Tim Burton’s 2019 filmDumbocould have been his last had it not been for the hit Netflix seriesWednesday, as ahead of the release ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, the director reveals that it was that showthat encouraged him to step back into the world he createdmore than 35 years ago. Burton directed the originalBeetlejuicein 1988, giving audiences a glimpse into what went on in his head. The result was a stunning horror-comedy classicthat has endured the test of time, and though it’s taken decades for a sequel, as the old saying goes: it’s better late than never.
Speaking with Total Film (viaGamesRadar) before the release ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceon September 6, Burton mentioned that he waspretty much done making movies untilWednesdaycame along. Burton serves as executive producer on the Netflix series, and directed its first four episodes. He says that the experience gave him a lot of time to think about what he wanted to do next.
I went off to Romania for nine months, and had time to wander the Carpathian Mountains and think about things.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
The things he thought about was why he started making movies in the first place. As someone who had directed20 feature films up to that point– and for anyone else who has been in a job for any great length of time – it was easy to feel like a ship lost at sea. Eventually, the fire that first led him to making movies didn’t burn as bright, and while he wasn’t necessarily thinking about a sequel toBeetlejuiceat that time,Wednesdaydid manage to help rekindle the flames of creativity.
“Wednesday reconnected me to why I like making things. It was like shooting a movie on a TV schedule. It was quick. It was invigorating. We were not out to make a sequel. This was before franchises were talked about. The first time I ever heard that word, by the way, was on Batman Returns. I remember first hearing it and I just got a cold chill down my spine.”
How Wednesday Led to the Creation of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
The similarities between Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams and Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz are uncanny. Both feel like lost souls searching for their place in the world, and while they come from two different backgrounds, they’re cut from the same cloth that covers all of us who feel like we’re out of place in our own skin.
Workingwith Ortega onWednesday, Burton couldn’t help but draw his own parallels between the two, and it’s those same similarities that got him thinking about whatever happened to Lydia after her encounters with Betelgeuse so many years ago. He says that was the emotional hook he needed to begin considering a sequel to his 1988 classic.
“There was something emotional that made me want to do it. There was something about [that] character, and what happens to people 35 years later. That was the emotional hook to me. What happens to people, once you get older? You go through different things. You have kids. It changes you. Now, I understand this stuff a bit better. I’ve been through it myself.”
Winona Ryder Reveals Beetlejuice 2 Details and Explains More About Lydia’s Return: ‘This is a First for Me’
Winona Ryder shares details about her return as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and reveals why it is a unique movie for her.
Based on the trailer alone, it seems that Burton has found his mojo, and we can’t wait to see how he answers his own existential questions. Audiences can find out for themselves what happened to Lydia, and how Ortega fits into the mix, whenBeetlejuice Beetlejuicehits theaters on September 6 from Warner Bros. Pictures.
