Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a 2024 American dark fantasy comedy horror film and is a direct sequel to the 1988 film Beetlejuice, and was released on September 6 by Warner Bros. Pictures. Tim Burton returned as director, while original actors Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara returned to their respective roles in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. They are joined by new cast members Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Belluci, and Willem Dafoe.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Cast
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara in their respective roles of Betelgeuse (pronounced Beetlejuice), Lydia Deetz, and Delia Deetz. Jenna Ortega portrays Lydia’s daughter and Delia’s stepdaughter, Astrid Deetz. Justin Theroux plays Rory, Lydia’s boyfriend. Monica Belluci plays Delores, Betelgeuse’s ex-wife. Willem Dafoe portrays Wolf Jackson, a ghost detective who, in life, was a B movie action star.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Overview
Set more than three decades after the first film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice follows Lydia Deetz, now a mother, struggling to keep her family together as the specter Betelgeuse returns to haunt her after her father Charles’ death (Jeffrey Jones In the 1988 film.) Lydia, who can see ghosts, hosts a supernatural talk show Ghost House, and her abilities strain her relationship with her daughter Astrid, who is hesitant to believe in her powers since Lydia can’t see the ghost of Astrid’s father. After Charles’ death, Lydia, Astrid, and Delia leave New York City and return to Winter River, Connecticut, to bury him, and must work to defeat Betelgeuse after he is summoned again.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Final Thoughts
Overall, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was a vast improvement on its source material, which was sometimes slow-moving and hard to engage with. Instead, this film gets straight to the point and hooks viewers from the start. Additionally, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice perfectly combines dark comedy with high-stakes drama, another factor that was missing in the 1988 film, which at times felt like it was trying too hard to keep things light-hearted.
The well-rounded cast of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a huge factor that makes the film enjoyable to watch; it’s hard to picture another combination of actors making this movie what it is. Specifically, the casting of Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega as mother and daughter is something of lightning in a bottle, and they deliver the strongest performances and provide the emotional stakes in the film. Physically, it’s hard to picture any actress other than Ortega as a daughter to Ryder, and they have the on-screen chemistry to support their mother-daughter dynamic.
Furthermore, returning actors Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara shined in their respective roles. O’Hara, who had a smaller role in the original 1988 film, provides needed comedic relief in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and has great chemistry with every performer in the film, especially lead actresses Ryder and Ortega. Meanwhile, Keaton provides the film with a memorable villain. Significantly, Keaton plays Betelgeuse as a villain who is just “bad,” which works to the film’s benefit, because Betelgeuse is best as a character who doesn’t evolve or undergo any character development. Still, he makes Belelgeuse a memorable, and almost likable, villain due to his comedic timing.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is now in theaters.
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