"Beetlejuice 2" - World premiere at the Venice Film Festival
"Beetlejuice 2" comes to Venice. The sequel of the 1988 cult film is reportedly set to open the 81st Film Festival in the City of Canals on August 28, 2024. "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice", the official title of the sequel, will not be in competition for the Golden Lion, but out of competition. The film, directed by Tim Burton (65), will start in German cinemas about a week after its world premiere in Venice, on September 5.
"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice": A mix of old and new faces
"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" brings together stars from the original with new faces. Michael Keaton (72) reprises the role of the title character "Bio-Exorcist" Beetlejuice, accidentally summoned back to the living world. Winona Ryder (52) returns as Lydia Deetz. She, who was a teenager living with her parents in a haunted house in part one, now has a rebellious teenage daughter of her own.
The daughter is played by Jenna Ortega (21). The young actress, who works with Tim Burton on the successful Netflix series "Wednesday", became a star for the world of Beetlejuice.
Catherine O'Hara (70) returns from part one as well. She played the mother of Winona Ryder's character in the first film and will appear in the sequel in the same role. Newcomers to the cast are Willem Dafoe (68), Justin Theroux (52), and Tim Burton's partner Monica Bellucci (59). "House of the Dragon" star Arthur Conti makes his film debut.
The story of "Beetlejuice 2"
"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" takes place 36 years after the events of the first film. Lydia Deetz returns to the haunted house from part one following a family tragedy. In the basement, her daughter Astrid discovers a portal to the afterlife. She says Beetlejuice's name three times, summoning the chaotic "Ghost with the Most" who had been banished from their family almost four decades ago.
A sequel to "Beetlejuice" was in planning right after the film's success in 1989. A script for a sequel set in Hawaii was written but never filmed. In 2011, there was renewed interest in the project, with Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, and Winona Ryder all wanting to move forward with part two. However, it wasn't until 2022 that things finally got the green light.
Lydia Deetz's return to the haunted house in "Beetlejuice 2" is highly anticipated, as she now has a rebellious teenage daughter. At the 81st Film Festival in Venice, Jenna Ortega, who stars as Lydia's daughter, will make her mark during the world premiere of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice." The film's director, Tim Burton, continues his long-standing collaboration with Winona Ryder, who reprises her role as Lydia from the original film. Michael Keaton, famously known for his portrayal of "Bio-Exorcist" Beetlejuice, also returns for the sequel's much-awaited "Beetlejuice 2" premiere.
