Justin Theroux is set to join Beetlejuice 2, which is an inspired casting choice in light of rumors of Johnny Depp joining the film. As Tim Burton's second movie as director, 1988's Beetlejuice stands as a beloved and timeless supernatural comedy about Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Matiland (Geena Davis), two married and newly deceased ghosts determined to rid their house of its new occupants. In their desperation, the Maitlands reach out to a "bio-exorcist" known as Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), but he soon proves to be more than they can handle.
After numerous pitches and false starts in the years since Beetlejuice's release, the long-awaited Beetlejuice 2 is finally underway with Tim Burton returning to director and Michael Keaton returning as Betelgeuse. The supporting cast also includes the returning Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz and Jenna Ortega as her daughter, along with Justin Theroux in an undisclosed role. Theroux's casting comes amid rumors that Johnny Deep would be joining Beetlejuice 2, but with Theroux likely the male co-lead opposite Keaton, his casting is ultimately the better option.
Justin Theroux In A Tim Burton Movie Is New & Interesting Compared To Depp
Johnny Depp has been a Tim Burton movie regular since the 1990 release of Edward Scissorhands and has appeared in a total of seven Burton-directed movies, including Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and several others. While several of Burton's collaborations with Depp have produced some of their best work, a Burton-Depp team-up has also become relatively predictable in terms of what to expect. There would likely be few real surprises to be found in Depp's role in Beetlejuice 2, but Justin Theroux is another story.
Theroux is well-known for his work on The Leftovers and has given strong performances in his films with David Lynch, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire. However, Theroux stepping into a Tim Burton movie is very different from his past work. While Depp joining a spooky supernatural Tim Burton comedy like Beetlejuice 2 would have essentially been business as usual for him, Theroux can really play against type in the movie's story. That uniqueness ultimately makes Theroux's role in Beetlejuice 2 very intriguing for how much of a career and character divergence it is likely to be for him.
Who Could Justin Theroux Play In Beetlejuice 2?
When it comes to what to expect from Beetlejuice 2, Theroux's unrevealed role could fall into either the living or dead category. If it is the former, Theroux could be part of a new living family that Betelgeuse has been hired to frighten out of their house. If Theroux is playing a ghost, he and his character's family might also be in a similar situation as Adam and Barbara in Beetlejuice, having just died and navigating the complexities of the afterlife before unwittingly attracting the attention of Betelgeuse. Depending on whether Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis return for Beetlejuice 2, Theroux's character might even meet Adam and Barbara, as well.
Theroux might also be a ghost of a different sort in Beetlejuice 2, possibly appearing as a bureaucratic caseworker, handling the case of some newly deceased characters like Juno (Sylvia Sidney) in the original Beetlejuice. With Beetlejuice's wacky interpretation of the afterlife, Beetlejuice 2 is sure to have more fun with it. In turn, Justin Theroux's role in Beetlejuice 2 can bring his talents into that fun in a very off-the-wall way compared to the bulk of his career.