The upcoming Beetlejuice sequel is one of the most anticipated films of 2024 (at least for us), and as the release date nears, we find ourselves ingesting any new media about it. That includes interviews done by the cast, with the latest being a chat Michael Keaton did with GQ, in which he revealed some behind-the-scenes tidbits about the movie’s production.
Beetlejuice (1988)
Released in 1988 and directed by Tim Burton, Beetlejuice revolves around a ghost couple (Adam and Barbara Maitland), who, at first, don’t realize they’re deceased and subsequently learn that not only are they dead, they’re unable to leave the house. When a new family, the Deetzes, move into the residence, the pair enlist the help of “bio-exorcist” Beetlejuice to scare them away.
What follows is absolute chaos, including a rather entertaining music and dance number at the dinner table.
Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular character and features stellar performances from Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis (the Maitlands), as well as Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones and Winona Ryder (the Deetzes). The movie grossed around $74.7 million at the box office and took home the Academy Award for Best Makeup.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Slated for widespread release in September 2024, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, as the sequel has been called, sees much of the original cast returning to reprise their iconic roles, including Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder. It also features newer faces to the franchise, such as Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux and Willem Dafoe.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice takes place 36 years after the original film and centers around the Deetz family’s return to Winter River after the unexpected passing of patriarch Charles Deetz. While there’d been talk of a potential sequel back in the 1990s, nothing came to fruition until recently.
Speaking with PEOPLE in February 2024, Keaton revealed how much he enjoyed working on the featuring, saying, “It’s the most fun I’ve had on set in a long time.”
Michael Keaton didn’t want Beetlejuice stealing the show
In a feature published by GQ in August 2024, Michael Keaton revealed that he’d had a few stipulations that needed to be agreed upon before he felt comfortable signing on for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. One caveat was that his character didn’t receive too much screen time.
“The idea was no, no, no, you can’t load it up with Beetlejuice, that’ll kill it,” the actor explained to GQ. “I think the Beetlejuice character doesn’t drive the story as much as he did in the first one. He’s more part of the storyline in this one as opposed to the first one, which is a case of, this thing comes in and drives the movie a little bit.”
If you’re wondering how a Beetlejuice movie can feature a limited amount of the titular character, you should know that, of the total runtime of the first movie (92 minutes), Keaton only receives about 17 minutes of screen time.
Forget CGI!
Another stipulation Michael Keaton had relates to the use of CGI in the film – or, should we say, the lack of it. The actor was very blunt from the get-go regarding his feelings about the use of computer-generated imagery.
“The one thing that [Tim Burton] and I decided on early, early, early on from the beginning, if we ever did it again, I was totally not interested in doing something where there was too much technology,” he told PEOPLE. “It had to feel manmade.”
He elaborated on this requirement with GQ, stating, “When I say handmade, it’s literally handmade. That’s really hard to do in 2024. For the most part, [with CGI] I think a lot of audiences subconsciously feel farther away from what’s actually going on on the screen or in the story. It’ll work, they’ll accept it.”
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As for why Keaton is so against CGI? “I think for a lot of movies, it’s not quite as enjoyable,” he said, and we couldn’t agree more.