Tim Burton Reveals How Wednesday Inspired Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

For Tim Burton, directing the first four episodes of Wednesday turned out to be the best thing for his film career. While shooting Wednesday in Romania, Burton rediscovered his love for filmmaking, which eventually led him to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

“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,” Burton told Total Film Magazine. “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.”

Burton’s decision to revisit Beetlejuice revolved around one character: Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz.

“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,” Burton added. “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.”

What to Expect in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

The official synopsis reads: “Three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life soon gets turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter discovers a mysterious portal to the afterlife. When someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times, the mischievous demon gleefully returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.”

Reprising their roles from Beetlejuice for the sequel are Ryder as Lydia Deetz, Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz, and Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse. New additions to the cast include Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe.

Directed by Burton, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will have its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival later this month. The film then opens in theaters on September 6, 2024.