The dead have all the time in the world to regroup, replan, and return. And that’s exactly what the Ghost With the Most will do when Tim Burton’s long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel comes to theaters this year. Michael Keaton’s iconic dead man finally has the opportunity to get everything he always wanted, because the latest trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice teases an even bigger threat in the afterlife. And that will lead Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz to ask for help from the last person, dead or alive, she’d ever want to see.

Waiting rooms, weddings, and a whole lot of worms, this latest trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has everything. That includes a missing teenager (Jenna Ortega’s Astrid) who accidentally ends up in the realm of the dead. And we know who calls that place home. Here’s the film’s official synopsis from Warner Bros. Pictures:

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.

The movie will also mark the return of Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz. New cast members include Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, and Willem Dafoe, maybe the most perfect human you could want for a Beetlejuice movie.

Will Beetlejuice finally marry Lydia? Or will Astrid prove to be the rotten apple of his eye this time? And why is the Ghost With the Most so cared of Monica Belluci’s spooky specter? We’re dying to find out the answers to all these questions. And we’ll get them when Beetlejuice Beetlejuice comes to theaters this fall on September 6, 2024.

The post BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE’s New Trailer Shows Lydia Deetz Turning to an Unlikely Dead Ally appeared first on Nerdist.

Beetlejuice fans, rejoice! The beloved trickster demon played by Michael Keaton captured the hearts of ‘80s and ‘90s kids. Now, a new generation gets to marvel in this world alongside us thanks to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel film with a trailer that perfectly captures all the weirdness. 

It always feels good to watch anything by Tim Burton and even better to see Keaton and Winona Rider reprise their roles as Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz. And how can you not love Jenna Ortega, who is a perfect choice to play Lydia’s teen daughter Astrid? 

In addition to the trailer, here’s the synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice:

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.

What Is the Release Date for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will hit theaters on September 6.

The post BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE Trailer Revives Our Favorite Trickster Demon appeared first on Nerdist.

Beetlejuice was the unlikeliest of hits upon release in the spring of 1988. Since then, the film has left an incredible pop culture footprint. The Michael Keaton-starring supernatural comedy introduced the Tim Burton aesthetic to the masses. It particularly resonated with a certain type of spooky goth kid who had a sense of humor about themselves. Decades later, Beetlejuice‘s popularity continues to endure, spawning a sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which will hit theaters in September 2024. In honor of Beetlejuice‘s enduring legacy, lets get into unlikely story of how Tim Burton’s sophomore film became a big hit and a cultural icon.

The Original Beetlejuice Script’s Inspiration: Annoying Neighbors and Ghostbusters

In the early ’80s, horror novelist Michael McDowell saw the success of movies like Poltergeist and Ghostbusters. Both of these films brought supernatural themes to mainstream audiences with a lighter touch and became huge successes. This inspired McDowell to try his hand at writing a story in the spooky realm with a similar approach. At this time, according to The Ringer, McDowell and his partner were living in Medford, Massachusetts when the yuppie explosion began. Annoyed at the pretentious new neighbors in their quaint town, McDowell came up with the idea of nice ghosts who need to get rid of awful modern living folks in their home. The “nice ghosts” call upon the services of a mischievous “bio-exorcist” who goes by the name Betelgeuse. Pronounced, obviously, as “Beetlejuice.”

McDowell’s script, which had revisions by writers Larry Wilson and Warren Skaaren, eventually landed at David Geffen’s production company before finding its final home at Warner Bros. Studios. Studio execs loved the script yet many were afraid it was too weird for a mainstream audience. The creative team even considered changing the name to House Ghosts. At one point, it had a much darker ending where teenage lead Lydia dies in a fire then haunts the home. At the studios’ behest, these darker and more sinister aspects were taken out. (In retrospect, this was probably a good idea.)

Director Tim Burton, who had just made a hit for the studio with Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, wanted to helm the movie. He thought Beetlejuice matched his strange sensibilities… and the studio agreed. Warner Bros. rolled the dice with a relatively small budget of thirteen million dollars. Burton wanted Michael Keaton to star as the titular character although the actor was fresh off a series of flops. He also cast newcomer Winona Ryder as goth girl Lydia Deetz. The film’s leading roles were given to Geena Davis and Alec Baldwini as the ghostly Maitlands as well as Catherine O’Hara as Lydia’s annoying and eccentric stepmom. With everything in place, filming commenced in Los Angeles and Vermont in early 1987.

Beetlejuice Becomes a Sleeper Hit

Beetlejuice hit theaters on March 30, 1988 and was the tenth highest-grossing film of the year. It made a whopping seventy-three million dollars on a thirteen million budget! Keaton’s portrayal of the “bio-exorcist” created catchphrases that caught on with audiences. Everyone from late-night talk show hosts to kids on the playground were saying “It’s showtime!” or “I’m the ghost with the most, babe!” on repeat. Classic music like “Day-O” by Harry Belafonte, used in comedic moments from the film, suddenly got radio play again. And who can resist saying Beetlejuice three times? Beetlejuice came out in the heyday of VHS rentals and cable airings on a loop, which only added to its pop culture longevity. For a generation of goth and goth adjacent kids, Winona Ryder’s line “I myself am strange and unusual” became our mantra.

The “Tim Burton” Aesthetic Is Born in Beetlejuice

Tim Burton serviced Pee-wee Herman’s existing aesthetic for his first feature. But, for Beetlejuice, he got to go full Burton. The film is filled with his now-iconic swirly patterns, cartoon gothicness, and supernatural men in pin-stripe suits. Although he worked with composer Danny Elfman in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, the music created for Beetlejuice perfected the Burton/Elfman sound going forward. Beetlejuice also began Burton’s recurring collaborations with Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara.

Because of the success of the film, Warner Bros. felt comfortable giving Burton and Keaton the keys to Gotham City with Batman. As Burton’s career took off however, he didn’t seem terribly keen on returning to the world of Beetlejuice. The studio floated around sequels for other directors for years. In the ‘90s, Kevin Smith said Warner Bros. offered him a shot at directing “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian.” Smith—and all of us—are thankful that never came to fruition.

The ’90s Animated Series Extends the Popularity of the Beetlejuice Brand

A lot of Beetlejuice’s pop culture staying power lies with one piece of media in particular—the Beetlejuice animated series. It was a hit with viewers, even though it was very different from the film with Beetlejuice and Lydia as besties. The show premiered in 1989 as a 13-episode Saturday morning cartoon and continued for two more seasons on ABC, spawning a metric ton of merchandise. In the fall of 1991, it went to Fox Kids’ network, where it launched a weekday afternoon run. Along with Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men, the Beetlejuice cartoon helped cement Fox Kids as the #1 children’s programming hub. Much like The Real Ghostbusters found a whole new audience of kids beyond the more grown-up movie, the Beetlejuice cartoon pulled the same trick.

Beetlejuice Makes Its Way to Broadway and Back to Theaters Again

Beetlejuice found another revival in recent years thanks to the Broadway musical adaptation of the film. (This followed decades of an on-stage Beetlejuice show at Universal Studios.) Debuting in 2018, the show got decent reviews and several Tony nominations. The original production shut down because of the COVIID-19 pandemic. But it came to the Marquis Theater from 2022-2023 with a lucrative national tour to follow.

Now we are finally getting the very long-awaited film sequel! Will Beetlejuice Beetlejuice do well enough that we’ll get a third film? If history is any indication to this franchise’s success, it will probably happen. Beetlejuice has to hear his name three times to be summoned, so we hope the someone says Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice soon. We don’t want to wait decades for a third chapter. But, even if we do, we can always revisit the TV series or enjoy the landslide of merch that exists today. Beetlejuice is dead yet his legacy will never die.

The post BEETLEJUICE: The Franchise’s Strange Origin Story and Cultural Legacy appeared first on Nerdist.

Last year, Michael Keaton returned to the role he last played thirty years ago when he played Batman again. Now, he’s returning to the role of Beetlejuice, over 36 years since he last played him. Now, we finally have a good look at Keaton in the role of the “bio-exorcist” in the first teaser trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s long-awaited follow-up to the cult classic supernatural comedy. You can watch the teaser below, which also features our first look at the returning cast from the original, Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder, along with new cast member Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz.

Also among the new cast are Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe. Here’s the official synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice from Warner Bros. Pictures:

Beetlejuice is back! 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.

We have a strong feeling the “unexpected family tragedy” is the death of family patriarch Charles Deetz, played by Jeffrey Jones in the original, and who is not returning for this sequel. We have to say, we love that Lydia Deetz has never sold out, retaining her goth aesthetic into middle age. Although she doesn’t look too happy to see Beetlejuice back in the flesh (so to speak). We are curious as to what happened to the ghostly Maitlands. They agreed to cohabitate the home at the end of the original film after all. Maybe they finally moved on to their “great reward?” We can’t wait to find out when Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hits theaters on September 6.

The post BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE Teaser Gives Us Michael Keaton as the ‘Ghost with the Most’ appeared first on Nerdist.