Deadline reports that Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B will produce Beetlejuice 2, a sequel to Tim Burton’s classic horror-comedy. This project has been in development by Warner Bros. for so long that Tim Burton began to express doubt that the film would ever happen. The project is still in early development with no script. However, according to Empire, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are rumored to be reprising their roles as the titular ghost and Lydia Deetz, respectively. While it is not certain if Tim Burton will return, the film could begin shooting this year if all plans fall into place.
The original Beetlejuice was released in 1988 and is considered one of the best family-friendly horror films and a cult classic. It starred Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis as a recently deceased couple attempting to scare a less than preferable family away from their home. They enlist the help of the troublemaking “ghost with the most” known as Beetlejuice (Keaton), who is summoned by one saying his name three times. However, the couple forms a bond with the teenage Lydia (Ryder), and Beetlejuice’s mischief and sleaziness make him the villain of the film. The film grossed almost $75 million at the box office, and it won the 1989 Academy Award for Best Makeup. It went on to inspire an animated series, a broadway musical, and even a LEGO Dimensions version of the character.
While Keaton and Ryder are expected to return, this is not official, nor are there any other reported returning cast members. Baldwin is presently dealing with legal issues related to the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins in October on the set of Rust, so it is unlikely that he will return. Winona Ryder has said in the past that she believes a sequel would take place in the present age.
Brad Pitt founded Plan B in 2001. Some of the company’s credits include the Amazon Prime series The Underground Railroad, the Netflix film Blonde, and HBO Max’s The Father of the Bride.
It’s worth noting that Warner Bros. has still not given Brad Pitt or Plan B a greenlight for Beetlejuice 2, so nothing is officially in development yet. Perhaps if we say “Beetlejuice” three times, we’ll finally see the “ghost with the most” return to the big screen.
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