Beetlejuice 2 Reactions Have Us Actually Excited For Long-Awaited Sequel

Now, according to a report in Variety, the film has revealed a first look to audiences at CinemaCon, satisfying crowds far and wide. Keaton and the rest of the cast have continued to rave about Beetlejuice 2, which is on pace to release in theaters this September.

It has been over 36 years since the release of the cult classic original, which continues to play on television screens, drive-ins, and special events all over the country each Halloween.

Now, Beetlejuice 2 is poised to recapture the magic of the original, with a host of new and returning cast members who perfectly understood the assignment. The most prominent return comes in the form of the title character, portrayed by Michael Keaton, who seems to be bringing the same bonkers off-the-wall antics to the new film without missing a beat.

Katherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder are poised to reprise their roles in Beetlejuice 2 as well, with newcomers Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, and Wednesday‘s Jenna Ortega on pace to round out the ensemble cast.

Ortega is said to be playing the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Livia, who has intrinsic ties to the world of the afterlife following the events of the 1988 comedy. The 21-year-old actress, who wasn’t even born yet when the original film was released in theaters, is the perfect performer to carry the torch, as her leading appearance on Wednesday has strengthened her reputation as a gothic icon.

CinemaCon opened up in Las Vegas, Nevada this week with appearances from Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and director Tim Burton on the grand stage, delivering sneak peeks at Beetlejuice 2 on behalf of Warner Bros.

According to Variety, Keaton admitted that he was initially skeptical that the team could recapture the magic of the original film, though each day of filming made it clear that Beetlejuice 2 would be bigger than they ever imagined.

Burton and Keaton explained to the crowd that the idea for the sequel has been toyed with for many years, though the opportunity to produce the long-awaited film never properly came up until recently.

The first teaser trailer for Beetlejuice 2 arrived on YouTube just weeks ago and left viewers with a combination of excitement and trepidation. In the new footage shown at CinemaCon, Michael Keaton once again dons his iconic creepy get-up, and terrorizes townspeople who cannot believe the supernatural insanity playing out before them.

Keaton and company have raved that the new film is unbelievably funny, especially highlighting Katherine O’Hara’s performance as Delia Deetz.

Beetlejuice 2 is set to premiere in theaters on September 6, with hype building for the long-awaited sequel by the day. If the final product is anywhere in the ballpark of what Keaton and Tim Burton say, the macabre comedy will be a certifiable hit. Some fans still hold worries that the film will underdeliver, though those worries seem to be getting quashed with each new sneak peek the public is awarded.

Source: Variety