It’s showtime! Maybe.
Warner Bros. has not yet given its official green light, but reports this week point to the much-desired sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 classic horror/comedy Beetlejuice finally gaining some impetus.
The Hollywood Transom newsletter for The Ankler–as reported by screenrant.com–said Beetlejuice 2 will now be produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, with production perhaps starting this summer. And even better news: Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are reportedly on board to reprise their roles as Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz, respectively.
EXCLUSIVE: Brad Pitt's company Plan B has come aboard to produce BEETLEJUICE 2, which could shoot this summer with original stars Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder reprising their roles. No Alec Baldwin though… https://t.co/XuCg0XVNdF pic.twitter.com/QeiK3BneUt
— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) February 28, 2022
Fans will remember that a sequel was proposed back in 1990–under the title Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian–with Jonathan Gems brought in to tackle the screenplay. Those plans crashed and burned by 1997 but, in 2011, Seth Grahame-Smith was hired to write and produce the sequel. Alas, that plan fell by the wayside three years ago. Stay tuned to see how the current project pans out.
The original Beetlejuice–helmed by Burton and written by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren–follows Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis), a married couple who pass away and decide to haunt their Connecticut home.
When Charles Deetz (Jeffrey Jones), his wife Delia (Catherine O’Hara) and daughter Lydia (Ryder) move in, the Maitlands hire a “freelance bio-exorcist” from the Netherworld named Beetlejuice (Keaton) to scare away the new inhabitants. Just not a good idea.
The film was a critical and commercial success–earning $74 million on a $15-million budget, and collecting an Academy Award for Best Makeup and three Saturn Awards.
Keep reading Horror News Network for the next update on Beetlejuice 2.
