March 30th will mark the thirty-fourth anniversary of the release of director Tim Burton’s ghoulish comedy Beetlejuice (watch it HERE, or buy a copy HERE), and the attempts to make a sequel to that film go back at least thirty-two years. Now it looks like Beetlejuice 2 might be happening soon, as The Ankler hears that Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B has come on board to produce the project, with Michael Keaton reprising the role of Beetlejuice and Winona Ryder returning as the “strange and unusual” Lydia Deetz. Beetlejuice 2 may even be ready to start filming this summer – but The Ankler cautions that it hasn’t officially received a greenlight from Warner Bros. just yet.
Written by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren from a story McDowell crafted with Larry Wilson, the original Beetlejuice was directed by Tim Burton and has the following synopsis:
What’s a yuppie ghost couple to do when their quaint New England home is overrun by trendy New Yorkers? They hire a freelance ‘bio-exorcist’ to spook the intruders. And everyone gets more than he, she or it bargained for!
Director Tim Burton teams with Michael Keaton. The result? ‘Keaton’s Beetlejuice is one of the biggest, baddest wolves a ghost movie has ever unleashed, a polter-gas’ (The Village Voice). He’s a juggernaut of jokes, jolts and jive who hurls one-liners, spins into grotesque forms, gobbles insects and can’t leave ladies (living or dead) alone.
So exorcise your right to fun. Say the ‘B’ word three times and have a wonderful Day-O!
Keaton and Ryder were joined in the cast by Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, and Catherine O’Hara.
In 1990, Jonathan Gems was hired to write a sequel that was going to be titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. Burton considered having Daniel Waters rewrite that script, Pamela Norris did rewrite it, and Warner Bros. offered Kevin Smith the chance to do another rewrite. He turned it down. Seth Grahame-Smith was hired to write and produce a new version of a sequel in 2011. Mike Vukadinovich was brought on to rewrite his script in 2017.
There’s no word on what the story for Beetlejuice 2 would be, or who has written the script Plan B is interested in producing. It’s also not known if Tim Burton would still be interested in directing the sequel. We’ll keep you updated as more information is revealed.