A New ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Is in Development
Did somebody just say "Beetlejuice" three times? It's been 34 years since Michael Keaton first graced the screen as the wisecracking spirit attempting to rid a home of its new residents. But according to Deadline, Brad Pitt's Plan B production company is now in early development on a sequel.
As it's currently in the early stages, Deadline reports that the script has yet to be written and no attachments to the film have been disclosed at this time.
The original was directed by Tim Burton, with Keaton doing a good portion of the film's scene stealing work. The movie also starred Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara.
While the new cast has yet to be revealed, Keaton's return as the titular character and Ryder's role as the daughter Lydia who captured the spirit's heart would be probably the most sought after characters for a sequel. But the casting at present remains unconfirmed.
The film initially grossed $75 million worldwide, which was a sizable sum in the '80s. And though more of a comedy, the film did win an Oscar for Best Makeup at the 1989 Academy Awards ceremony.
With the original film's success, Burton hired Jonathan Gems to write a sequel titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian in 1990, but the plans to proceed with the film fell to the backburner when both Burton and Keaton focused on Batman Returns.
A second attempt at a sequel followed in 2011 when Warner Bros. hired Seth Grahame-Smith to write and produce a sequel. And while chatter continued over the last decade related to the Grahame-Smith version, that sequel too was shelved in 2019.
Stay tuned as more details become available on the newly proposed Beetlejuice sequel.