As a die-hard fan of Tim Burton’s eccentric and macabre universe, I can hardly contain my excitement for the upcoming sequel to the 1988 cult classic, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” The return of Michael Keaton as the unforgettable “Ghost with the Most” is a dream come true, and his prank on Jenna Ortega during their first meeting on set is just another testament to Keaton’s commitment to the role.
In a fitting introduction, Michael Keaton – an actor who’s been nominated for an Oscar – gave Jenna Ortega a chilling welcome when they first met on the set of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”. This unique encounter took place while Keaton was in costume. Jenna recently opened up about her role in the long-awaited sequel to the 1988 original, where she joins forces with Keaton, director Tim Burton, and Winona Ryder. The movie hits theaters on September 6th, and it seems that Keaton was thrilled to reprise his spooky role once more, based on Jenna’s accounts.
In the course of their conversation during the interview, Ortega shared tales from the movie set, focusing especially on her initial encounter with Keaton, who will once again embody the iconic character known as “The Ghost with the Most”, a role he first played thirty-six years ago when the original film was released.
“He approached me from behind while I was undergoing a trial run for my hair and makeup. Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder which startled me; it turned out to be a jump scare. He introduced himself as Michael, but his face looked like it was peeling off in molds. I tried to remain calm, and things were fine until our second encounter outside of hair and makeup, as I had forgotten that we’d already met before.”
In the ensemble of the upcoming sequel, Ortega has been added alongside returning stars Keaton, Ryder, and O’Hara. Her character, Astrid, is revealed to be the daughter of Lydia Deetz, played by Ryder, who along with Catherine O’Hara’s Delia Deetz, returns to their home in Winter River following a family catastrophe. The dynamic between mother and daughter is tense, but it takes a backseat when Astrid encounters the afterlife, compelling Lydia to enlist the aid of a specific bio-exorcist – complete with additional body parts – to bring her daughter back.
The debut of the movie coincides with Ortega being in the middle of shooting the second installment of Netflix’s popular show “Wednesday,” which is based on the original “Addam’s Family” series. Interestingly, Burton mentioned that “Wednesday” served as the catalyst for him to eventually create a sequel for “Beetlejuice,” and without it, there wouldn’t be one.
Wednesday reconnected me to why I like making things.
What We Know About Beetlejuice Beetlejuice So Far
Discussions about a follow-up to the film “Beetlejuice” have been ongoing for many years, with everyone involved expressing their desire for another installment. However, it wasn’t until the year 2023 that everything fell into place and Warner Bros. finally gave the project the go-ahead. As per director Tim Burton, his advanced age and role as a father made him more prepared for this film. He was only 29 when he directed the original “Beetlejuice,” but by the time production on the sequel began, he was 64. This added maturity, experience (and two Oscar nominations) provided him with the right perspective to create the movie.
For me, this became a very personal movie, like kind of a weird family movie.
Ortega mirrors Burton’s perspective on the movie’s unusual motifs. In a conversation with Vanity Fair, she described Astrid as “unusual, though in an unexpected manner, not what you’d initially anticipate.” She also expressed that this is the ideal moment to reintroduce Beetlejuice, stating “the world seems ready to reengage with peculiar, bizarre, and slightly disconcerting narratives once more.”
Filming for the movie started in May 2023, but it took a break over the summer due to writers’ strikes. It picked up again in November of the same year and was wrapped up in just a few days thereafter.
The ensemble features Justin Theroux portraying Rory, Willem Dafoe as Wolf Jackson, Monica Bellucci as Delores, and Burn Gorman as Father Damien. Danny DeVito, who previously worked with Keaton in Burton’s Batman Returns, has secured a cameo appearance as a zombie janitor. Notably, Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis will not be reprising their roles, while Jeffrey Jones was not invited back following his legal issues concerning child pornography.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
opens in theaters on September 6, 2024.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-08-24 15:31