Beetlejuice 2 Release Date and Cast: Winona Ryder 'Confirm' Beetlejuice Sequel in the Making

Aug 11, 2015 06:08 PM EDT

At a recent interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Winona Ryder leaked that a sequel to the 1988 film is in the making.  It was more of a statement of "I think I can confirm" the sequel, and this is what is known about Beetlejuice 2 Release Date and Cast. 

The Christian Science Monitor stated that director of the original Beetlejuice, Tim Burton, stated in an interview that there is a script written for a Beetlejuice sequel, and he wants to work with Michael Keaton as the lead character once again.  He also said "I think there is now a better chance than ever". 

Michael Keaton stated in 2014 that "without giving too much away, [he and Tim Burton] talked to each other and e-mailed each other, and if he's inn, it's going to be hard not to be in". 

The original 1988 film was a surprise hit from relatively unknown director Tim Burton, who at the time was only known for Pee-Wee's Big AdventureBeetlejuice established the director's dark yet whimsical style to do films like Batman and Batman Returns (both also starring Michael Keaton) as well as other films like Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, and Mars Attacks.  He has also been known to do some other films that are more artistic in nature like Big Fish, Ed Wood, and his most recent offering is Big Eyes, an adaptation of the true story of Margaret Keane and her husband, who passed off her art as his own. 

Big Eyes was praised by critics, but not all of Burton's works have been hits.  Burton received a lot of jeers for his versions of Planet of the Apes, Alice in Wonderland, and Dark Shadows.  There are times when Burton has worked as producer, but Beetlejuice 2 looks to be a way that the director can have another hit. 

As most recall, the original Beetlejuice movie was not about Michael Keaton's character, but the story focused on Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin's characters, two ghosts who hire Beetlejuice to haunt their home in an effort to vacate the new tenants.  The film had a lot of special effects that were mostly practical and used a lot of stop-and-go animation, and US Magazine has stated that Winona Ryder is excited about the CGI technology that could be used in the film.  

So far, the only one who would definitely be coming back to Beetlejuice 2 would be Keaton, assuming that the sequel does get made.  Ryder did not brag that she would definitely be in it, but NY Daily News reports that she still says "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice" in several places.  In fact, she was once not allowed to go through airport security until she said the famous line. 

Assuming that it would probably take a while to film Beetlejuice 2, not to mention the money in special effects, I'm guessing we're looking at a 2017 release date.  This is again assuming that the film will be made.