If there’s one thing that’s overflowing from the chalice of Hollywood, it’s reboots, reimaginings, and sequels. Fromthe box office-savingTop Gun: Maverickto the swift comeback andeven swifter downfall of theScreamfranchise, studios are aware that analmostsure-fire way to deposit money in the bank is through a story that’s already known and loved by audiences. Whilenot every series needs another title added to its sequence, as was made abundantly clear through last year’sIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, there’s one project that we can say, with a high level of certainty, will be a gargantuan hit —Tim Burton’sBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. Speaking withVanity Fair,Jenna Ortega, one of the newcomers in a sea of familiar faces, revealed why she thought the follow-up had finally come to fruition after more than 30 years since the original rose from the grave.
At 21 years old, Ortega wasn’t even born whenBeetlejuicecrawled onto screens in 1988, yet she still feltthe cultural significance of the moviewhen she was a kid. “Before I’d even seen the movie, I knew who Beetlejuice was. I knew who Lydia was. I was able to recognize costumes just because it was everywhere.” TheScream VIactress said that the notoriety surroundingBeetlejuicewas part of the reason that she wanted to sign on for the sequel, adding her speculation as to why Warner Bros. was resurrecting it all these years later.
“That’s why I was excited that they were bringing it back as well. I feel like studios nowadays, of course, they want people in seats, and you’ve got to do reboots or sequels or things like that to get people entwined, butto bringBeetlejuiceback — of all of the stories — isso goodbecause people need to revisit weird, strange, off-putting stories again. We need to introduce the younger generation that’s always on the phone to new artistic and creative ideas.The weirder you get with it, the more people you can get to see it, I think will probably do a lot for film in general.”
Who Does Jenna Ortega Play In ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’?
Ortega’s role in theundead sequelwill see her as Lydia’s (Winona Ryder) daughter. So far,the character’s name hasn’t been revealedbut, judging by Ortega’s overall demeanor and the parts she’s been cast in before, it’s likely that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. We’re expecting lots of sarcasm and dry wit as well as an all-black wardrobe that will make her one of the biggest Halloween costumes of the year. Ortega joins a cast of returning favorites including Ryder,Michael Keatonas the titular ghoul, andCatherine O’Hara, who will reprise her role as Lydia’s mother, Delia Deetz. Other top-notch names on the call sheet includeJustin Theroux(The Leftovers),Willem Dafoe(Poor Things), andMonica Bellucci(Spectre).
Duein theaters on August 16, 2025,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicehasn’t dropped a trailer just yet but one is expected to be on the way shortly. In the meantime,you can check out our handy guide to all things the supernatural sequel here.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: The sequel to the cult classic brings back the infamous ghost Beetlejuice, who is unleashed upon a modern family, setting off a chain of hilarious and supernatural events. As mischief ensues, both the living and the deceased must deal with the resulting chaos, blending comedic antics with ghostly intrigue.
