Beetlejuice director Tim Burton has finally hinted if Beetlejuice 2 will have a future or not. The original horror-comedy, made out of a budget of a mere $15 million, was both critically acclaimed and a commercial hit, evident in the fact that it went on to gross $74.2 million. On top of its box office haul, Beetlejuice brought home the Oscar for Best Makeup, and three Saturn Awards for Best Horror Film, Best Makeup, and Best Supporting Actress. The supernatural comedy horror stars Batman-fame Michael Keaton, Stranger Things' star-mom Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis.
Beetlejuice, released in 1988, is set in Connecticut and explores the premise of life after death for a young couple. The movie, now an all-time Halloween favorite, was adapted into a namesake animated television series for ABC (and later Fox) with Burton as an executive producer for the project, and multiple video games from 1990-1992 and into a musical in 2018. In all senses, the original Beetlejuice movie is a testament to its popularity as it has garnered a fan-following of people across ages, with the latest pop-culture reference being in a fan edit made for Stranger Things.
According to a recent report by Deadline, Burton has offered a cryptic update on the long-awaited Beetlejuice 2. While giving a "non-answer", and backtracking from a statement he earlier made about his non-involvement in a reboot, Burton reportedly hinted at re-developing the cult classic, saying, “nothing is out of the question.” See what Burton shared below:
I only know if I’m making a film when I’m actually on the set shooting. I try to go back to the root of everything. It springs from a seed, and then it grows, rather than out of these statements. I am working on ideas and things, but it’s all very early days. We’ll set how it goes. How’s that for a none answer?
How Long Has Beetlejuice 2 Been In Development?
The rumor of a follow-up of the fan-favorite Beetelejuice is something that has been doing the rounds for what seems like forever. It goes back to the early ’90s when, after the initial success of Beetlejuice, one of the first scripts that was floated for the sequel was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. In the scrapped project, the original family moves to an island in Hawaii for developing a resort but runs into problems that only Beetlejuice could save them from. Despite all of Burton’s previous teases, this Hawaiian script never saw the light of day. While Keaton and Ryder may reprise their Beetlejuice roles in the sequel to be produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B, its plot line is still seemingly in the making.
The news of Beetlejuice 2 being in the works from Burton likely does not come as a surprise, but rather as an assurance for fans of the original movie. This development of the reboot and its success will evidently be important for Warner Bros., which had once junked the idea by pushing instead for a Batman sequel with both Keaton and Burton. The studio, still involved in another sequel for The Batman whose tone per Burton has changed over the years, is set to gain from the Beetlejuice franchise even after 32 years should it move forward with a sequel. Whatever the timeframe of its completion be, with Burton potentially at the helm of one of the most-anticipated projects, the wait should prove tricky, but the outcome could surely be a treat.
Source: Deadline