Has Danny Elfman confirmed production is finally gearing up on Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice 2? If we can believe the legendary composer, filming for the upcoming horror-comedy could happen very soon.
The composer behind the original film recently spoke to Deadline and dropped some updates on the long-awaited project. This is the first real confirmation we’ve had on the Beetlejuice 2 beyond a brief title card tease during Warner’s CinemaCon showcase, and Elfman even talked the return of Michael Keaton.
Elfman tells Deadline he expects the film to start shooting in the next few months. He adds that he’ll be “a fly on the wall” during filming, noting that it’s all “very exciting to return to that world.”
During the Deadline interview, Elfman talks about Michael Keaton’s return as the titular character. He claims someone recently asked him, “Really, after all these years? Michael Keaton?”
Elfman responded, “I said, ‘He’s not even going to look that much different. That’s the beauty of the Beetlejuice makeup. He already looked like he was 150 in the first one.’ It’s perfect, you know? Everybody else has to play the next generation, except for Michael.”
He adds, “I mean, he’s still like really fit and really active and really on it. And with the Beetlejuice makeup, I can’t even imagine it’s going to look like he’s changed practically at all. So, I can’t wait for that.”
I was repoted back in March that Beetlejuice 2 was actively in development, as The Ankler broke the story that Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are reprising their roles as Betelgeuse and Lydia Deetz, respectively. In late March Jenna Ortega became linked to to the project, with reports that the Wednesday star was set to join the film in a still-undisclosed role.
Based on Danny Elfman’s new interview, and the recent tease from Warner Bros. at CinemaCon, expect a major Beetlejuice 2 announcement soon.
