Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Is Bringing Back Original Movie’s Most Memorable Moment
We already know the Beetlejuice sequel, aptly titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, is bringing back the main characters, but now we know that a classic moment will also make a return. Catherine O’Hara appeared on the Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa podcast and revealed that Harry Belefonte’s “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” will appear in the sequel. Fans of the original will remember the iconic song-and-dance numbers from the first movie that uses Belefonte’s famous tune.
Day-O Is Back
Though “Day-O” was already plenty popular on its own, the use of the song in the movie is still remembered as an iconic pop culture moment. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has been a project fans have patiently waited decades for, and it seems like Tim Burton is ready to deliver the nostalgia. Of course, Catherine O’Hara, Michael Keaton, and Winona Ryder all returning will undoubtedly make the nostalgia hit that much harder.
The Expanded Cast
Tim Burton is doing more than just playing the hits with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, as Jenna Ortega, Monica Belluci, and Willem Dafoe will be joining the cast. Plot details of the sequel are being kept tight under wraps, but the reports say that Ortega will play Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, and Belluci will play Beetlejuice’s wife. Willem Dafoe also joins the cast as an undead detective who was a B-movie action star in life.
Justin Theroux, Arthur Conti, Burn Gorman, and Filipe Cates were also cast in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in undisclosed roles. Tim Burton returns to direct with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who are writing the screenplay from a story by Seth Grahame-Smith. Other than these details, there isn’t much more information about the film at this time.
The Old Feeling Back
At the very least, it sounds like the cast and crew are having a lot of fun making Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, as O’Hara told Kelly Ripa that Burton “really wanted to get the old feeling back,” adding, “he’s really funny and a great laugher, and it was just really loose and fun and lovely.” This definitely bodes well for the quality of the movie, considering how much fun the first one was. If the new movie has that same energy, fans should be happy.
A Long Time Coming
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has a lot of hype behind it since this project has been a very long time coming. There were plans in motion for a sequel to the original 1988 film way back in 1990 when Burton hired Jonathan Gems to write Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder were even on board, but Burton and Keaton got busy with 1992’s Batman Returns.
The Failed Sequel
Beetljuice Goes Hawaiian got pushed around for the rest of the 90s before the project was essentially shelved forever. The possibility of a sequel didn’t reemerge until 2011, and then that project was also shelved in 2019. Finally, 2023 saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice officially get the green light, and now we’re less than a year away from the release date.
Not Much Monger To Wait
We’ll likely have to wait a little longer to learn more about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, as Catherine O’Hara didn’t spill any more details, saying, “I don’t want to spoil the fun for anyone.” It seems likely the cast will stay quiet on the plot until we get a trailer later this year. In the meantime, we can look forward to the sequel hitting theaters on September 6.
