After 30 years, Beetlejuice 2 is reportedly finally be moving forward and can become a successful hit by repeating Tim Burton’s classic thematic trick. While a Beetlejuice 2 movie has been in discussion since the massive success of the 1988 film, nothing has ever come of a new cinematic venture, with the film’s legacy being lived out by yearly Halloween rewatches and Broadway’s Beetlejuice musical. Known as the film that made Tim Burton the iconic movie director he is today, Beetlejuice may finally be returning to the big screen while picking up some of the director’s best tricks from the time since.
Before Beetlejuice, Burton’s only full-feature film was Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in 1985, so it wasn’t until his Michael Keaton-starring gothic horror-comedy debuted that he gained the reputation he holds today. Following the success of Beetlejuice, Burton directed classic, critically acclaimed gothic films like Batman and Edward Scissorhands while also creating the story and characters for The Nightmare Before Christmas. After a few more hit blockbusters like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, and Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton’s movie career hit a notable slump, with many of his ventures either failing to garner critical acclaim or his typical box office haul.
While Tim Burton’s notable aversion to making sequels may have influenced the 34-year delay in Beetlejuice 2, his only sequel so far, Batman Returns, was a hit for audiences and critics alike. Interestingly, three of the greatest movies in Burton’s filmography have involved a thematic twist that he popularized, notably a gothic Christmastime story. With Beetlejuice already being underlined by a gothic, macabre premise, the sequel being set during Christmas can finally repeat Burton’s notable thematic juxtaposition trick, thus making Beetlejuice 2 a success and breaking his recent losing streak.
Beetlejuice 2 Reportedly Finally Happening
While discussions about Beetlejuice 2 have been in the air since 1988, the movie has yet to come to fruition. After the successes of both Beetlejuice and Batman, Burton’s idea for Beetlejuice 2 was quickly greenlit in 1990, with the director even hiring a writer to scribe Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, which would have placed Michael Keaton’s title poltergeist and the Deetz family in a cheesy vacation story. Beetlejuice’s main cast was reportedly set to return, but Burton was called away to work on Batman Returns, so the sequel was sent to a place even Beetlejuice would fear–development hell.
Rumors about new Beetlejuice 2 scripts and pre-production movement have picked up over the years. Still, it didn’t seem realistic until it was reported on February 28, 2022, that Brad Pitt’s company, Plan B Entertainment, is set to produce the upcoming sequel. Alongside the news of Beetlejuice 2’s production possibly moving forward, it was reported that Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder would be reprising their original character roles as Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz, respectively. It’s unclear whether WB has officially greenlit Beetlejuice 2, but the report revealed that filming on the Tim Burton sequel could begin filming as early as summer 2022. The plot has yet to be revealed for Beetlejuice 2, but its best bet may be to repeat Burton’s notable success strategy.
Tim Burton’s Gothic Christmas Movies Are Some Of His Most Successful
While Tim Burton has produced and directed various beloved films notable for his gothic fantasy and horror style, three of his early films outside of Beetlejuice have repeated one trick to earn widespread success. Each uses Burton’s classic eerie and macabre style amidst a Christmas setting, with all three movies—Edward Scissorhands (1990), Batman Returns (1992), and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)–proving to be some of his most successful ventures. Burton is known for his dark style, but it seems to work best when highlighted by a thematic contrast with Christmas. Possibly contributing to the movies' timeless success is that they perfectly lend themselves to rewatches around the holidays, with a multitude of audiences biannually watching such projects during both Christmas and Halloween.
Edward Scissorhands is known as one of Burton’s greatest films in his whole career, with the movie following a gothic man with scissors for hands who learns to live in typical American suburbia. Although Edward Scissorhands is typically viewed around Halloween, the movie is set during Christmastime, with its climactic final scene illuminating a juxtaposition between Edward’s gothic, cold, creepy style and the cheerful, warm brightness of Christmas trees and lights. This contrast in themes was repeated for Burton’s only sequel movie (so far), Batman Returns, which saw Gotham celebrating Christmas as the dark Bruce Wayne battled the malevolent Penguin and Catwoman.
Although Burton didn’t direct The Nightmare Before Christmas, he wrote the story and created the characters back in 1982, initially under the notion that he would later direct. Still serving as a producer and creator on the project, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (as it’s stylized) is arguably his most successful film to date, having achieved both critical and audience acclaim for revitalizing stop-motion pictures and creating a delightful dual Christmas/Halloween movie. The 1993 animated movie is also the prototype for his macabre-cheerful juxtaposition trick, as Nightmare Before Christmas equally utilizes holiday themes of Halloween and Christmas to create even more pronounced yet satisfying contradictions.
A Beetlejuice 2 Christmas Movie Could Save Burton’s Losing Streak
For some reason, whenever Tim Burton makes a gothic Christmas movie, it’s a massive success. Since his last slate of movies hasn’t been received favorably, it’s time for the director to revert to the trick that has continually given success to his projects. It’s all the more important that Beetlejuice 2 is successful due to the film bringing back at least two iconic characters, reviving a beloved IP after 30 years, and having the opportunity to revitalize Burton’s career. Burton knows that a gothic Christmas theme works, and a sequel that has fairly high stakes needs a formula that can guarantee its success.
While the returns of Michael Keaton and Stranger Things' Winona Ryder would already increase Beetlejuice 2’s chances to flourish, Burton’s movie needs the perfect setting that still differentiates itself from the original in order for the sequel to pay off. Burton’s next project is The Addams Family TV series, Wednesday, for Netflix, which is his first dive into full feature live-action television direction. As Burton prepares to go back into film with Beetlejuice 2 after his 2019 adaptation of Dumbo was critically panned, he has the opportunity to save his streak of unsuccessful projects, particularly by going back to his early 1990s formulas.
Since the early 1990s, which included Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, were considered the director’s heyday, reviving his career can be accomplished by repeating the common trick for each of these films: A Christmas setting. It’s unclear when the new Beetlejuice 2 sequel would be released, but the horror-comedy would fit nicely in a September-December premiere to align with the holidays that it lends itself to perfectly.