Looks like someone finally said the magic word for a third time because Beetlejuice 2 is one step closer to being summoned into our world. Back in September, Tim Burton announced that his three-decades-later Beetlejuice sequel was “99 percent done” and had “literally... a day and a half” left to film when the actors strike was called. Almost three months later, that final 1 percent has finally been completed. Burton announced the news today in a brief Instagram caption thanking “everyone involved.”
Beetlejuice 2 will see Michael Keaton re-don the pinstripe suit, along with returning 1988 cast members Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. These familiar faces will be joined by new residents of either the human or netherworld in Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, and Jenna Ortega.
Beetlejuice 2 has also been in the headlines recently because of Ortega’s presence in the film. Scheduling conflicts with these two-ish days of filming were originally cited as one of the reasons for the star’s much-discussed exit from the Scream franchise, along with her commitment to season two of Wednesday, which is set to begin production this April. In a new report, it was revealed that Ortega’s exit was also partly due to salary disputes with Spyglass, Scream VII’s studio.
As for Beetlejuice 2, it sounds like the whole filming process—at least before the extended pause—was pretty therapeutic for Burton. “It is hard for me to watch the movies afterwards, because I still feel the emotional whatever of it. I don’t get a release from that. But I do enjoy all the people I’ve worked with. On this last one, Beetlejuice 2, I really enjoyed it,” he told The Independent back in September. “I tried to strip everything and go back to the basics of working with good people and actors and puppets. It was kind of like going back to why I liked making movies.”
According to Deadline, Beetlejuice 2 is currently eyeing an early fall release.