‘Beetlejuice 2’ Plot Twist Update: ‘Wednesday’ Star “Butts Heads” with ‘Stranger Things’ Lead
Beetlejuice, directed by Tim Burton, became a cult classic upon its release in 1988, blending horror, comedy, and fantasy in a unique and captivating way. The film, starring Michael Keaton in the titular role, grossed over $73 million domestically (which was fantastic for its $15 million budget) and garnered critical acclaim for its inventive storytelling and visual effects.
The plot follows a recently deceased couple, Barbara and Adam Maitland, portrayed by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, respectively, who find themselves haunting their former home after an untimely demise. When the obnoxious and eccentric ghost Beetlejuice appears, the Maitlands seek his help to scare away the new inhabitants of their house, but they soon realize Beetlejuice’s mischievous nature poses a greater threat than they anticipated. Winona Ryder plays Lydia Deetz, a young girl who brings Beetlejuice into the human world and then has to find a way to put him back.
Even after decades, the film is still regularly played in theaters and drive-ins during Halloween, and theme parks like Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood have not only dedicated entire haunted houses to the striped ghost during Halloween Horror Nights, but he is available to meet year round!
Knowing how Beetlejuice had grown past the point of just being a successful movie, it is no shock to belive that fans are thrilled to see the sequel, Beetlejuice 2, that will have so much of the original cast returning. Micheal Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder will all return, Monica Bellucci has joined the cast as Beetlejuice’s wife, and Jenna Ortega will play Lydia’s daughter Astrid, Willem Dafoe will play a B-actor cop, and Justin Theroux’s role is currently undisclosed.
When asked about her role in the movie during a Vanity Fair interview, Ortega made sure to not give much away, but did hint that her role will affect the plot quite a bit, being the daughter, and opposite of Lydia Deetz.
I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say, but I am Lydia Deetz’s daughter, so I’ll give that away. She’s weird, but in a different way and not in the way you’d assume, I would say. The relationship between Lydia and Astrid, my character, is very important. And it’s also really strange because it’s a lot of catching up and putting the pieces together of what’s gone on in Lydia’s life since, which is nice, I think, for anybody who loves the character and is excited to see her again.
When describing Astrid, Ortega said, “I wouldn’t say she’s bright and sunny at all. She doesn’t go to the opposite end of the spectrum, but any kid who becomes a teenager wants to be removed from their parents. I think they instantly just fight whatever it is that their parent loves. So I think it’s a little bit of that. I’m not wearing pink and a cheerleader, but I am a little bit against my mom’s history or past. We butt heads quite a bit.”
Due to her gothic and dark demeanor in Wednesday, many associate Ortega with a similar look to Lydia Deetz, however, it is interesting to know that while she will be her daughter, she is certainly not her carbon copy, which many may have expected with Jenna getting cast in the role.
In the interview, we also got to learn more about the film, including the set, which will be very nostalgic for any fan of the first film. Jenna said, “They rebuilt Winter River, which was insane. All of the locals were so excited. But we were able to finish all of our Winter River stuff so that when the strike hit, they could take it all down.
I remember it being super-weird energy on set the last week. For a lot of the cast that was revisiting Vermont, it felt weird to rush such a sentimental moment for them, seeing that house again and being together and calling each other by the same names again. But for the most part, up until the very last day, I feel like the shoot was a celebration of everyone being back together and doing practical effects again. It was probably the happiest I had ever seen Tim on a set, where he’s clapping at the monitor and shouting and laughing, which was really, really endearing.”
Considering the mass fandom that comes with Beetlejuice, this is certainly reassuring for fans to know that the actors and Burton were all incredibly pleased with their final product when it comes to the sequel, which can at times be a dangerous thing to touch after such a massive success so many years later.
That is something that Ortega spoke out on, “I feel like studios nowadays, of course they want people in seats and you’ve got to do reboots or sequels or things like that to get people entwined, but to bring Beetlejuice back—of all of the stories—is so good because people need to revisit weird, strange, off-putting stories again. We need to introduce the younger generation that’s always on the phone to new artistic and creative ideas. The weirder you get with it, the more people you can get to see it, I think will probably do a lot for film in general.”
It will be exciting to watch Ortega and Ryder together, considering that they star in competing Netflix shows, Wednesday and Stranger Things, which are both the two most popular English-speaking shows on the platform.
Beetlejuice 2 will be debuting this year, on September 6, which is perfect timing for those looking to use the movie to jump-start their Halloween season.
