It’s almost showtime for the new Beetlejuice sequel.
Cleverly titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the film finally continues the story of Tim Burton’s classic 1988 horror comedy. Decades of development has led to this continuation, directed by Burton and starring three of the original film’s stars: Winona Ryder as Lydia, Catherine O’Hara as Delia, and Michael Keaton as the ghost with the most, Beetlejuice himself.
The trailer does a reasonably good job of explaining how Beetlejuice finally returns after being dispatched by Lydia and her ghostly pals, the Maitlands, at the end of the first film more than 35 years ago: Lydia is now a mother herself, to Astrid (Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega), who does the one thing you can never do when Beetlejuice is around: Say his name three times.
(Technically I guess those are the three things you can never do. But whatever.)
Watch the new trailer for the film below:
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The trailer doesn’t explain why the Maitlands (originally played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) aren’t back this time; presumably the film will address their absence somehow.
Keaton and Burton have discussed making a Beetlejuice sequel for decades, and various versions have been batted around through the process. (The less you know about Beetlejuice’s Hawaiian vacation sequel, the better.)
Here is the sequel’s official synopsis:
After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is scheduled to open in theaters on September 6.
Movies That Should Have Become Franchises But Didn’t
These movies were good enough to get sequels, or whole franchises. But it never happened for a variety of reasons.
