Movies

'Beetlejuice 2' is in the works with stars from the original cast

Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder will return for the sequel, and Jenna Ortega is joining the cast.

Actor Michael Keaton.
Actor Michael Keaton.
Richard Shotwell / Invision / AP
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Do you consider yourself strange and unusual? Then we have good news for you: “Beetlejuice 2” is officially in the works.

After years of rumors, Warner Bros. announced that a sequel is coming to a theater near you in 2024. Tim Burton is directing the film, which will feature stars from the 1988 classic, including Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, who will reprise their roles as the poltergeist Beetlejuice and his summoner Lydia Deetz, respectively.

Jenna Ortega from Netflix’s “Wednesday” will join the cast as Lydia’s daughter. Of course, Ortega wasn’t born yet when “Beetlejuice” first came out, but thanks to her role as Wednesday Addams and her resemblance to Ryder, she will be the perfect addition to the ensemble. While Justin Theroux will also have a role in the film, it hasn’t been announced yet.

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

The sequel is a long time coming. In 2014, Keaton told MTV News that he would be happy to do “Beetlejuice 2” but wouldn’t want to without Burton’s involvement.

“I’ve e-mailed Tim a couple of times, talked to the writer a couple of times, but all really, really preliminary stuff,” Keaton told MTV. “I always said that’s the one thing I’d like to do again, if I ever did anything again. But it kind of required Tim to be involved some way or another.”

Ryder echoed the sentiment. In 2015, the “Stranger Things” star confirmed that “Beetlejuice 2” was definitely going to happen during an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” according to Entertainment Weekly.

“Um, I think I can confirm it, because Tim Burton did this interview — like, it was very hush hush, top secret … and then he was doing some press for ‘Big Eyes’ and he did an on-camera interview and he said, ‘Oh yeah we’re doing it and Winona’s going to be in it,’” Ryder told Meyers.

Nearly a decade later, the film is finally coming to fruition.

Mark your calendars for Sept. 6, 2024, which is when “Beetlejuice 2” is scheduled to hit theaters.

This story was originally published by Bridget Sharkey on Simplemost.com.

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