Summary
- Michael Keaton promises a character-focused Beetlejuice sequel with surprising narrative twists and stronger emotional connections for the audience.
- Trailers for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice reveal emotional threads involving Lydia’s struggle to connect with her daughter and Betelgeuse’s reunion with his ex-wife.
- The sequel expands on themes from the original, exploring Lydia’s growth beyond her past issues and highlighting Betelgeuse’s motivations.
Michael Keaton opens up about the carefully hidden story of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and promises a much more character-focused narrative. Keaton returns as the titular sleazy bio-exorcist 36 years after the original movie, alongside fellow returning cast members Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. In the new film, Beetlejuice once more crosses paths with the Deetz family. It also stars Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, and Monica Bellucci as new living and dead members of the horror comedy’s world.
Keaton has stated to Total Film (via GamesRadar+) that the sequel’s plot strongly appealed to him. Highlighting a greater emphasis on character over spectacle, Keaton stated that the main narrative left him surprised at times. Check out Keaton’s explanation below:
There’s more of a connection for the audience in terms of the other characters. There’s things in here that I wasn’t ready for, that are beyond delightful. Instead of saying, ‘I can’t wait until this thing shows up,’ or, ‘I just want this thing called Beetlejuice to go nuts.’
What Is The Story Of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?
Trailers Have Kept The Sequel’s Plot A Mystery
Though Beetlejuice Beetlejuice trailers and promotional materials have revealed few plot details, they have set up key emotional threads. In the land of the living, the Deetz family’s reunion in Winter River is due to the passing of Charles (Jeffrey Jones), and Lydia (Ryder) finds herself struggling to connect with her daughter Astrid (Ortega). Meanwhile, Astrid comes in contact with the supernatural forces Lydia encountered in her youth, and Betelgeuse (Keaton) finds himself pursued by Delores (Bellucci), his long-hinted-at ex-wife.
It looks like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice isn’t relying on sheer nostalgia and spectacle to impress audiences, as it is carrying on themes from the original and even expanding on brief moments. In the original movie, Lydia was unable to connect with her father and stepmother following her move to their new home and the loss of her birth mother, so history repeating itself with her own child is a thread that feels like a natural continuation to Lydia’s story. It will be interesting to see Lydia break free from these trappings and grow beyond the issues that plagued her.
While Beetlejuice has remained an iconic movie, it is hard to deny that the story itself could be overshadowed by its other elements. Future adaptations, such as Beetlejuice‘s stage musical adaptation, addressed this by giving greater emphasis on Lydia’s grief and feelings of disconnect, as well as shining a light on Betelgeuse’s motivations. As such, with Lydia’s struggle and a keen bio-exorcist determined to make his way to the land of the living once more, it is clear Burton is ensuring Beetlejuice Beetlejuice explores their growth.
Source: Total Film (via GamesRadar+)
