Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice 2’ Lands September 2024 Release Date; Justin Theroux Joins Cast

There have long been attempts to sequelize Tim Burton’s hit horror-comedy “Beetlejuice” going back to the never-made script “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian,” but a second film is finally moving forward at Warner Bros. with Burton, Michael Keaton, and Winona Ryder returning. The studio has now announced a release date for “Beetlejuice 2,” and another big name has joined the call sheet.

READ MORE: ‘Beetlejuice 2’: Jenna Ortega Eyes Role In Tim Burton’s Upcoming Sequel

Warners will release the pic officially on September 6, 2024, and Deadline reveals that actor Justin Theroux (“Leftovers”) has joined the film’s cast. He’s not the only newcomer as modern scream queen Jenna Ortega (“Scream 6”) is playing the daughter of Ryder’s Lydia and reunites with the “Wednesday” director. Theroux’s character is a bit of a mystery at the moment, but it’s worth mentioning he’s played villains in the past, like in “Charlie’s Angles 2” and “Zoolander.”

“Beetlejuice” first hit theaters back in 1988, and that original installment focused on a newly dead couple trying to scare away the new owners of their home. Finding their own haunting abilities lacking and become increasingly desperate only for a fellow ghost, Beetlejuice, unleashed by saying his name three times, causing more harm/havoc. Keaton’s ghostly villain then tries to marry a goth teen girl named Lydia, played by Ryder. Of course, the spinoff cartoon series that aired in the ‘80-’90s attempted to retcon the child bride elements from the film alongside making Beetlejuice more of a friendly comedic goofball, and the two were reworked as pals rather than adversaries.

Filming on “Beetlejuice 2” is said to begin next month in London, which means more casting announcements are expected to be made in the coming weeks.

It’s unclear if any other original actors will return. However, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that Burton can convince actress Catherine O’Hara to at least make a cameo as Lydia’s mother. Plot details are being kept locked up, so we’ll have to be a little patient to learn more about the picture. One interesting aspect briefly shown in the first film was the Netherworld, a secondary spooky location where the dead reside and could be explored in a greater way in the sequel like it was in the inventive cartoon, given the new advancements in visual effects since the 1980s.