A sequel to Tim Burton‘s bizarro 1988 supernatural comedy Beetlejuice may be completely unnecessary from one perspective, but from another it’s perhaps the only iconic 80’s property that really deserves an update/revisit (although I say David Lynch should revisit the insanity of Blue Velvet). Like it or not, IFC [via Entertainment Weekly] reports that it may be happening, and with Burton’s approval.
Seth Grahame-Smith, the novelist behind genre mash-ups Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and producer David Katzenberg (son of DreamWorks Animation scion Jeffrey) have a lot on their development slate at the moment, but the project destined to bring the most howls is their planned sequel to Beetlejuice. It’s not a reboot, though, but an actual second installment of the story, and they want the original movie’s star – according to the duo:
DK: We’re not remaking Beetlejuice. People have been very angry about that.
SGS: When Warner Bros. came to us about it, we said the only way we’d do it if we got Tim [Burton’s] blessing and involvement, and we got that, and the star of the movie has to be Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, and it’s a true continuation 26 years later. Not just throwing him in as a cameo going, “Hey, it’s me. I endorse this movie.” We’re not there yet [with Keaton] because we don’t have a film to present to him.
So this is far more comforting than the original sequel which Burton had planned to make before Batman Returns took up his time, Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. I think the title alone is horrifying enough. Kevin Smith mocked the idea when recounting the time when he was tapped to write the thing, and that alone speaks volumes.
If Michael Keaton can be coaxed back to once again star as the “ghost with the most,” then this thing might have some promise. Sign a talented director comfortable with both comedy and horror elements – like, say, Zombieland‘s Ruben Fleischer – and it could be worth the effort.
Do you think the world needs a Beetlejuice sequel? What about a remake of Footloose… oh, wait, that shit happened – so what’s wrong with a Beetlejuice sequel?