Exactly after 36 years of fans waiting, I saw the original movie during the 90s and love it, the follow up to Tim Burton’s classic supernatural comedy is set to be released in cinemas. The first movie that came out in 1988 show the audience a world of chaos that is Beetlejuice a spirit that is called out by saying his name three times, its funny how this second iteration of the film has his name twice on it so a clear indicative that a third movie might be on the works just before jumping into this second iteration. It was a cultural hit, the cartoon itself was a success, mixing the whimsical with the dark side in a way that people all around the world found fascinating, back in the day there was no IMDB of RTT but they still manage to collect data now days showing an 82% acceptance from the audience and 85% from critics. Now Burton has revive the "Ghost with the Most" for another round of the after life comedy, the new film brings back some of the major actors from the first movie and also brings in new actors to the series. While waiting for this much awaited sequel, people have mixed feelings of joy and wonder on how Burton will be able to recreate the same kind of experience that the first movie gave to its audience and at the same time come up with new ideas, lets consider that back in the day there was a large following of kids watching the cartoon, we are all adults now but probably our interest have change drastically. In an attempt of attracting both the old and new audience the sequel is a combination of elements from the past and new ones.
Platform: Theaters
Release: September 6, 2024
The Story So Far
The sequel is set several years after the original movie, to be exact, 36 years later, funny enough the exact time between each version, not sure if that was intended and the movie will be based on present day society having cameos of many now day personalities. The Deetz family ends up in Winter River, Connecticut after a family tragedy they never saw coming, this return to familiar ground is for new supernatural shenanigans. Now Lydias grown up and she is a mother of a teenage daughter named Astrid so its expected that the tradition and similar behavior will be pass into the new generation, in the same rebellious style, Astrid unknowingly opens a passage way to the afterlife releasing Beetlejuice and causing chaos and havoc in the process. In essence the new film is about family, it also deals with the issues of the family’s stability and togetherness during three decades, kind of similar reasons why Lydia like hanging with Beetlejuice during the original story, and all these events are told in the context of Burton’s imaginary settings.
The Cast: Old and New
The cast of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) is a combination of the actors from the first movie of 1988 and new actors with Michael Keaton taking the leadn and return as the main character of the movie, the misbehaving ghost Beetlejuice which was one of the roles that brought Keaton into the spotlight. Keaton’s portrayal in the first movie was reckless and full of life and he has since done many roles and has been nominated and won many awards including a Golden Globe for his performance in Birdman, lets consider that back in the day was no CGI and the adaptation from cartoon to the big screen was very good. Winona Ryder is also back as Lydia Deetz the gothic teenage girl who became friends with Beetlejuice in the original story, her portrayal of Lydia was her most famous role to date and she has since acted in many films and has been nominated for two Academy Awards.Some of the new faces that will be seen in the new iteration include Jenna Ortega of the recent Netflix series Wednesday portrays the role of Astrid, the teenage daughter of the protagonist Lydia, she had to be born in the perfect time and era to catch twist two very gothic theme productions that fit her perfectly. Ortega really proved herself in Wednesday and her ability to play the dark and eccentric characters which is ideal for Beetlejuice.
Willem Dafoe is also on the cast as Wolf Jackson, a ghost detective in the afterlife, we all know Dafoe is a talented and a very versatile actor who has appeared in many films such as Platoon and Spider Man. Monica Bellucci is Delores, the mysterious wife of Beetlejuice, an Italian actress and model have worked in Hollywood as well as in European films, she gorgeous women, great addition that will attract a good amount of male audience to the film.
The cast for the new Beetlejuice movie is no joke, a very talented and versatile one, with Keaton comedy side, will be a new and innovative sequel of the popular movie, combining the spirit of the first part with the enthusiasm of young actors.
Character Connection and Continuation
Where as the original Beetlejuice was about the Maitland couple who have just passed away and their efforts to scare away the Deetz family from their home, things have taken a 360 degree change, this new film seems to be more interested in the dynamics of Lydia and her daughter Astrid’s relationship. Michael Keaton has provided some insight into the sequel’s dramatic potential, referring to the fact that Lydia and Astrid will be the new Maitlands and the heart of the story, probably wanting to stay or Beetlejuice making them stay instead of leaving, this change in the point of view from the dead to the living should give a new and interesting spin to the world of Beetlejuice without losing the charm of the first movie.Tim Burton's Vision
If the first movie was very innovative I would expect a visually appealing and eccentric experience with Tim Burton back in the director’s chair and the movie being closely related to the 1988 film. Tim Burton who directed the first iteration of the movie and whose particular sense of humor will be probably used in the sequel to the full potetnial, he also opted to bring the story back after three and half decades to establish what happened to the living characters from the first movie especially Lydia and her family, out of curiosity when this will become a trend and we get a second Constantine movie? just asking!!. Its probably that along with the recent release of the new show "Wednesday" on Netflix by Burton has again made him interested in the Beetlejuice universe.
Family drama and the development of the mythology of the afterlife can give context and substance to go with what is expected to be the humor and visuals, AI, CGI and special effects are going to be a key factor too. I have notice that online there are a few articles with enough reason to challenge Keaton and Burton, if they both still have what it takes to make this film a success, is not the first time for the audience and critics to have divided opinions, I would guess it was the same case on the first movie was not that warmly welcomed at first either, it was an adaptation of a cartoon. This entire situation is the perfect drama for something great, the king that is coming back to repeat and becoming and icon of comedy and gothic style movies.
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