‘Beetlejuice 2’ Is Set to Begin Filming in London

The Beetlejuice sequel, Beetlejuice 2, is officially in development at Warner Brothers.

Following reports that Jenna Ortega is set to lead the movie, the news that the movie was indeed happening was confirmed last month at CinemaCon. Production was scheduled to begin in mid-May in London. Though, it’s unclear at this time if the WGA writers’ strike will impact that timeline.

Beetlejuice 2 Has Faced No Shortage of Challenges

While news of Beetlejuice 2‘s production is relatively recent, the project has actually been in the works for quite a while, with initial talks for the Beetlejuice sequel taking place right after the first film hit the big screen in 1988. However, in 2011, it was officially announced that Beetlejuice 2 was happening.

By March 2012, there was a treatment in place for the film. And from 2013 through 2016, the script was being worked on by writer Seth Grahame-Smith.

Director Tim Burton had previously said the only way this film would happen was if Michael Keaton would return to reprise his role. And by  March 2016, Burton confirmed that Warner Brothers had given the movie a green light. However, a few short months later, the project’s status switched to “Development Unknown” on IMDB, with Burton saying, “There’s nothing concrete yet.”

By April 2019, the film was officially shelved. The next update didn’t come until late February 2022, when Brad Pitt’s production company, Plan B, took on the project.

From there, Seth Grahame-Smith took on a producer role and is credited with writing an earlier version of the screenplay along with David Katzenberg, with Mike Vukadinovich authoring the most recent version.

Beetlejuice 2 Casting

Initially, Stranger Things star Sadie Sink was approached to play Lydia’s (Winona Ryder) daughter in the flick. And supposedly, Ryder played a major role in those conversations. However, Sink supposedly had to drop out of the flick due to the filming O’Dessa. And filming that movie would be immediately followed by filming Stranger Things‘ fifth and final season. Though, we now know that filming the next season of Stranger Things, which was scheduled to begin this summer in Atlanta, is on hold due to the writers’ strike.

Following Sink dropping out of the project, Wednesday‘s Jenn Ortega became the front-runner for the role. And her involvement has been officially confirmed.

It’s also confirmed that Michael Keaton is returning as Betelgeuse, aka Beetlejuice. Winona Ryder is also confirmed to be reprising her role as Lydia Deetz. Additionally, Catherine O’Hara (who hasn’t been officially confirmed yet) was also listed on a recent production listing that went out earlier this month.

And the most recent cast confirmation was that of Justin Theroux, though it’s unclear at the present which role he will be playing.

Wasn’t There Talk of Johnny Depp Joining the Cast?

In May 2022, there were rumors circulating that Johnny Depp would make his post-trial film comeback in Beetlejuice 2. Fans flooded social media with the claim after they noticed the 59-year-old actor’s name appeared on a call sheet found when they searched for the movie on Google.

Despite the excitement the news created, there’s no sign at the moment that Depp will be attached to the project.

A Refresher on the 1988 Film

If you’re not familiar with the original film, the cult classic followed Adam Maitland (played by Alec Baldwin) and his wife Barbara (Geena Davis who die in a car accident and find themselves haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house.

And that’s when  Charles and Delia Deetz (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara) move in with their daughter Lydia (played by Winona Ryder). And the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success. Their efforts attract a spirit called Beetlejuice, whose help quickly becomes dangerous for everyone involved.

Is Tim Burton Returning to Direct Beetlejuice 2?

When asked whether he would be involved in a sequel, Tim Burton told Deadline, “Nothing is out of the question. I only know if I’m making a film when I’m actually on the set shooting. I try to go back to the root of everything. It springs from a seed. And then it grows, rather than out of these statements. I am working on ideas and things. But it’s all very early days. We’ll set how it goes. How’s that for a non-answer?”

That being said, IMDBPro does list Burton as the director for Beetlejuice 2 as of writing this article. Additionally, the production listing we mentioned in regard to casting also lists Burton as the project’s director.

When Will the Beetlejuice 2 Release Date Be?

Beetlejuice 2 has no official release date yet. However, if filming did occur on the original schedule and started this month, it’s possible that fans could see the movie in theaters as early as 2024. 

The original film was released on March 30, 1988. So while it might seem likely for a horror comedy to release during the fall season, around Halloween, that wouldn’t necessarily be the case.

Once more news surfaces about the filming schedule for the flick and there are more details on a release date, we’ll update the article with additional information.