We never thought it would actually happen. Every October, rumors swirl that Tim Burton was actively working on a sequel to his beloved 1988 film, “Beetlejuice.” It ALWAYS turned out to be just that- rumors. That all changed in early 2022 when Brad Pitt‘s production company quietly announced the project was actually happening. Burton returned, Danny Elfman returned, and most importantly- Michael Keaton, Winona Rider, Catherine O’Hara, and more returned! Also Jenny Ortega (“Wednesday“)!
The project started filming in a small town in Vermont, the exact same location from the first film. (Stories differ as to whether or not the locals were happy about this, though.) This summer, you couldn’t swing a sandworm without hitting set photos and paparazzi shots of Rider in her signature Lydia Deetz hairstyle.
Then, in May of 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike. This effected several in-production films and television series, which needed their WGA member writers (and showrunners) on set to complete filming. On July 14th, SAG-AFTRA also went on strike, effectively shutting down any/all filming on Hollywood productions.
Director Burton has now officially said “Beetlejuice 2” is less than 2 days of filming from completion, once the strikes end. “I feel grateful we got what we got,” Burton told The Independent in a recent interview. “Literally, it was a day and a half. We know what we have to do. It is 99 per cent done.”
That’s pretty exciting, honestly. “On this last one, Beetlejuice 2, I really enjoyed it,” Burton said. “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.”
The cast also includes Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, and Justin Theroux. It currently has a placeholder release date of September 6th, 2024. We’ll let you know what we hear about this and other news.
