If you've finished binging Wednesday and you've already seen Scream VI multiple times, you might be itching for a new Jenna Ortega project to watch. Well, we won't have to wait much longer for new images and clips because her newest movie, Beetlejuice 2, is already filming! Not only do we get to return to the wacky world of the 1988 film, but we also get to see Ortega as the daughter of Winona Ryder's Lydia, which might just be our favorite casting decision of the year. Here's everything we know about the fall movie.
What is Beetlejuice 2 about?
Image via Warner Bros.
We finally have some plot details thanks to The Hollywood Reporter! Winona Ryder's Lydia brings her daughter Astrid back to Winter River, and when Astrid finds the town scale model, she accidentally opens a portal to the afterlife. Now, both worlds are being thrown into chaos!
We're excited for Beetlejuice 2 to be another classic Tim Burton movie for one reason — he wanted to go "back to the basics." "I really enjoyed it," Tim Burton told The Independent. "I tried to strip everything and go back to the basics of working with good people and actors and puppets. It was kind of like going back to why I liked making movies.”
Movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and (of course) the first Beetlejuice are cemented in pop culture history because of how stripped back they are. Considering Beetlejuice 2 features a lot of the same actors as the first movie, we're expecting it to continue the story of family and coming of age.
The First Look At "Beetlejuice 2"
Image via Warner Bros.
We finally have our first official look at Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice! Winona's Lydia is just as emo as she's always been (thank goodness), and I love to see the contrast between Lydia and Jenna Ortega's Astrid. Even though Astrid has similar tones and edge thanks to the dark overcoat and boots, I really like that we can see colorful stripes peeking out from underneath her coat. Now the real question is — whose funeral are they at?!
The first teaser gives us even more of an idea of what to expect from Beetlejuice 2. It's giving small town coming-of-age, it's giving Halloween, it's giving family drama. I can't wait!
And at CinemaCon 2024, Tim Burton said that coming back for Beetlejuice 2 was like “a big weird family reunion” (via The Hollywood Reporter). While a sequel to the original movie has been in talked about, actor Michael Keaton says this version of the script “finally it got right.” He also added: “I have to tell you this though, it’s really f*cking good.”
Image via Warner Bros.
We also have a look at Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice, who clearly hasn't changed a bit. I'm not sure what antics he'll rope Astrid and Lydia into this time, but I can't wait to find out.
Is Jenna Ortega going to be in Beetlejuice 2?
Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Yes, Jenna Ortega will star in Beetlejuice 2! Jenna Ortega will star as the daughter of Winona Ryder's Lydia, and we're totally expecting this "It" girl to lead the film. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she reveals that her character's name is Astrid — which is brand new info!
"She’s weird, but in a different way and not in the way you’d assume," she says. "The relationship between Lydia and Astrid, [is] really strange because it’s a lot of catching up and putting the pieces together of what’s gone on in Lydia’s life since, which is nice, I think, for anybody who loves the character and is excited to see her again."
While Astrid isn't Lydia's polar opposite, Jenna does reveal we'll see them butt heads. "I wouldn’t say [Astrid's] bright and sunny at all," she continues. "She doesn’t go to the opposite end of the spectrum, but any kid who becomes a teenager wants to be removed from their parents. I think they instantly just fight whatever it is that their parent loves."
This leaked first look features Ryder and Ortega filming in Hertfordshire, England. You can see that Winona Ryder still has her iconic hairstyle from the original film, and that Jenna Ortega is wearing a wedding dress. We have so many questions!! Even though Ortega's dress is white instead of red or black, you can see that there is some peachy pink tulle in her dress. Even if her character seems different from Lydia, the two might just be more similar than we expect.
Who else is in the Beetlejuice 2 cast?
Image via Warner Bros.
In addition to Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder, we'll see Michael Keaton, Willem Dafoe, and Justin Theroux. Tim Burton will direct, Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg are producing, and Mike Alfred Gough and Miles Millar have written the script.
When is the Beetlejuice 2 release date?
Image via Warner Bros.
The Warner Bros. movie is scheduled for September 6, 2024. When the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes began, the movie had less than two days of filming left. “I feel grateful we got what we got. Literally, it was a day and a half,” Tim Burton told The Independentat the time. “We know what we have to do. It is 99 per cent done.”
Tim Burton confirmed in late November, via Instagram, that the movie had finished production: "Just finished shooting Beetlejuice. Thank you to everyone involved." Beetlejuice 2 is going to be the perfect fall movie, if you ask us.
What is Beetlejuice about?
Image via Warner Bros.
After Barbara and Adam die in a car accident, they wind up as ghosts unable to leave their home. When the Deetzes move into the home, Barbara and Adam try to scare them away, but only end up making things worse when they attract trickster spirit Beetlejuice. Watch the Beetlejuice trailer here!
Why can't you say Beetlejuice 3 times?
Image via Warner Bros.
When you say "Beetlejuice" three times, it summons the titular spirit to you. Be warned! Life is already crazy enough without the help of the supernatural, thank you very much.
Will there be a Beetlejuice 3?
Image via Warner Bros.
We don't have an official word on a third Beetlejuice movie yet (we haven't even seen the second one!), but if the new poster is any indication, I think we're totally getting a trilogy. The official name of Beetlejuice 2, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, means that we're getting closer to the original film's iconic phrase. You know, where you say Beetlejuice three times in a row? If we do get a third film, it would be incredible if it was called Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!
How old was Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice?
Image via Warner Bros.
Winona Ryder turned 16 years old during the filming of Beetlejuice. Jenna Ortega is already 21, but we wouldn't be surprised if her character is the same age as Lydia in the original.
Follow us on Twitter for more movie news and let us know what you think of the Beetlejuice 2 cast in the comments!
Lead photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
This post has been updated.
