Warning: Spoilers ahead for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!
While Beetlejuice 2 takes Tim Burton’s supernatural tale in a few new directions, the sequel has a lot of fun with its various Easter eggs and references. With the Beetlejuice sequel arriving 36 years later, the movie had the tough task of catering to original fans seeking nostalgia as well as the new generation of fans. Adding Jenna Ortega to Beetlejuice 2‘s cast was undoubtedly a great way to embrace the new era, considering the actress is one of Hollywood’s most popular rising stars, but any real success heavily relied on staying true to the original.
A lot has changed since the first Beetlejuice debuted in 1988, and the same can be said for in-universe changes with the Deetz family. Returning figures like Lydia, Delia, and even Beetlejuice are still the beloved characters that helped shape Burton’s movie into a classic, but they are also at very different points in their respective lives from when we last saw them. That said, with various Easter eggs and clever connections to the original movie, Beetlejuice 2 succeeds in serving as an exciting legacy sequel that mixes nostalgia and modern pop culture references.
15 Lydia’s Ghost House Show
Lydia Took A Surprising Career Path
Beetlejuice 2 opens with Lydia on the set of her talk show, Ghost House, where she uses her powers to communicate with the dead and help the living with various hauntings. When a short clip of her investigation is shown, it’s clear Ghost House is meant to poke fun at paranormal investigation shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures.
However, the talk show aspect allows Lydia to film in front of a live audience, giving the program a more personal aspect. Based on Rory’s motivations for exploitation, he likely made most of the decisions surrounding Ghost House. Whether or not Rory believes in Lydia’s powers, he primarily focuses on profiting from her supernatural gifts for his own gain.
14 The Schitt’s Creek Nod In Delia’s Art Studio
A Return Of The Crowening
Upon hearing about Charles’ death in Beetlejuice 2, Lydia heads to Delia’s posh New York City art studio. The location is full of various art installations, including giant video screens of Delia. One of the screens features Delia wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with her arms out as black birds fly around her. The image might remind Schitt’s Creek fans of The Crowening, Moira’s movie filmed in Bosnia during season 5.
Moira notably played a doctor in the movie that involved mutant crows, with hopes the release would revive her acting career. The character gets a surge in popularity as an actress when her movie premieres in Schitt’s Creek season 6 alongside a red carpet that goes viral. Funny enough, fame and notoriety for her work are always on Delia’s mind in the Beetlejuice franchise.
13 Tim Burton’s Stop-Motion Recreation Of Charles’ Death
Burton Has A Lot Of Experience With Stop-Motion
Tim Burton is no stranger to stop-motion after his work on Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, and The Nightmare Before Christmas (which he wrote and produced). In a pleasant surprise, Beetlejuice 2 features a stop-motion sequence to detail the events of how Charles Deetz died. The recreation depicts Charles’ plane to South America crashing into the ocean, where he’s attacked and killed by a shark before getting to safety.
Related Tim Burton Officially Gets The Redemption He Deserves After $353 Million Flop 5 Years Ago
The early reviews and box office projections for Beetlejuice 2 are in, and it gives Tim Burton a welcome redemption after his last movie’s misfires.
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The stop-motion sequence is short, but it’s a nice touch for a filmmaker already celebrated for his use of practical effects. Though fans were expecting some Burton trademarks in the long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel, the use of stop-motion is a fun element in the movie.
12 “Day-O” Song At Charles’ Funeral
The Harry Belafonte Song Is A Big Element Of The Original Movie
Image via Universal Pictures
The Deetz family has Charles’ funeral in Winter River, a detail first confirmed in Beetlejuice 2‘s initial teaser trailer. Like the trailer footage, an iteration of Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O” plays during Charles’ funeral, with a children’s choir performing the song in the cemetery as part of Beetlejuice 2′s soundtrack.
The headstone for Charles is in the shape of a shark fin to poke fun at the way he was killed in the movie.
The “Day-O” song sequence from Beetlejuice was a beloved moment in the 1988 movie, so it makes sense why the sequel used it to say goodbye to that form of the character. Instead of the original upbeat version, the movie chose a much different tone.
11 Little Jane Makes An Appearance
There’s Also A Third Jane Butterfield
In the original movie, Jane Butterfield was Barbara’s family member trying to sell the Maitland house. She succeeded after Adam and Barbara died, but apparently, the interest in reality stayed with the family. Jane always had her daughter with her in the first movie, and Beetlejuice 2 confirms that Little Jane remained in Winter River and followed in her mother’s footsteps.
Little Jane has grown up with her own daughter (also named Jane) and has an interest in selling the Deetz home after Charles’ death. The returning character also fills Lydia in on some town lore, specifically the story surrounding Jeremy, ultimately proving that Astrid is in grave danger.
10 Maxie Dean Gets A Mention
Maxie & Sarah Dean’s Fate Was Always A Mystery
For years, it has been speculated that Beetlejuice killed Maxie and Sarah Dean when he sent them flying into the air with the carnival game in the first movie. However, Beetlejuice 2 may have finally revealed the fates of the Dean couple after Delia mentions Maxie’s name at Charles’ wake.
By asking if Maxie Dean has arrived, Beetlejuice 2 seemingly confirms that the couple survived the end of the original Beetlejuice. Oddly, Sarah isn’t mentioned, but the name drop implies Maxie is still around in 2024. The other scenario points to Delia wondering if Maxie would show up after Charles’ death to finally reveal if the man himself is still alive.
9 Delores’ Revival Has A “Thing” Connection
Burton Knows A Lot About The Addams Family
Image via Universal Pictures
When Delores comes back to life in Beetlejuice 2, her body parts are kept in a bunch of wooden crates in the afterlife realm. She puts her body back together piece by piece, but when reattaching an arm, the shot focuses on Delores’ hand crawling across the floor in the same nature Thing is known for in the Addams Family franchise.
Related Jenna Ortega Isn’t The Only Wednesday Actor Reuniting With Tim Burton In Beetlejuice 2
The cast of 2024’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice includes another actor other than Jenna Ortega from Tim Burton’s Wednesday season 1 episodes.
Tim Burton, of course, has a lot of experience with Thing after working on Netflix’s Wednesday with Jenna Ortega. The sentient body parts, in general, were likely a reference to the pair’s other project together and Thing’s resurgence in popularity because of Wednesday‘s immense success.
8 Beetlejuice’s World’s Best Boss Mug
Beetlejuice Might Be A Fan Of The Office
Image via Universal Pictures
There’s no question that Beetlejuice thinks highly of himself, but one detail on his desk in the afterlife proves how “the ghost with the most” truly feels about his status. Following the events of the first movie, Beetlejuice ends up working as the “Afterlife Call Center Manager” and oversees a team of men with shrunken heads. On Beetlejuice’s desk is a “World’s Best Boss” mug made famous by Michael Scott in The Office.
The prop sits next to a picture of Lydia when Beetlejuice first encountered her as a teen in the ’80s, proving he’s still pining for her after all these years. The mug can also be seen later in the movie when Bob (dressed as Beetlejuice) hides under the desk while Delores is searching for her ex-husband.
7 Adam’s Town Model Has New Additions
Adam Kept Up With His Favorite Hobby
Though Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis don’t appear in Beetlejuice 2, Adam’s model of Winter River is still present. The model comes into play several times throughout the sequel, but Beetlejuice 2 also makes an effort to tease additions made to the model by Adam since we last saw the characters in the first movie.
Related Original Characters Still Missing From Beetlejuice 2
In addition to Beetlejuice, Lydia, and Delia, there are some great missing original characters who still must return for Beetlejuice 2.
In addition to little figures of Adam and Barbara, the couple’s yellow car can be seen upside down in the river in reference to how the couple tragically died decades prior. Adam seemingly kept up with the hobby until he and Barbara found a loophole to leave the house.
6 Kill, Baby, Kill Reference
It Makes Sense For Lydia To Love Horror Movies
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Lydia and Astrid have a complicated dynamic, but the pair have a few meaningful moments together before reconciling in the afterlife. One of those moments features Lydia sharing details of her pregnancy with Astrid while the two look at family pictures. The movie reveals that Lydia was at a Mario Bava film marathon and watching Kill, Baby, Kill with Richard when her water broke.
Considering Lydia’s macabre demeanor, with some of those characteristics being passed on to Astrid, having Lydia go into labor while watching a gothic horror movie is very on-brand for the character. It’s also nice to know that Richard had many of the same interests, even if their marriage didn’t last.
5 Astrid’s “Scream” Halloween Costume
Jenna Ortega Has Experience With A Different Scream
Seeing as Beetlejuice 2 is set around Halloween, the topic of costumes comes up a few times. Astrid dresses up as Marie Curie before hanging out with Jeremy on Halloween night, but she also reminisces about a time when Halloween was her favorite holiday. While sharing memories involving her dad, Astrid mentions that she once wore a costume inspired by Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” painting in second grade.
However, mentioning the costume also serves as a callback to Jenna Ortega’s role as Tara in the two most recent Scream movies. In addition to Wednesday, Ortega’s presence in the Scream franchise has helped push her career to new levels.
4 The Deetz Family Isn’t A Big Fan Of Disney
Burton Doesn’t Have A Great History With Disney
Keeping on the topic of Halloween, Lydia discusses costumes with Jane while Astrid is on her date with Jeremy. The discussion leans into Disney-inspired costumes before Lydia states that the closest Astrid ever came to a Disney costume was when she dressed as Cinderella’s dead mom. The reveal is hilariously grim, but it also serves as a diss to Disney following Tim Burton’s decision to leave the studio following issues with 2019’s Dumbo.
Related 8 Classic Disney Movies You Didn’t Know Tim Burton Worked On
Tim Burton worked on several Disney classics in the early days of his career, as well a directing some short films while working at the studio.
Though Burton has worked on several notable Disney movies, the relationship between the filmmaker and the studio didn’t end on good terms. A few years after Dumbo, Burton declared that he was done working for Disney, so the dig at Disney costumes was likely kept in for a reason.
3 Michael Keaton’s F-Bomb
Beetlejuice Gets Another Memorable Line
One of the most shocking moments in the original Beetlejuice comes in the form of Michael Keaton’s controversial f-bomb. Beetlejuice is no saint, but it’s always a surprise to hear the “nice f***ing model!” line in the movie’s uncut version, especially when forgetting it was rated PG. Michael Keaton gets Beetlejuice 2‘s solo f-bomb when he tricks Jeremy after the dead teen tries to steal Astrid’s place as a member of the living.
After Beetlejuice fools Jeremy, he hits him with “later, f***er!” before dropping the boy into Hell. There’s another Beetlejuice f-bomb in the church, but that one is bleeped out, meaning the sequel copies the first movie by giving Keaton the only f-bomb line of dialogue.
2 Rory’s Netflix Mention
Ortega & Ryder Have Strong Ties To The Streamer
Image created by Yeider Chacon
The church is almost the site of Lydia’s marriage to Rory and Beetlejuice at separate points. However, before she enters the small Winter River church, she’s met by Rory, who informs her that the guests are full of influencers who will hype up their wedding on social media.
Stranger Things
season 5 and
Wednesday
season 2 are expected to release on Netflix in 2025.
Rory then mentions that a Netflix executive is in attendance before Astrid interrupts them. Beetlejuice 2 is comprised of several notable Netflix stars, including Winona Ryder in Stranger Things and Jenna Ortega’s lead role in Wednesday, which Tim Burton directed.
1 Beetlejuice & Lydia’s Wedding Attire
The Iconic Wedding Outfits Make A Return
In order for Beetlejuice to agree to Lydia’s request to help save Astrid, the bio-exorcist coerces her into signing a contract so the two can get married, for real this time. She reluctantly agrees, which nearly happens at the church after Rory reveals how he’s been exploiting Lydia.
Before the ceremony begins, Beetlejuice appears in his maroon suit from the first movie, and Lydia is wearing her iconic red wedding dress. Like the first movie, Beetlejuice 2 ends with an appearance of a sandworm and Beetlejuice getting sent away based on rules in the Handbook for the Recently Deceased.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 4
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PG-13ComedySupernaturalFantasyHorror
Director Tim Burton Release Date September 6, 2024 Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers Alfred Gough , Miles Millar , Mike Vukadinovich , Seth Grahame-Smith , Michael McDowell , Larry Wilson Cast Michael Keaton , Jenna Ortega , Winona Ryder , Monica Bellucci , Willem Dafoe , Justin Theroux , Catherine O’Hara Runtime 104 Minutes Expand