I guess we’ve finally all said, “Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice,” enough because the ghost with the most is finally returning, per THR. The long-rumored, oft-delayed sequel to the Tim Burton classic Beetlejuice is finally a go, and Jenna Ortega is reportedly in talks to join the cast, as the daughter of Winona Ryder’s character Lydia from the first film. Beetlejuice 2 is coming from Tim Burton, who directed the original, and will see Michael Keaton return as the titular character, though specific plot details are under wraps.
It is also not an entirely done deal on any front. While THR is reporting that both Burton and Keaton are lined up and that Beetlejuice 2 filming is expected to start in May / June, there are ongoing discussions about the budget that impact both the film moving forward and whether Ortega is cast. Burton, who has been drifting in and out of involvement with the sequel for years, is probably the one pushing Ortega after she and he delivered the fantastic Wednesday series for Netflix, providing him with yet another muse for his gothic film style.
It’s unclear if having Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter means that Ryder would be returning as well for Beetlejuice 2, but it’s possible. There’s also no word on if Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jordan, or Catherine O’Hara will be returning either. Or, more importantly, if the animated Beetlejuice series will be considered canon or not.
Ortega is basically Hollywood’s goth / horror girl at this point. Her starring role in the last two Scream movies and X has landed her plenty of praise as a scream queen, and now that she’s in Burton’s realm, she’ll probably be cast in far more films where the predominant color is black. Meanwhile, Keaton is on a bit of a Burton return streak as well, considering he’s reprising not only his Beetlejuice role but his Burton-directed Batman as well.
