Beetlejuice 2 set in “the craziest world possible”

It’s showtime! Well, not quite, but anticipation for Beetlejuice 2 is still high. Now, the movie’s cinematographer has teased some details about the sequel – which has escaped from development hell and sandworms alike – that points towards some of the movie’s themes.

While promoting A Haunting in Venice – which has its own supernatural elements – cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos offered a little on Beetlejuice 2. “At its heart ‘Beetlejuice [2]’ is a story about a family…And now it’s 30 years later and what are the intricacies and the human condition in keeping a family together all that time set in the craziest world possible? That’s why I choose projects. That human connection for me is always at the forefront.” That the definition of “crazy” here isn’t quite clear only adds to the excitement of Beetlejuice 2. Is it crazy in terms of the (nether)worlds it will explore? Or will it play off of the uncertainties of modern times?

Beetlejuice 2 has quite a history to it, some of which we go into in our Beetlejuice episode of WTF Happened to This Movie?! (see embedded video below) And while the ghost with the most won’t be going Hawaiian as originally intended, we will get Tim Burton at the helm, while Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Michael Keaton are all reprising their respective roles of Lydia Deetz, Delia Deetz and Beetlejuice (uh oh, that’s three times in one paragraph…). New cast includes Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Monica Belluci, and maybe even Jean-Claude Van Damme. But the production has hit a few snags, as props have gone missing and filming has halted due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. Hopefully this doesn’t delay the actual release, which is currently slated for September 6th, 2024.

The first Beetlejuice was a massive success, making the top 10 of the highest-grossing movies of 1988, going on to earn the Oscar for Best Makeup (take that, Scrooged!). The AFI even named it as one of the funniest films ever made, edging out The Jerk.

Are you looking forward to Beetlejuice 2? Is now a good time for a sequel or has too much of it passed? Give us your take in the comments section below.