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Say his name three times. Do it. Unlike Candyman, most people would love to summon Beetlejuice. He’s The Ghost With The Most. The film Beetlejuice became an instant classic when it haunted theater screens in the spring of 1988. Burton’s visual aesthetic and the performances of Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and others captivated audiences. The film grossed $75 Million on a budget of $15 Million. The character was loved by the public, and even got a Saturday Morning Cartoon that the kids loved. There have been renewed rumors that a Beetlejuice 2 is in the works and could be filmed this summer. It could be the right time, as legacy sequels are all the rage. It’s true that the work on

Beetlejuice – 2 started not long after the premiere of the film. What do we know? First, let’s start in the past.History

In 1990 Tim Burton was riding high on his

Batman film breaking all sorts of records at the summer box office. He was given a golden ticket that allowed him to work on any project he chose. As he was finishing up work on Edward Scissorhands, he began to turn his attention to what his next projects would be. He was working on another Batman movie but wanted to start on his other projects. Burton hired British playwright Jonathan Gems to work on a script for Beetlejuice 2 called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian.Tim Burton wanted to take the character out of the dreary underworld and put him in the colorful and sun-filled islands. The Deetz family planned to move to Hawaii to open a resort. Charles did not do any research, and ended up building the resort on top of the gravesite of a Hawaiian Kahuna. The spirit would return to the living world and cause problems to the family and the surrounding citizens, causing them to call the big guns. Beetlejuice won a surfing competition using his magic at one point. Jonathan Gems claimed that Burton loved the idea.

“Tim thought it would be funny to match the surfing backdrop of a beach movie with some sort of German Expressionism because they’re totally wrong together,”

Jonathan Gems

Keaton and Ryder both agreed to return on the condition that Burton would again be directing. Before they could begin work on it, Burton and Keaton were busy with

Batman returns. Pamela Norris was hired by producer David Geffen a few years later to rewrite the script. It was eventually lost in development hell. Kevin Smith was famously offered the chance to try it. He declined it in favor of writing Superman lives. When asked why he declined, he replied: “Didn’t we say everything we needed to in the first Beetlejuice?” Must we go tropical?”

Kevin Smith

Eventually, the project died. Jonathan Gems replied that it was too late for the film to be made as Ryder was no longer able to play the role as written. They would have to recast and no one really wanted that.

New After-LifeAfter two decades of sitting on the shelf, in 2011 Warner Bros. approached Seth Grahame-Smith about writing a new sequel and even producing it. He had previously worked with Burton on Dark Shades

as well as

Abraham Abraham Vampire Hunter. Smith said that he signed the contract to ensure that it was a story “worthy of us actually doing this in real life, something that’s not just about cashing out, isn’t just about forcing a reboot or remake down someone else’s throat.” They went over the story, and Keaton was really excited to get back to his character. Ryder said she was eager to return to her role, but only if Burton or Keaton were present. She said that Lydia was a part of herself that she wanted explore again 27 years after the film. Burton said they were excited to start filming in 2014. Burton said they had been working together on the script. He said that he was excited about working with Keaton again, and that it would be filmed that summer. . . But that window passed and nothing happened with the film. In 2015 Ryder said on a talkshow that she would be returning to the role. She couldn’t wait. In 2017, screenwriter Mike Vukadinovich had been hired to rewrite the script. In 2019 Warner Bros. confirmed that the project was in fact sitting in the waiting room of the afterlife.Our only hope is . . . Brad Pitt?With Beetlejuice 2 looking like a dead project, there was no hope. Until Brad Pitt stepped in. It wasn’t Brad Pitt, but his production company Plan B Entertainment. His company announced in February 2022 that it will be producing the new movie. Rumors suggest that the filming will take place this summer. What do we know about the sequel?

Burton has stated in the past that he would only do the film if Keaton agreed to return. If Beetlejuice 2 does begin filming, it’s safe to say Keaton will wear the black and white suit. We never imagined he would be back in the Batsuit, but it is happening. Let’s hope he gets to keep returning to some of his favorite characters.

Wynona Ryder had said before she was interested in returning for the follow-up but nothing was said about her casting recently by Warner Brothers. Jenna Ortega, the current ‘it girl’ for Beetlejuice, has been cast to play Lydia’s daughter. Burton is stepping back into the director’s chair with a script from his

Wednesday

showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Elfman will also be returning to the film’s famous music. He started appearing on a Google list of cast members for the film, alongside Michael Keaton. and Winona. Fans of Depp were excited that he may be collaborating with his favorite director again. We hope to see more returning characters in the film. Warner Brothers has set the release date of the film to

September 6th, 2024

. The film should be filmed this summer. The writer’s walkout is not known to have an impact on this release date, but the script should be finalized. Mark your calendars now! Are you excited to watch

Beetlejuice? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch