy Beetlejuice helped Tim Burton, who was at the start of his career at the time, make his big breakthrough. Some 36 years later, the cult director is now ready to launch the sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, bringing Michael Keaton back to the big screen in the role of the iconic lottery ghost.
The decision to turn to a sequel after all these years is thanks to Burton’s hit series Wednesday, which topped the Netflix charts in 2022.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is coming back after over 35 years thanks to Netflix hit Wednesday with Jenna Ortega
As Burton explained in an interview with Total Film, Wednesday brought the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory director back to his roots:
Wednesday reminded me why I like creating things. It was like shooting a movie on a TV schedule. It was invigorating. We hadn’t planned to do a sequel [to Beetlejuice]. This was before people talked about franchises. The first time I heard that was with Batman Returns. That sent a cold shiver down my spine.
Watch the trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice here:
During the Wednesday shoot, he thought back to his career beginnings, which he experienced together with Beetlejuice character Lydia Deetz and her then 15-year-old actress Winona Ryder:
It was something emotional that made me want to do a sequel. Something about this character and what happens to people 35 years later. That was the emotional anchor for me. What happens to people when they get older? You go through different things. You have children. It changes you. I understand these things better now because I’ve been through them myself.
