Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel to his 1988 classic Beetlejuice is one of horror’s most anticipated releases of 2024 – and even more so now that star Michael Keaton has insisted on going old school.
The sequel, officially (and hilariously) titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sees Keaton return to the titular role as the ghost with the most, and is due to hit theaters on September 6 of this year. A lot has changed since 1988, and with the advent of CGI, more and more movies have opted for green screen over the practical effects of yore. From giant sandworms to shrunken heads, Beetlejuice was beloved for its puppetry, prosthetics, make-up and stop motion effects used to replicate the schlocky, B-movie horrors that Burton grew up with
In an exclusive interview with People, Keaton teases that fans of the original will be satisfied with the sequel’s take on FX:
“The one thing that he (Burton) and I decided on early, early, early on from the beginning, if we ever did it again, I was totally not interested in doing something where there was too much technology […] It had to feel handmade. What made it fun was watching somebody in the corner actually holding something up for you, to watch everybody in the shrunken head room and say, ‘Those are people under there, operating these things, trying to get it right,'”
Keaton expanded:
“It’s the most exciting thing […] When you get to do that again after years of standing in front of a giant screen, pretending somebody’s across the way from you, this is just enormous fun.”
Alongside Keaton, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice also stars a number of returning cast members from Burton’s original, including Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Michael Keaton. Newcomers, including Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux and Jenna Ortega, who has confirmed her role as the daughter of Ryder’s character Lydia Deetz. Burton is, of course, returning to direct from a script by Wednesday creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.
While you wait for September, don’t forget all the other exciting horror movies headed our way this year, and we’ll bring you any and all updates on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as they land!
