Beetlejuice 2 has been resurrected by Brad Pitt’s production business, which has given the long-awaited sequel fresh life.
According to Deadline, Plan B is now working on an official sequel to Tim Burton’s cult classic film. The project’s existence is the only thing we know about it. It’s unclear if Burton will return to helm the sequel, or if Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder will reprise their roles. In the next months, more information should become available.
The path to Beetlejuice 2 has been long and winding, with several production issues. Various writers and producers have worked on the film throughout the years, but little progress has been made. The sequel has been the subject of heated debate for several years, with members of the original cast divided on whether it will ever be made.
Keaton, who portrayed the titular character in the original 1998 picture, has previously indicated that he has never been approached about reprising his role, but feels that a sequel is not the greatest idea. “The only way to do it is to do it right. So much of it was improvised and so much was beautifully handmade by the artist that is Tim Burton,” the actor explains. “If you can’t get close to that, you leave it alone.” Even Burton has questioned the idea of a sequel to Beetlejuice. When asked if he felt a sequel will be created, the filmmaker simply said, “I don’t know. I doubt it.”
Seth Grahame-Smith, who was hired in 2011 to rewrite the script for Beetlejuice 2, has revealed why he thinks Warner Bros. decided to put the project on hold until 2019. “It’s funny when I had met with Tim about it last, and we’re talking about five years ago at this point, the reason that it’s so hard to get going is that so many people love [Beetlejuice] and because there are 10 million ways to get that sequel wrong and four ways to get it right.”
The first Beetlejuice depicts the story of a recently departed couple who are haunted by an obnoxious family who moves into their house. In order to evict the unwelcome residents, the ghosts hire Betelgeuse, a so-called “bio-exorcist,” who makes everyone’s life a living hell.
