Despite the negative test reaction I previously posted concerning Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice,” one only hopes that Burton has made a good film. Here’s the latest trailer, released today.
We’ll see how this one goes considering Burton hasn’t made a great film in over … 15 years? The last Burton that made one of my ten best lists, or came close to it, was 2007’s “Sweeney Todd.”
Burton has confirmed that he'll be using stop-motion animation to bring a lot of the classic “Beetlejuice” effects to the screen. "It needed a back-to-basics, handmade quality," he says. "It reenergized why I love making movies."
Burton, who had, what he calls, a “soul destroying” experience making films for Disney, including his live-action “Dumbo” reboot, says he felt rejuvenated making the “Beetlejuice” sequel:
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.
We all want the old Burton back. He hasn’t made a great film in over a decade. Regardless, he has an impressive filmography that includes “Beetlejuice”, “Batman,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Ed Wood”, “Sleepy Hollow”, “Mars Attacks”, “Big Fish” and “Sweeney Todd”. A Burton comeback is always more than welcome.
The sequel picks up decades after the original, with a sudden death in the family sparking the drama. Here’s the synopsis …
After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return to the small Vermont town of Winter River. Paranormal empath, Lydia Deetz, begins to see the lecherous demon Beetlejuice, who haunted her as a teenager. His plans to finally marry Lydia are given extra urgency when his dead wife comes to life and begins to stalk the Afterlife hunting for him. Meanwhile, Lydia’s teenage daughter embarks on a romance with a local teen.
We should take note that a few former ‘Beetlejuice’ stars, Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, are not part of this sequel, nor do they have cameos. Willem Dafoe is said to have a very small role, and there is a musical number as well.
The ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel is being released in theaters on September 6th.