Although there’s were plans for a sequel to the cult classic 1988 horror comedy Beetlejuice, the idea didn’t materialize until over three decades. Despite the huge time gap, director Tim Burton didn’t watch the original film to jog his memory before working on the sequel.
The director didn’t need a deep dive into the source material to come up with ideas for the sequel which was to take place 35 years after the Beetlejuice events. “I wasn’t out to do a big sequel for money or anything like that, I wanted to make this for very personal reasons,” he told Variety. “I didn’t watch the first movie to prepare for this. I remembered the spirit of it and I remembered everybody here,” he added.
The critically acclaimed director stressed that he never intended to make a sequel just for the sake of it but was looking for a way to connect with it naturally. Burton admitted to being “lost” at some point in his life and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice became a source to “reenergizing” his spirits and getting back to the things he loves doing, the way he loves doing it and with the people he loves.
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Despite recreating the haunting world of Beetlejuice in a technologically advanced world, Burton opted to stick to the original approach and use practical effects as opposed to CGI. “It was great. That’s what gave the film its energy," he told Collider.
The set demanded new stuff everyday which was difficult with live effects but not impossible. The director had an “effects team” who would make these things very quickly. He pointed out that the approach was really crucial in bringing out the energy, spontaneity and fun of filmmaking.
“We just wanted to kind of not think about 'sequel' or [franchise], anything, just go and just make the movie,” Burton added. The highly anticipated Beetlejuice sequel brought original characters Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice, Catherine O'Hara's Delia, and Winona Ryder's Lydia, joined by newcomers like Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz.
Astrid, the rebellious daughter of Lydia, ignores her mother’s warning and summons Beetlejuice by taking his name three times. The Ghost with the Most comes back into the lives of the Deetz family to wreak havoc! Rest will unfold when the film releases on September 6.
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